Nikolai had always been captivated by birds. Their elegant wings, the way they soared effortlessly through the sky-it was a kind of beauty that never ceased to amaze him.
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He often watched them from his window, imagining what i...
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CHAPTER EIGHT
You blinked a few times, letting your eyes adjust to the soft morning light filtering through your curtains. The warmth you had felt moments ago was fading, leaving you with a sense of quiet solitude. You rustled the covers, your wings folding slightly as you shifted in bed. The weight of Nikolai's arms around you from earlier was gone, and for a moment, you wondered if it had been a dream.
The space next to you was empty, the imprint of his body barely visible on the mattress. You sighed softly, a mix of relief and disappointment filling your chest. There was something strangely comforting about his presence, even if it had left you feeling flustered. You weren't sure what to make of it all—whether it was just his usual playful nature or something more.
Your eyes wandered around the room, scanning the familiar surroundings. The stillness in the air seemed to echo your thoughts, quiet and unresolved. The curtains swayed gently in the breeze, and the soft light illuminated the scattered books on your desk, the wings of your chair, and the half-finished cup of tea you had forgotten about from last night. Everything was the same, but you couldn't shake the lingering sense that something had shifted.
You exhaled slowly, running a hand through your hair as you sat up. The feeling of being alone in your room weighed on you more than you expected. It was a quiet reminder of how much Nikolai's sudden appearances, chaotic as they often were, brought a sense of unpredictability that you had grown to appreciate.
As you sat there, letting your thoughts drift, you couldn't help but wonder where Nikolai had gone. He always had a way of slipping in and out of your life, like a whirlwind of energy, leaving traces of his presence but never lingering for too long. Maybe he had something else to do, or perhaps he'd return later with another one of his playful antics. You couldn't quite predict what he'd do next—and that, in a strange way, was part of what made him so magnetic.
Another sigh escaped your lips as you leaned back against the headboard, your wings shifting slightly behind you. You felt a pang of uncertainty in your chest, unsure of how to navigate these feelings that had started to surface. It was easy to dismiss them as nothing more than friendship, but moments like this left you questioning if there was something more beneath the surface.
But for now, you let those thoughts rest. The day was still ahead of you, and there would be time to figure things out later. You slipped out of bed, stretching your wings with a soft flutter, and decided to start your day. Whatever it brought, you had a feeling that Nikolai would make an appearance again, just like he always did—unexpected, chaotic, and leaving you with more questions than answers.
Fyodor sat quietly at the table, his fingers steepled together as he listened to Sigma and Nikolai exchange words. The elegant backdrop of the casino buzzed with muted activity, a stark contrast to the tension building at their table. Fyodor's eyes were cold and calculating, but beneath the surface, there was a trace of impatience. He glanced at Nikolai, who was spinning his finger lazily in the air, his usual carefree demeanor unshaken by the serious conversation.
