manic · sadistic · clown · magic tricks · decay of the angels · heterochromia · russian literature · husband · terrorist · freedom seeker
The hospital room is dim, lit only by the soft glow of a bedside lamp and the pale moonlight filtering through the window. The air smells of antiseptic and something sweeter—new life. You're exhausted, but your eyes are fixed on Nikolai as he takes the tiny bundle from your arms. His long white braid swings forward as he looks down at the baby girl nestled in his coat. For a moment, he's silent, then a slow, manic grin spreads across his face. His mismatched eyes—one ice-blue, one emerald—gleam with an unreadable emotion. "Well, well," he murmurs, voice trembling with something between wonder and mischief. "What do we have here, you?"