The universe waited a whole three days before pulling the rug again. The mail brought a fire notice from the tavern, great start, and beneath it, as if signed by fate with terrible handwriting: “Ну зачем?? (but, why??) And I didn't even need to look again to know who wrote that. I wrote a letter back to Myroslav, jokingly saying Потому что я могу(because I can) as a response

  I packed my equipment and some food into my backpack, rehearsed a few lessons from over a decade ago, and set off for the hospital, hoping for a new life that would actually feel like the one Mikola would choose. The snowstorm tried to push me back home with every gust, but 20 stubborn minutes later, I arrived. The same place where I was last officially known as "Mikola" 4 years and a whole lifetime ago.

  Then suddenly, I saw a woman about 10 meters(30 feet) away carrying heavy boxes, and she was shivering intensely. I told her she should go inside, and she just said "Ладно"(ok). I took a deep breath and opened the big stained door, only to see that it had become completely different

  Everything felt...different. Warmer. The walls were freshly painted, the dust was gone, and doodles across the corridors featured many characters from Nu Pogodi!. The whole place oddly felt weirdly...inviting

  I hardly had any time to notice the people around me until a woman just suddenly collapsed at my feet after just entering the doors

  Everyone at the entrance either ran away, panicked, or froze in place. I was the only one available

  I looked down at her again and saw it was the same woman from outside. Her skin was completely pale, with snowflakes all around her thin coat. From how she was just 5 minutes ago, I knew this was dangerous

  I dropped to one knee beside her, turned her around, and checked for her pulse and breathing. They were shallow but steady. It's mild hypothermia, thank god

  I brushed the snow from her coat and hair, pressing my hands to her shoulders and rubbing gently to stimulate circulation. I took off my scarf to place it over her chest. After some time, I took off my coat to place it gently on her body. Because I know warming her too fast could shock her system

  Her fingers were blue, numb, and totally swollen. Her lips tinged blue, but slowly, a faint flush began returning to her, and her eyes began fluttering to reveal quite possibly the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. Blue like shallow tropical waters, where sunlight dances on rippling waves

  The entrance crowd was still in shock, but I didn't let that distract me. Minute by minute, color returned to her skin, her breathing became steadier, and her vision finally became sharp as she murmured, "Who are you?"

  "Hey!! Thanks for saving her," said a different voice from afar

  I looked up and saw a few employees standing there. One of them, a short tan tan-skinned man, muttered

  "She's...alive? You didn't let Olga freeze?"

  I looked down at her again, and she was visibly annoyed, but was too weak to respond.

  Another tall brunette woman, folding her arms and tapping her foot, said

  "Hey! That could have caused a scene with the patients!!"

  A third, a bit quieter, nodded to me

  "Well...thanks, I suppose. It would have been a disaster if it weren't for you."

  I just sort of went along with it and nodded to everything they were saying. Meanwhile, she adjusted my coat and wrapped it around herself even tighter, giving me a slight hug. I explained to the 3 what had happened and how they shouldn't just let her out in a snowstorm to carry heavy boxes without any gloves or hats. Then I saw her trying to stand back up, so I asked the quiet one to lead us to a nearby seat, and she gestured and walked away

  I followed her, with her in my arms, and gently placed her on the seat. As she regained her posture, she just stared at my eyes steadily and not blinking once, in a way I hadn't been looked at in years, almost as if she was studying me. I didn't know what to do, so I just stared back at hers. After what felt like an eternity, she suddenly said, "You have lovely eyes."

  Thanks...I guess?

  She continued to stare at me; her pupils wide and soft. I suddenly became very interested in the drawings of Nu, Pogodi! behind her head. My thoughts started racing:

  No, stop. You can't right now, Mikola. You have Mandukhai and a daughter

  The silence stretched for even longer. Until the universe finally nudged me to do something to break it

  I'll...bring hot chay, said maybe a bit too quickly

  She clutched my coat even tighter, symbolically hugging me by extension

  I turned around and went back towards the entrance for my backpack, like everything was normal

  "That was unexpected," a part of me muttered and sighed in relief. I would have melted fast if I had looked at her for a second longer

  The snow at the doorway had started to puddle into a slush, and the same group of people was standing just observing the pace of the snow melt. A few stepped forward, offering half-awkward pats on my shoulders while saying quick "Nice work " like they were afraid of heroism might be contagious. I didn't let that distract me; someone is waiting for me

  So, without giving any response, I unzipped my sturdy blue backpack, grabbed my water tank with warm water inside it. I was contemplating which tea I should bring, but then I remembered Dedushka telling me, "Black chay-best for thawing a soul. From my peripheral vision, I could see a few confused faces, but that didn't matter. I zipped my backpack, put my water tank in one hand and a teabag in the other, and marched back towards her

  While on the way back, my mind decided to have a little civil war inside.

  I'm going back to her...But I'm also going back for her.

  Don't be intimidated by those eyes, I said out loud. She needs help. Just help her and be a decent human, don't think too much

  By the time my brain was finally wrestling itself into a knot, I was already standing in front of her, again. And there she was, staring into me as usual. I sat down across her, and as I unpacked the teabag and poured water into the cap of the tank, her voice suddenly cut through the air, sharp but quiet

  "Why did you save me and waste your time on me?"

  I froze for a second and nearly spilled the water. Unsure of what to say, but I wanted to say it confidently like a man should. I cleared my throat, and my tongue heavy, I opened my mouth to speak, only for it to snap shut after like a crocodile snatching something. I opened it again, and it repeated. But finally, words came out of me, well, not really words, more like some ancient gibberish sounds

  I...I didn't...I just saw you... I didn't want you...uh...d-dying

  Well, that could have certainly gone better, I said in my mind. I looked across the table and to her, expecting a face made of intense disgust

  But instead, I saw eyes of intense intrigue. Did she really just not react to that?

  Here, this should...warm you up, I said whilst handing her the chay. Just as she finally fixated her sight away from my eyes, I heard the sound of boots approaching, and it was the same quiet nurse who had guided us here earlier

  "Hey, blonde guy, come over to the office. I have something to discuss," she said in a firm, calm voice

  I stood up and said it bluntly: Понятно. She muttered, "Follow me," as she took a left turn to one of the quieter and narrower corridors leading to the office room.

  I walked about 4 meters behind her and took a mental note of my surroundings. The corridor grew increasingly darker, and there were 2 small steps leading upwards. Her steps were deliberate, calm, and carried a weight that suggested she didn’t waste time with nonsense. I also thought I heard footsteps behind me, so I checked, but there was no one

  At the very end was a dark oak wood door, and she went inside there. Once I reached the door frame, I looked at the room, and it had pale green walls, with a peace lily placed on the window, the sunlight making the entire place glow light yellow, opposite to the dark corridor just outside.

  I stepped inside and sat on an armchair that the nurse instructed which faced away from the door to the window. She sat down across from me, and the only expression I knew of her, that neutral, blunt voice, steadily softened before asking the same question she did

  "Why did you save Olga?"

  I didn't know what to speak of at first. I sat silently for about 3 seconds there until the universe nudged me again. The peace lily reflected bright sunlight at me. Suddenly, I wasn't worried about myself anymore...but for her

  I...I couldn't watch her there. I finally said, my voice low, but honest. She looked scared. Lost. No one else was helping. And I guess I just.. wanted to make sure she was okay

  I looked up to the nurse, waiting for a response. But she leaned forward in her seat and held her hands, so I continued and told it again with more honesty

  It was small. But if someone, anyone, hadn't been there, she might have felt the loneliness and coldness forever. And I...I couldn't let her decay like that

  For a moment, the room was completely silent except for the faint hum of the fluorescent lighting outside. I thought of her. Eyes of a frozen lake, wide and unwavering when I gave her the chay. That look wasn't like any other. It asked for understanding and subtle admiration. Maybe sometimes, what we need is for someone to just...notice us, know we are there

  My internal race was interrupted when I thought I heard a soft huh from outside the door. Could it be...-No, she's on the seat drinking her chay. It must be my imagination playing tricks on me

  "Anything wrong about our...door?" said the nurse in a low but puzzled voice

  N-no? I replied

  "Хорошо"(good) was what she said before standing up and going to her desk. I heard the soft rustling of papers as she opened a drawer, sifted through something, and finally pulled out a single sheet before sitting back down

  As she sat down, she said, "Do you want to work here, blonde guy?" in a voice that's a bit more expressive than she has been so far

  What!?, I said, almost shouting. It's not that because I didn't hear her, but because I didn't believe her. Was it always this easy?

  "Was anyone besides you doing anything at the entrance?" she tried again

  No?

  "Exactly. You're one of the very few who don't run screaming like a goat when something happens," as she tapped the corner of the paper on the desk frequently, like she was trying to square reality into a neat little rectangle before continuing

  "Then why are you so surprised? Competent people exist, and you're one of the rare few," said in a voice that sounded very... neutral?

  I blinked. I-I'm not a doctor. I'm not even...medical adjacent. I only got a bachelor's! I said while my brain was still processing

  She immediately responded, "You don't always need to go to Moskva and study your soul out just so you can be a doctor. Sometimes, you need to show talent, as you did with her."

  Something inside me snapped at that moment. I don't know why, and I'm usually not like this, but I couldn't...take it anymore

  What is the deal with Olga? I decided to treat someone with basic human decency, and you all are treating this as if I saved the president or something. Maybe next time, I will retreat behind cover like a coward so I can be more "normal.

  I heard noise from outside the door once again, louder this time. Like something, or someone, making a thud sound. But I didn't care, I've already acknowledged that I'm hallucinating and going insane. It didn't help the fact that the nurse didn't even flinch at that sound, just looking at it

  The nurse recoiled for a bit, put the job application paper on her lap, and took a deep breath. At that moment, I realized that I may have gone too far with someone who's just doing her job and was nice enough to offer a place here. Maybe I need to shut up and listen

  The nurse's gaze didn't waver. She leaned slightly forward, her voice gentle but firm

  "Guy, you think saving her was just...ordinary. But you don't understand Olga. She's a deeply hurt soul."

  She took a brief pause, fixed her throat, and continued before I could add anything

  "For every day she has worked at the hospital, she's carried herself like a fortress. She doesn't let anyone ever speak a second word to her without her running to the locker just to lock herself in there for hours. Sometimes, she would disappear for so long that I had to manually find her via security camera footage and free her myself. A-a...and..."

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  She stopped suddenly, looked down, and couldn't speak anymore. This was clearly something bigger than her, so I helped her out

  Nurse, take your time, as I tapped on her forearm briefly. No one is rushing you

  Her shoulders loosened under my touch, just a tiny bit, but enough to show that she wasn’t made of stone after all. She inhaled shakily, then let the breath ease out, as if she’d been holding that weight in her chest for years and only now allowed herself to set it down

  "Спасибо," she muttered. Not politely. Not professionally. Just humanly...

  When she eventually raised her head again, the surgical mask she had been wearing had loosened and fell off her ears. But she didn't bend down to get it; rather, she continued talking

  "She's a deeply hurt soul," she repeated, and this time the words weren’t a clinical assessment, but a confession. "Hurt in the way that's invisible. No bruises or cuts, but her life."

  Her eyes slightly shifted focus towards the door before saying

  "You didn't even see her for 10 minutes. Yet, you're the first in 5 years to penetrate her shield."

  Then her eyes, for the first time, met mine. Not the usual distant, tired glance she gave everyone else, but something sharper, clearer. And her pupils… yeah, they were wider too. I guess I have a superpower of shapeshifting people's eyes, apparently

  "What is...your name, guy?" said softly after reading my face for some time and opening her mouth gently. Finally, she wasn't jumpscaring me with sudden questions

  V-vladi..mir?

  She slightly tilted her head, but the look in her eyes made me spit it out

  N-no-, I'm Mikola. Mikola Vyachorka

  The moment the name left me, something unreadable flickered across her face, recognition? relief, or just the satisfaction of prying open yet another sealed door today.

  But she didn’t comment. She simply held my gaze, softly, steadily, like she was reassuring me that telling the truth wasn’t a mistake

  "Aha, Mikola...are you Ukrainian?'

  Belarusian.

  "Good to know. Well, Kolya, I need you to listen very carefully." At this point, she had become an unrecognizable person from what she was just a few minutes ago

  I leaned forward slightly. What could she possibly mean by it?

  "You are worth a lot more than you might think. In a world that's consumed by suspicion, hatred, and selfishness, you instinctively offer kindness to anyone, even strangers, without expecting anything back in return

  I blinked at her, once, twice. Kindness? Me? Right, as if I were also the inventor of oxygen-

  "People like you really are the oxygen to our society."

  Huh? Did she just read my mind?

  "You think it was nothing, what you did for Olga. You think it was "basic human decency," or whatever you men like to call it."

  A faint, ironic smirk tugged at her mouth, quickly gone.

  "She lives completely by herself, alone. And no one here approaches her because they think she's unusual, but because they're terrified. I have gone so worried for her that I contacted her brother, who lives in another federal subject, and the things he told me about Olga were not pretty."

  The nurse exhaled slowly through her nose.

  "He told me she hasn't been the same since childhood. She started to shut herself in even then. Whenever visitors came over, even if they were cousins, she would either hide under the bed or escape from the apartment. But most importantly, the only person she would ever even look at was him."

  My throat tightened. Suddenly, the memory of Olga's wide, terrified eyes wasn't just a strange moment; it was a window into something I had no right to see

  "And when she grew up, it only got worse. She graduated in 1998, right during the financial crisis. She couldn't find a job anywhere, even if she had good grades. During this time, her parents passed away, and her brother moved to Irkutsk for a job. He promised her that he would visit as often as possible and that he loves his sister dearly."

  So I wasn't the only one who wasn't left to rot during the 1990s. She continued before I could react

  "Ever since the day she landed here in 2000, she has treated every one of us as if we're...intruders."

  She searched for a better word, sighed, and settled on the first one anyway

  "I'm the one she trusts slightly more than the others because I respect her space, and she sometimes lets me even approach her. But in the bigger picture, she treats me like any other, and even I cannot connect to her."

  I swallowed hard. That thud outside suddenly wasn’t so easy to ignore anymore.

  The nurse looked at me again, her voice softer, weightier.

  "About the boxes and why she was carrying them during a snowstorm, none of us had actually ordered her to. Sure, I told her to carry a few crates to the truck for shipment, a few days ago. The fact that she chose a biblical snowstorm out of every minute she could have...yeah, Kolya. Between you and me, Olga had other intentions."

  For some reason, I understood what she meant by "other intentions." From how the nurse described her life, it genuinely seems plausible

  "Kolya, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but you really matter to her. I know you need this job, I just know you do. And, you may just be the only soul she didn't barricade herself from in god knows how long."

  I knew where this was going

  "So what do you say, want to become...one of us?"

  The way she said that almost sounded like mama, reassuring, motherly, so soft it scraped something raw inside me. I almost said yes right then. This was what I’d dreamt of doing since I first learned how to think. And Olga…she’s a soul I’d love to care for; she reminded me too much of myself from ten years ago.

  But at the same time, I wanted to stay here, not boxed in, not restrained, not swallowed by anyone’s expectations.

  Didn’t matter. My heart answered before my brain could.

  “Y-y…yes. Yes, I’ll take it.

  "That's awesome!! Thank you so much for-"

  She cleared her throat and tried again, remembering she had a reputation to maintain

  “Ahem. That’s good. You can… sign up now. I’m sorry, I’m not really used to… feeling excited.”

  She finally gave me the paper she had been holding on to, I added my details, and handed it. This is it, the moment I have been waiting for my entire life

  "Alright, you can go home now. You'll start working as a healthcare assistant tomo..rrow?"

  She scratched her head, clearly confused by something

  "I thought your name was Mikola Vyachorka. Not Vladimir Kuznetsov"

  I stood up and fixed my jacket. It's...a complicated story. But for now, all you need to know is that I use that name officially, but I'd prefer to be called Mikola, Kolya, or whatever variations your heart invents. Just don't use it outside the hospital

  "Uhh...okay? Kolya, I'll get all this name dilemma sorted out today. You leave and rest, you've had a long enough day." I think I fried her circuits with that one

  From the window, it seems like the snowstorm has faded away, at least for now, so

  I said До сведания(bye)!, and walked off. She replied "Пока?" from behind. I didn't even bother correcting her for using the wrong term for it. Close enough, I'll take it

  I opened the door back to the dark, narrow corridor. I left the office with more questions than I had entered with. I looked back and took a good look at that dark oak door before finally leaving

  The corridor grew increasingly brighter and wider. But I was more occupied with my own thoughts. In a matter of time, I reached the point of the tunnel where there was a brightness contrast, and the 2 small steps leading down to...Olga?

  What are you doing here? I said quite worryingly more than I intended

  You should be at the seat warming up; you can't stand up yet!

  But she cut me off

  "C-can we be...f-friends?"

  Her voice was so faint, so fragile, it barely reached me. The weakest I had ever heard from any living person. Like the words themselves were too heavy for her throat to carry, but she forced them out anyway.

  Yeah… I’d like that. Friends. Let’s just… take it one step at a time.

  She didn’t say anything, just that tiny nod, barely more than the tremble of a leaf. Then she lifted the cup again, taking a sip like it was perfectly normal to drink tea that had died a long, cold death.

  I almost opened my mouth to tell her it wasn’t warm anymore. But something in her posture stopped me, the way she held that cup like it was an anchor, not a beverage.

  So I swallowed the comment. The last thing she needed from me was correction, or fussing, or anything that sounded like the world she already ran from

  I covered her with my coat again since she had placed it at the other seat, and I went back to the entrance to look at the weather outside

  The storm was still there, but different now, a tired beast instead of a furious one. Snow still fell, but slower. The wind still pushed at the glass, but less violently, as if it were running out of anger. After observing it for a long enough time, I had decided it was calm enough and went back to her to retrieve my belongings

  I came back, and she asked, "You'll make it? and a lot more confidently this time

  Looks calm enough. I said, even though it wasn't really a yes. She didn't nod this time. Just watched me gather my things and shove them inside my backpack like she was memorizing the shape of the moment. But

  I couldn't find my water tank anywhere. I looked at it for 5 minutes before remembering I had given it to her. Silly me

  She had just finished the cold tea, but she still looked cold and weak. I had more warm water inside the tank, but I also had to leave right now. So I reopened my blue backpack, took out a few more teabags with a teaspoon, and gave it to her

  Here. You still need to warm up. And...you can take that water tank with you if you want to. Saves you the walk.

  She blinked at the teabags as if they were rare artifacts. Then she looked at the tank before slowly turning her head up to me. I could see confusion, shock, and admiration from those crystal blue eyes all at the same time

  "You're...giving it," she asked, small but not trembling

  It's not doing me any good sitting in this mess of a backpack. And you shouldn't be walking around yet. So keep it. Use it. Whatever you want

  I zipped my backpack shut, maybe a little too fast. She held the tank against her chest. Then she looked down at her shoes, and something in it loosened. Not relief, not joy...the quiet understanding that someone meant well

  "Thank you," she muttered with no panic in her voice this time

  I waved it off. Just stay warm, okay? That's all

  The storm pressed against the windows, and I realized I really did have to leave. But she kept her eyes on me all the way to the door, holding that tank like it was a promise she wasn’t sure she deserved

  I struggled to open the door as there was a huge pile of snow on the ground blocking the way from the outside, almost as if the hospital wanted me to stay here. But eventually, I finally pushed it open, and snow already got in my boots

  Cold immediately hit my face. But that did not matter. I spent the entire walk back home thinking about what just happened today. Her stare, her voice, and her clutching my coat kept flashing in my head nonstop. I stopped by a cafe midway through to warm up. I ordered an espresso and occupied a high seat facing the window

  I didn't do much there. Waited for about 5 minutes before the barista handed me my espresso, so hot that it could barely be considered drinkable, but it oddly fit the setting

  While drinking and looking at the snow turning into a gentle drift, I tried to distract myself with tomorrow. About starting the job, finally becoming the person I had dreamt of since I was a young lad, a person Mikola Vyachorka would choose. But every time my mind drifted a millimeter, her face slipped in again

  After what felt like hours, I finally finished the steaming hot espresso, turned around from the window to throw the cup in the bin. I looked back to leave, and everything was stained now. Snow wasn't drifting anymore; it was slamming diagonally, and the parked cars outside slowly faded away behind a cover of frost. Looks like the snowstorm has decided it didn't have enough today

  Well...that's just inconvenient, I said out loud

  But at the same time, I managed to drag myself all the way from dom until the hospital in worse conditions. I can do this again, is what I believed until I actually pried to door open, only to see I could not see anything other than thick white particles flying by. The barista saw me and convinced me to wait out the storm, and then it didn't stop

  So I had to call the only person who'll be annoyed but would pick me up anyway

  I dug my hand into my pocket to get my Nokia and dialed her number

  "What now, Miko? I thought you were supposed to be at the hospital." No hello. No softness. Just the practical tone of someone who’s still part of your life, but no longer part of your world.

  Yeah, I was, I just...kind of got into a situation. I'm stuck at Lutshye Kafe. Can you-

  She cut in, as she always does

  "Miko, you walked until Chita in blizzards back when we were little. Can't you just wait it out now?"

  I tried. I said, half laughing, half crushed. The cafe is about to close

  I heard audible inhaling from the other side before saying

  "Fine, I'll get there. Just...stay where you are. I'll be there in 10 minutes."

  The line clicked off. No goodbye. No concern. No "I love you."

  After 12 years and a daughter, her silence has become louder than her words; it's becoming deafening

  Have I gotten more appreciation, more connection from Olga in one day than I’ve had with Mandukhai in the last five years?

  Before I could decide whether that was pathetic or terrifying, a voice boomed behind me.

  “Hey! Miko, didn’t expect to see you here! That broad, thick accent.

  I didn’t even have to turn around; only one person in this district sounds like he was born chewing gravel and joy at the same time.

  Oh, hi Myroslav! What are you doing here?

  "Maybe because nature has decided to enact revenge on me after I fired Maxim the other day for letting those drunk dudes in? I don't know? said in a voice I have associated with him by this point

  You're firing him just now!? Dude is a walking deterrent for common sense, man

  Myroslav laughed out so loud that he slammed his fist against the table and slightly bent over before saying

  "Ohh man, what a good one. Well any way, I need you at the back, I need to tell you something"

  Didn't you already talk about everything you need with the letter you sent me 2 days ago? mocking him a little since I do enjoy being a little loud around him

  "And I have more things to talk about now. Come here," he gestured with his hand and walked to the back of the cafe, which was still visible to the barista, but he insisted it was "secretive."

  We sat there, and Myroslav immediately started the conversation with:

  "So you're the one hiding from Mandukhai in here, huh?

  I blinked, ...What?

  "Don't play dumb with me, Mikola. I heard that phone call. I heard that long-lasting silence. Waiting for her to swoop in, huh?"

  At this point, yeah, dude. Didn't expect myself to agree to whatever he just said

  "You know, it's only been about 5 days since you left, and the tavern already feels...alien. I hear customers complaining about the "bad" taste of our piroshkis. Even though I swear our other staff are trained to make them delicious as well. Or at the very least, that's what they told me."

  I just nodded and gave a few mhm as he monologued

  "I swear, Mikola, you're my favorite human paradox. Quiet, respectful, and someone capable who doesn't like to take credit. But that's why you were so great for our place. You added a bit of mystery, actually knew how to handle things behind the scenes, and well...didn't have a 60% kotlet burning rate, and you decided to leave all of this behind for a hospital."

  I got a little annoyed by the last sentence, but before I could correct him

  "But you don't owe us anything. You're your own individual after all. Go on and live life the way you want it to play out. Don't be held back by anyone and choose what your heart desires. So yes, I am 100% in line with your decision...even if it means I have to endure one more customer say "this piroshki isn't as good as it was before."

  I felt like joking back at him as a reply. But words couldn't form, and I just unconsiencly...hugged him

  Thank you, Myroslav. That...that means a lot to me

  He enveloped me with that broad, solid frame, taller and heavier than me, the kind of weight that somehow makes the world feel steadier

  "Тримайся, брате" he murmured. Even though it wasn't Russian, I still understood him just fine

  He patted my back once, hard enough to remind me he wasn’t letting go of this support anytime soon, and pulled back with a small, teasing grin. “Just…don’t go making piroshkis better than mine when you’re a hospital hero, okay?”

  Понятно

  "I think you should be going now, Mandukhai should be here by now, and we both know she'll implode if you make her wait any longer than 3 minutes."

  Yeah, he was right. I let go of him and trudged my way back to the door. Once again, there was so much snow outside that I had to push the door with all my might just to open it. I looked back at Myroslav for one last time and marched my way to our SMZ on the other side of the road. Snow crunched loudly under my footsteps, and I had to place my arm above my eyes because my face was continuously pestered by all the snow

  I finally got the SMZ and entered it. Mandukhai stared at me first, as if she had something to say. But then she just turned her head on the wheel and started the engine

  I don’t remember much about the ride back. The blizzard ate most of the world outside the windows, and the silence in the car did the same on the inside. Mandukhai didn’t say a word, just drove, stiff and focused, as if talking might crack something open she didn’t want touched.

  We pulled up to our building the same way we always had. Eight years in that apartment, and it still greeted us like an old, slightly grumpy neighbor: small, cold, but ours. I pushed the door open, felt the familiar draft, and stepped inside.

  I made myself a quick dinner, whatever I could manage without thinking too hard, and went straight to bed. By then, the day felt like it had been three days long. I didn’t even bother turning on the radio or taking off my sweater. I just let the mattress swallow me whole.

  I didn’t think much of it. Just another quiet night in our small, freezing apartment. But that was the last evening that moved at a normal pace. Everything after 2005… it all started accelerating before I realized I’d been swept along with it.

  Okay, that's it for Mikola. And sadly, this time, I will not be adding updates to the siblings' lives. Why? Maybe because we have progressed in a total of...5 days since chapter 3? Who knows?