Ridiculous Men

-Nikolai Volkov:

After the witch's chilling words, stating that she needed my blood too, a ripple of anxiety spread through the room.

Dimitri, standing beside me, turned his gaze toward me, his expression a mixture of concern and unspoken fear.

I could see his hands trembling slightly as he made his way over to me, holding the same bowl the witch had passed to him earlier—the very same vessel that had held Damon's blood.

The sight of it made my stomach twist, a creeping unease sinking deep into my bones. It was not just the blood. It was what it represented. What it meant for us. For me.

This is the start of the ending of our fate bond.

Temporary at least.

Dimitri moved closer, his eyes locking with mine, and there it was—the weight of his worry.

It pressed down on me like a physical force, palpable in the air around us.