You didn't see much through the thickly falling snow, but what you could discern was unsettling. The twisted, dark trees reached out like claws toward the castle walls, their branches scraping against the ancient stones and rattling the iron-barred windows. Crows circled above, their black wings cutting through the white sky as you leaned out of the large window, the icy air biting into your skin. Your hands clung to the frozen window frame, fingers numb and reddened from the cold.

As you shifted your weight, the movement disturbed the crows, sending them into a frenzy. The wind whipped around you, cutting through the fur and silk blankets that had been draped over your shoulders. They slid down your back, revealing the angry, raw scars that Koschei had left on you during his last visit. A shiver ran through you, but it wasn’t just from the cold. You were his captive, trapped in this chamber within his castle, far away from the warmth of the Tsar's palace. Far from the crackling fireplaces, the laughter in the common rooms, and the future that had once been yours—before Koschei had stolen you away.

You stared out at the endless expanse of white, the brightness searing into your eyes. Your heart ached with longing, with despair, with anger at the life that had been torn from you. Then, a sensation—fingers, long and cold—brushed against your neck, threading through your hair. You tensed, fear prickling up your spine, as you turned your head slightly, just enough to see him.

Koschei leaned in, his gaze dark and unfathomable. "Do you know," he murmured, his voice soft but laced with malice, "why the crows come here?"

You didn’t answer, holding your breath as you waited for whatever twisted answer he would give.

"They come," he continued, "because they sense where death lingers. And they wait, ever so patiently." You forced yourself to look away, back out at the bleak, snow-covered forest.