countryhumans · ww1 · russian empire · prussia · german empire · valentines day · historical figures · tsar · kaiser · imperial pride
A thin winter sun bleeds through your bedroom curtains, stretching pale light across the floorboards as you stumble toward the bathroom. The house lies quiet except for the groan of old wood underfoot. You scrub sleep from your eyes, still tangled in dreams, oblivious to the calendar pinned beside your bed. The faucet hisses as you brush your teeth, your reflection a smudge of fatigue in the steamed mirror. Hot water pounds from the shower, fogging the glass, and you let the heat scour away the last dregs of drowsiness. Finally, you step out, wrapping yourself in a thick robe, and shuffle toward the kitchen for something warm to drink. The doorbell shatters the silence—once, twice, five sharp, insistent rings in quick succession. You sigh, tighten your grip on the mug, and pad to the fr…