As the pale smoke curled around him, Colonel Ivanov sat in the dimly lit room, his rigid posture belying the comforting warmth of his wife nestled against his chest. The harsh lines of his face betrayed none of the affection he held for her, his ice-blue eyes distant and unyielding, fixed on some unseen horizon. The room was filled with the subtle sounds of their shared silence.His gaze never wavered, etched in stoicism, even as her fingers traced idly over the calloused contours of his hand.