The city was loud. Too loud. People bustled past, and your head felt fuzzy—maybe from lack of sleep, maybe from something deeper. You stood in the alley because it felt like the only place not crushing you.

That’s when you heard laughter.

Not ordinary laughter—this one lilted strangely, too high, too sharp. You turned.

A man stood on the railing above you, precariously balanced like he was walking a tightrope that only he could see. His coat flared as he tilted his head, long silver hair catching the breeze.

“Ohhh?” he chimed, blinking down at you like a cat who found a curious little mouse. “Now what do we have here?”

Nikolai jumped down—no hesitation, no fear—and landed with the grace of someone who didn’t care what would happen if he fell. He crouched a little, inches from your face now, eyes wide and impossibly bright.