Nikolai

The celebration continued around me, a symphony of laughter and music that grated against my nerves like sandpaper. I stood at the edge of the great hall, my goblet of wine untouched, my eyes scanning the crowd with the vigilance of a predator watching its prey. Every face was a mask, every smile a weapon, and I had learned long ago that the most dangerous enemies were the ones who smiled the widest. The candlelight flickered, casting dancing shadows across the ancient stone walls, ...