Chapter Nineteen: Kolia

Elena’s pov

Something in the way he said it made the older part of me,the part that was watching this memory from inside my own body,feel a sudden, sharp ache under my ribs.

Kolia stood and offered his hand again. After a long moment she took it. He pulled her carefully to her feet and led her deeper into the garden, away from the open path. Their conversation stayed soft. He showed her the different flowers, naming the ones he knew. He pointed out a butterfly resting on a hydrangea bloom. He made a small joke about a bee that had nearly landed on his nose earlier, and young Elena let out a watery laugh that seemed to surprise her.

They ran between the gravel paths, bare feet kicking up little clouds of dust. Kolia’s dark hair fell into his eyes; he pushed it back with an impatient swipe of his hand. Young Elena’s cream dress fluttered around her knees. For a short while the garden felt ordinary and safe,two children who had found each other in the quiet and decided, without words, that they would stay close.

I watched them and felt a strange warmth spread through my chest. This was not a random encounter. They knew each other already in some unfinished way. They trusted each other.

Kolia stopped suddenly near a section of the garden closed off by a tall iron fence. His eyes lit with excitement.

“Do you want to see my tiger?”

Young Elena’s eyes went wide.

“A real one?”

He nodded, already tugging her hand. “My father keeps him. He’s not mean. Come on.”

They moved toward the fence. Behind the iron bars a large cage sat half in shadow. Something heavy shifted inside. A low, rolling growl rose from the darkness.

Young Elena slowed. Her fingers tightened around Kolia’s.

“It’s okay,” he said. “He’s just hungry. He won’t hurt us.”

Before they could get any closer, another boy ran into the garden from the opposite path.

Damien.

But he was young.

Even as a child his features were already recognizable,the same strong jaw, the same dark eyes that would one day look at me with both love and distance. He was slightly taller than Kolia, his hair a little lighter, his expression already carrying the sharp edge of someone who expected the world to move the way he wanted.

He saw them at once. His gaze locked on their joined hands.

“What are you doing with him?”

The question came out sharp, almost angry.

Young Elena froze.

But Kolia did not let go.

Damien strode forward and reached for her free arm. “Come on. You’re not supposed to be over here.”

Kolia’s voice stayed calm but firm. “She’s with me.”

“She’s not.” Damien pulled. “Let go.”

The two boys faced each other across young Elena’s small body. Their argument rose quickly,short, heated words that felt too old for their ages. Rivalry already lived between them, raw and unspoken. Young Elena stood caught in the middle, her earlier tears forgotten, her face pale.

While they argued, a metallic sound cut through the air behind them.

*Click.*

Everyone turned.

The cage door was slowly swinging open.

No one stood near it. No adult hand guided the latch. It simply moved, quiet and deliberate, until the gap was wide enough.

The tiger stepped out.

For one terrible second it only stood there in the sunlight, massive and golden-striped, muscles shifting under its coat. Its eyes were the color of dark amber. It looked at the three children.

Then it charged.

Someone screamed,I think it was me, the child version of me. Kolia grabbed young Elena’s hand and yanked her backward with surprising strength. Damien spun and ran toward the main path. Young Elena’s feet would not move at first. The tiger’s claws tore into the grass as it closed the distance, a low snarl rolling from its throat.