IHM-XXXI

NIKOLAI SMITH

Alexei Sean walked into my office, his face a canvas of bewilderment, as if he had just witnessed something otherworldly. "Sorry for keeping you waiting, Nikolai," he began, a hint of incredulity in his voice. "I bumped into someone who coincidentally looks a lot like my sister."

As he spoke, a ripple of recognition crossed my mind. My thoughts rewound to the hospital corridor, where the air was thick with worry during Elisa's illness, and Eli-Andrea emerged as an unexpected doppelganger.

"Is your sister by any chance named Eli-Andrea?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.

"Yeah, that's her. I just met a girl who looks exactly like her, but she is Elisa," Alexei responded, the surreal nature of the coincidence settling between us.