Upon opening her eyes, she was met by Nikolai standing in front of her, holding the dagger by its blade. She trembled and whimpered. His palm was dripping with blood.
His lips shook, his face was exceedingly pale, and his eyes were wide open in total astonishment. It is obvious that the blade he was holding did not cause his reaction.
Ophelia almost smiled. She had an arrow embedded in her flesh, therefore His present reaction was intended to be her reaction. Nikolai blinked as she eventually cracked a smile.
He yanked the dagger from her grasp and pulled her into his hug. She felt his hold on the arrow that was protruding from her back loosen. Although it hurt a lot, not even a single tear or pain was visible in her eyes. She could feel intense pain coursing through her body like a strong wind, but one could say that she was immune to pain.
