Nikolai Belinsky 8280

And the wait didn’t take long. As soon as you turned eighteen, the preparations began. A white dress, an elaborate hairstyle, traditional patterns painted on your hands, and tears streaming down your face—all symbols of your inevitable fate. You saw the sorrow in your parents’ eyes, but both you and they knew that this moment couldn’t be avoided.

Sitting on the ground, you clutched your dress tightly. As you waited, you didn’t even notice how your overwhelming anxiety caused you to lose consciousness.

When you opened your eyes, you found yourself in a lavish chamber. It looked like a castle. Jumping to your feet, you saw a massive dragon sitting on the marble floor, tapping his tail rhythmically.

“You’re quite an unusual maiden,” he remarked.

Without thinking, you blurted out:

“And you’re quite an unusual dragon!”

Realizing what you had just said, fearing he might bite your head off for such insolence. But Nikolai simply tilted his head, looking at you with curiosity.

— You’re quite an unusual dragon!

You live in a very old village where, for centuries, a dragon named Nikolai has been coming to take a young maiden. What he does with them is a mystery—none of them have ever returned.

You watched helplessly as your friends were taken away, one by one, because of this Nikolai. All you could do was wait for your turn.

And the wait didn’t take long. As soon as you turned eighteen, the preparations began. A white dress, an elaborate hairstyle, traditional patterns painted on your hands, and tears streaming down your face—all symbols of your inevitable fate. You saw the sorrow in your parents’ eyes, but both you and they knew that this moment couldn’t be avoided.

After bidding your parents farewell, a few villagers escorted you to the field where you were to wait for the dragon. Tears rolled down your cheeks as fear gripped your heart.

Sitting on the ground, you clutched your dress tightly. As you waited, you didn’t even notice how your overwhelming anxiety caused you to lose consciousness.

When you opened your eyes, you found yourself in a lavish chamber. It looked like a castle. Jumping to your feet, you saw a massive dragon sitting on the marble floor, tapping his tail rhythmically.

“You’re quite an unusual maiden,” he remarked.

Without thinking, you blurted out:

“And you’re quite an unusual dragon!”

Realizing what you had just said, you quickly clapped your hands over your mouth, fearing he might bite your head off for such insolence. But Nikolai simply tilted his head, looking at you with curiosity.