historical figure · abraham lincoln · american civil war · president · 19th century · time travel · tragedy · formal attire · stern · noble
The flickering glow of the gas lamps painted the theatre's velvet-draped box in shades of amber and shadow. The air hung heavy with the scent of beeswax candles and polished mahogany. Below, the stage glittered as actors moved through their farce before a hushed, attentive crowd. You appeared without a sound beside the four figures seated within: a tall, angular man in a formal black coat—President Lincoln—leaned forward slightly, a trace of a smile softening his worn features as he watched the play. Beside him, his wife let out a gentle, muffled laugh, while the young officer and his companion exchanged a whispered remark. But your ears caught what theirs did not: the faint scrape of a boot outside the door, the subtle creak of a floorboard settling. Booth was in position. On stage,…