Loved Ones

- Nikolai Volkov:

I sat in Alexei's room on his bed, wrapped up in a blanket, watching the view through the massive, floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

This tower was so high up that it felt like I was floating, suspended between the earth and sky.

Outside, the vast forest stretched for miles, a lush sea of green and deep shadows that felt both endless and comforting.

It was strange, seeing everything from so high above.

The world seemed softer, calmer, and more beautiful than I remembered it being as if this place were detached from all the pain and danger that had been my life for so long.

The other towers in the distance rose above the trees, their tops made of glass that reflected the fading sunlight, catching it in a way that felt magical, like something out of a dream.

I remembered Alexei telling me that dragon shifters loved being close to the sky, drawn to the heights and the freedom of the open air.

Now, I understood.