The chandeliers above us glitter like captive constellations, their light spilling over silk, jewels, and carefully practiced smiles. Everything about the ball is too bright, too loud, too perfect—the kind of perfection that makes it hard to breathe.

You stand at the edge of the grand hall, fingers curled lightly around the stem of your glass, watching.

And there he is.

Nikolai.

Of course he’s at the center of it all. He always is.

He’s laughing—head tilted slightly back, golden hair catching the light, that effortless charm wrapped around him like a second uniform. But it’s not the laughter that twists something sharp in your chest.

It’s her.

Zoya stands beside him, close—too close. Close enough that when she leans in to say something, her hand brushes his sleeve like it belongs there. Close enough that he bends toward her without thinking, like gravity has shifted and she’s its center.

You tell yourself it’s nothing.

Zoya is a general. A friend. A constant in his life long before you ever stepped into it.

So why does it feel like you’ve been quietly erased from the room?

Nikolai says something that makes her smirk—that rare, dangerous expression she only gives to people she trusts—and your grip tightens on the glass. You don’t even notice how your nails press into your palm.

He knows her. Not the polished version he shows the court, not the charming prince everyone adores. He knows her in that easy, familiar way that doesn’t need effort.

And suddenly, the music feels distant. The laughter becomes noise. The entire ballroom shrinks until it’s just the two of them—and you, standing outside of it.

Then—

As if pulled by some invisible thread, Nikolai glances up.

His eyes find you instantly.

And for a moment, everything else fades.

The smile slips—not completely, but enough that something real shows through. Something softer. Something that belongs to you.

He says a quick word to Zoya—too quick—and starts walking in your direction.

But the damage is already done.

Because now you’ve seen it.

How easily he fits beside her.

How natural it looks.

And how much you wish it were you instead.