Part 1 - Broken Lives
July 30, 2024 at 12:04 PM
In a huge metropolis, the suffocating heat stood for almost the entire summer month, residents and guests of the seaside town of Seren were looking for ways to escape from this excruciating heat, and no one was surprised by the sight of small children joyfully playing in the city fountains under cool streams of clear water. Many adults, looking at this picture, began to be a little jealous and remember their childhood.
The salty smell of the sea has always been felt on the streets of this city, mixed with the light aroma of flowering trees in numerous parks and from cozy courtyards.
And if you walked slowly from the entrance to the park "Scarlet Moon" to the wide embankment lined with white stones, then step by step you could hear louder and louder the cries of wild seagulls and the sound of the waves of the sea, in the anger of storms beating against a reliable wall of reinforced concrete, gray breakwaters or calm, with a quiet rustle rushing onto the snow-white shore They always had a mesmerizing look.
Leaning against the iron railing of the embankment fence, a petite girl in a pink pantsuit stood, a playful breeze playing with her brown curls. A sad smile froze on the woman's still youthful charming face, she looked with some longing at how the restless sea waters were rolling on the breakwaters with a menacing hiss. Her middle-aged but tall companion, standing nearby, leisurely sipped a cold drink from a plastic bottle and watched out of the corner of his eye a small group of tourists who came on an excursion and took photos with a female guide, at the same time listening to her story about the past of the city of Seren.
— Miss Stone,— her companion addressed the girl in a barely audible voice. — Forgive me for my lack of confidence in this pauper. I don't think he can carry this through to the end.
— You don’t have to worry about anything. Kyoshi should do everything right, — Miss Stone said confidently. —However, I have no idea what the damned old man is thinking about,— the girl said with a barely audible tremor in her voice, and, straightening up, quickly turned to face the black-haired man in a dark blue suit. — Uncle Misha, you were a close friend of my late mother and all this time, all these fifteen years, you have protected me. I know very well that you are fulfilling my mother’s last request. And for this I am grateful to you.— Her gray eyes reflected weariness from life. Veta angrily clutched a small silver clutch in her hands and continued to speak: — You know how many times I tried to escape from him and from all of them, but, unfortunately, I was found every time. And then they foisted that narcissistic bastard on me for the dumbest reason, my bad daddy needed someone else's family's business, — the girl's voice was instantly filled with disgust for her father and for the groom, whom she could never love even a little bit. — Uncle Misha, believe me, I've already tried a whole bunch of different ways to break off the engagement with Alan.
— Why didn't you try to talk directly with Mr. Rayevsky? Mikhail asked a question that had been tormenting him for a long time. — I was able to notice one oddity in your fiance. He avoids all kinds of sexual relations with women, and even during those six months of your engagement with him, there was nothing between you...— the man smiled slightly, closing the empty bottle with a small black lid, — all this suggests two obvious thoughts: he is not interested in any women or he already has someone. Is it possible that he doesn't want to marry you himself?
— Any conversations with him about our relationship are absolutely useless. — Sighing heavily, Veta habitually adjusted her long brown curls, then the girl took a few steps to the bench.
— Why don't you try to ask Boris Romanovich for help? I am sure that he will not refuse to help you personally, — Mikhail Inov said with glimmers of hope, following the girl. — After all, he is your paternal grandfather. He took a couple of steps to a metal urn standing to the side of the bench and put a bottle in it. Then he returned to Veta.
— He won't help me. My grandfather doesn't like me because I was born a woman, and he wanted a grandson. Ah, what a funny irony of fate. This damn dad had a lot of whores all his life, but managed to conceive only two girls, — with a bitter smile, Veta sat down on the edge of a wide white bench, translucent shadows from the thick foliage of an old maple tree weightlessly fell on the shoulders and curls of the girl. — How I despise the shitty stereotypes that my grandfather still piously believes in,— she laughed with obvious hurt.
In the fleeting glance of Mikhail's brown eyes, pity flashed for the young daughter of his boss and his long-dead first love, Bella. Her only daughter, Veta, was almost an exact copy of her mother, and from her father the girl got only his allergy to cat hair and an unbearable, cruel character. Unlike Emma, her paternal half-sister, Veta has always been wayward and tried to free herself from the unnecessary pressure of the older generation of her family. It was hard for Mikhail to see the suffering of the girl, he kept warm memories of an old friend of his youth deep in his soul, so he felt paternal feelings towards Veta. Sometimes, when he was alone with himself, the man thought for a long time about what would have happened if Bella had been alive and the three of them had managed to escape from the Stone family.
— Miss Veta, — the girl was pulled out of her complicated thoughts by a slightly hoarse voice of Inov. She quickly shifted her serious gaze to the man from the people leisurely passing by them, — one of my distant relatives had a daughter missing last year. You can use her documents to successfully leave the country and move to Olisan," Mikhail said almost in a whisper, taking a small white envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket, hesitating for a couple of seconds, the black—haired man handed it to the girl. — Inside it are the documents you need, several thousand dollars on the card and the key to the apartment in Leontar, — the man said just as quietly, feeling for one short moment the uncertain touch of warm girlish fingers on his big rough palm.
Veta was shocked by this noble act on the part of her father's subordinate. Despite the fact that the man standing in front of her had been taking care of her for a long time, she still couldn't trust him.
- Uncle Misha, thank you very much for your help. - The girl with brown hair smiled shyly, looking into the man's kind eyes. - I will definitely use it next month... - she was cut off by the loud ringtone of the iPhone, which had been quietly lying in the girl's clutch all this time.
The brown-haired woman shuddered from surprise, opened her clutch in one sharp movement, put the envelope with the documents into it and quickly grabbed the iPhone, pulling it out of the darkness of the mini-handbag. The second she saw the name of the person who was trying to reach her on the phone screen, her pretty face twisted into an ugly grimace of disgust.
— Oh no. Damn. — Suppressing the urge to vomit, Veta cleared her throat slightly before answering the unexpected call from the groom, thereby making her voice more gentle. She put the phone on speaker, then forced herself to answer the call.
— Hi, Alan, — the girl's colorless voice was cold towards the guy on the other side of the city. — Did you want something?
— I just wanted to say "Sun, I love you" to my beloved girlfriend, — a deep baritone with light notes of a grin came from the iPhone speaker.
During all the time of communication with Alan Rayevsky, Veta managed to get used to his excellent acting when he needed to show the public himself as a caring romantic. She understood the reason for his such absurd behavior in public, he absolutely did not want anyone to be able to reveal the secret that there were no warm feelings between them, only a cold detachment and mutual dislike for each other.
Alan's father was well aware that shortly before the day of the announcement to journalists of the engagement of his only son to Veta Stone, the guy was involved in a very unpleasant case, which ultimately could have been the end of his successful career as a popular writer and journalist. He took advantage of this opportunity, which became another great opportunity for Mr. Mark Rayevsky to put pressure on his son to be nicer to the girl and thereby accelerate the development of relations in this couple. However, to the deep disappointment of the head of the Rayevsky family, all his efforts in this direction caused the young man only resistance and rejection.
— Darling, I love you very much too! — The girl was forced to play along with Alan, secretly dreaming of strangling him with her own hands.
Veta was sure that there were people next to her fiance. After all, he usually wore the mask of a "loveless idiot in love" only at the time when it was necessary for him.
— My sweet princess, have you forgotten about my parents' dinner tonight? — he asked Veta, trying to be nice to his future wife.
The girl with brown hair clearly heard, in addition to the sugary male voice, unintelligible voices and scuffling somewhere in the distance.
— Yes, of course, darling, I have not forgotten, — Veta sighed resignedly, she did not want to attend another dinner at the house of the senior members of the Rayevsky family. — I can't wait to enjoy the delicious taste of Grandma Maria's baked meat again," Miss Stone felt a nasty nausea rise in her throat from the very memory of a piece of poorly baked dish soaked in a huge amount of fat and spices.
— Sir, here's your espresso on the rocks. Sorry to keep you waiting, there was a small queue at the cafe," a polite female voice came from the phone speakers. — Is there anything else you need?
—Thank you, Minako,— Alan said quickly, sipped bitter coffee through a straw, then exhaled a sigh of relief. — Damn the heat. She's killing me at the end.…
— And where are you now? Veta asked impatiently. There was an undisguised bitterness in the beautiful girl's voice.
"I'm in the dressing room with Chu, getting ready for the shoot," the guy said calmly. — Maybe I should pick you up after I finish my interview? He asked with feigned concern.
— I'll figure it out without you! Damn bastard! — the girl hissed, getting mad, and dropped the call with lightning speed. "May you die with your monster," Miss Stone cried irritably. She was breathing fast, her body convulsed in anger.
***
Meanwhile, at the other end of the seaside metropolis.
In the semi-darkness of the spacious room, despite the working air conditioner, it was stuffy. People were bustling noisily, running back and forth, simultaneously preparing the charismatic presenter and today's guest of the program for the start of the live broadcast. The windows in the room were tightly curtained with thick black curtains by the guest himself. He explained his whim by saying that he was being chased by paparazzi and besides, he did not want to be photographed naked again. Along one wall were three dressing tables with makeup mirrors, their light bulbs glowing with a warm, slightly yellowish light. In the corner of the room, a young man sat relaxed on a cozy black armchair, crossing his legs, he looked vexedly at the smartphone clutched in his hand, plaintive beeps came from the device.
— My dear daughter-in-law, it turns out that you are hopelessly stupid and you can easily lose your temper. The guy's thin lips curved into a barely noticeable smile, and sparks of amusement danced in his dark emerald eyes. — You're an overconfident little girl with only windy thoughts in her head. He carefully placed the smartphone on the edge of the dressing table next to a plastic glass of cold espresso. A large white cat with a red collar, peacefully dozing on the lap of today's guest of the television studio, suddenly raised his head, then snorted in displeasure, looking at his master. — Chu, are you awake? The beast lazily stretched its front paws, accidentally brushing the tips of light brown strands of hair, which casually lay on wide shoulders and descended in silk threads to the most pumped, but moderately abs. The classic, dark purple shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows perfectly matched the black jeans, but contrasted sharply with the pale skin and long blond hair of the young man.
— You and Chu are really like a perfect couple, — from the side of the open door came the low hoarse voice of a dark-haired man rapidly approaching Rayevsky. — Well, are you ready? We'll be starting soon," he said, stopping at one of the tables.
— Thanks for the invitation, Vlad, I'm glad to get out of the house for a few hours. Alan smiled gratefully, shifting his gaze to a tall man of about twenty—five in a light pink sweater and white trousers who approached. — What happened to your voice? Have you been fucked all night?
Vladislav Tumanov shot a sharp glance at the grinning long-haired blond man almost with hatred.
— Stop laughing, you asexual fucker! The man frowned irritably, fighting a completely unreasonable, but acute desire to stuff the cheeky face of a close friend.
— Well, I'm sorry, bro, — Alan tried to hold back his laughter, lazily stroking the cat, passing his snow-white fur between his fingers. But in the next moment, he frowned sharply, suddenly remembering the photos of dead human bodies accidentally discovered six months ago in an abandoned building of a boarding school. An old friend of the Rayevsky family, senior investigator Maxim Gordeev, was assigned to investigate this complicated case. — Were you able to get the documents on the sale of the Orkov factory? I urgently need serious evidence that the Elder Stone is a murderer.
— Fri, it's not me you need to ask for help. You have a great spy at your side," Vlad grumbled with displeasure, putting square blue—rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose. — It's not my fault that you, having two eyes, do not see the obvious. I'm talking about Veta.
— I asked you a question, and I didn't ask you to mock me, — the blond man narrowed his eyes in disbelief, boring his friend with a reproachful look.
The cat perked up, pricked up its ears with tassels, sniffed a little at the smells around, and then jumped off the owner's lap. Stretching his whole body, he fluffed out his luxurious fluffy tail and gracefully headed for the open exit.
— Well, well. Don't look at me like that. I myself know a little more than yours, and only because, unlike you, I go to clubs," annoyance flashed through the voice of the black—haired man, he took a small stack of paper sheets from the table, fastened with an iron clip, quickly flipping them forward, he continued: "I went to Larina the day before yesterday. The bartender told me some interesting things. Old Man Stone has a new girlfriend and is underage again. Anika Ilnova.
— Well, he's a scum. The girl just turned fifteen recently. Alan felt anger rising inside, mixed with disgust, his face contorted in sick indignation. — She's my sister's classmate.
"You know what people can do for money," he sighed heavily and shook his head. Deep disappointment in individual representatives of humanity flashed in his eyes. — According to my information, the Ilnov company will soon become bankrupt and it will definitely be closed. That's why they started putting their daughter under all sorts of perverts, thereby breaking the child's psyche," Vlad said dejectedly, throwing the script on the table. He got up from a low-backed chair and rather quickly approached his friend and, bringing his serious face closer to Alan's, spoke softly. "If we manage to put all these creatures away, then others will come in their place, the same or even worse. Alan, your whole struggle is essentially a waste of time and effort. I also dream of avenging Sofia's death, just like you. But don't forget that they have… And yes, your father recognized you, but in their eyes you're just a pathetic bastard.
— Vladislav! Rayevsky barked angrily, grabbing the man by the collar of his sweater. And he added a little more quietly: "Don't talk or believe in this stupidest absurdity. We will be able to punish them for all their crimes.
— It's your business. You asked, and I answered. And if you like to risk your head so much, I won't bother you anymore," Vlad smiled coldly, wrapping his big palm around both of the blond's wrists, and then began tapping his right hand softly with his index finger. "They bugged the studio. They're tapping the phone. The documents are in a safe place. Take it away," the man informed his interlocutor using Morse code, and said aloud: "But I will not dissuade you, such a self—confident idiot, from meddling in their affairs either. Figure it out for yourself.
Alan skillfully pretended that he was enraged by Tumanov's words and got up from his chair with one sharp jerk. Especially for casual viewers of such an ambiguous scene, letting go of the ill-fated sweater from his tenacious fingers, in the next moment Alan forcefully pushed the man away from himself. The latter, unable to keep his balance, waved his arms and fell on his fifth point.
The tall, long-haired blond man was breathing fitfully, angrily watching the man slowly get to his feet.
"I've found a friend, too," Alan said without malice, looking at Tumanov.
— A friend. And that's the only reason I still put up with your boorish face. By the way, who else tolerates her? Your fans and Chu don't count," the man grinned maliciously and continued with a certain cunning in his eyes: "Most people just won't help anyone.
— And who was always protecting you at school and university? Alan grinned and hissed like a wild animal cornered.
— Stop this whole circus right now, — suddenly the angry cry of a green-haired woman rang throughout the dressing room, who ran up to two noisy friends at full speed. They flinched in surprise. From afar, a powerful aura emanated from her, and a tight khaki denim jumpsuit, worn over a brown T-shirt, visually elongated her plump figure, which was a tasty morsel for many men. — Hey, what are you doing here, and even in public? A middle—aged woman screamed angrily as she stopped in front of the two guys. — I'm asking you. Vlad, I'll fire you if you ruin the broadcast again.
Her dark green eyes flashed with something unkind. At the same moment, another small slender figure almost inaudibly flashed by next to them. The tall brunette immediately realized that the formidable woman was accompanied by Zunka Korzhikova, a young red-haired personal assistant in baggy gray clothes, who carried several colorful folders in her hands.
— I'm sorry, Ymir Alsika. We seem to have gotten a little carried away," Alan said with a guilty smile.
— Well, excuse me, Madam Director! The black—haired man muttered to himself.
— Are you both completely crazy?! There are only seventeen minutes left before the broadcast, and you are not ready for it yet! — the red-haired girl reproached the TV presenter Tumanov in perplexity. Although she was outwardly pretty in homemade clothes, in the eyes of others she looked like an ordinary gray mouse and irritated almost all employees with her sloppy appearance. — Oh gods, you are even more beautiful in person than in the photo, — she looked at the popular mystery writer standing in front of her with undisguised admiration. — Mr. Rayevsky, could you give me your autograph? A blush of excitement bloomed on her pretty face, decorated with a scattering of freckles.
—Well, well, Brother Alan. I wasn't aware that our red-haired mouse is one of your fans. Leave her an autograph and let's put on makeup and fix your hair," Tumanov smiled wearily, comfortingly patting his friend on the shoulder so much so that Rayevsky's ears were ringing.
Vladislav turned around and saw the silhouette of a girl in a light blue dress flash through the doorway, and a white cat was basking in her arms.
— Your little sister is already here, — the brunette said softly, pointing with his gaze in the direction of the entrance, Alan turned his head in that direction and smiled amiably at the sight of a teenage girl.
— Hello, hello, young star of show business, — the man joyfully greeted the new guest. — What is the fate of another talent granted to us by the Rayevsky family?
— Uncle Vlad, I finished shooting the video for today and I decided that I would go home with my brother, — the girl answered honestly, slowly approaching the group of people.
— Uncle? Uncle? Am I that old? Tumanov laughed, rolling his eyes dramatically. And then, exhaling noisily, he turned around and headed for the open door. — Okay, I'm going to change my clothes.
— Dia, how did it go? Tired? Alan asked his younger sister with concern, signing with a familiar movement on a piece of paper held out by Zyunka.
— Everything is fine. I even had a snack in between takes,— the young actress smiled gently and added, lowering her voice.—I knew you'd be worried.
The assistant director looked with genuine interest at the angelic creature with golden-blond curls, threads of tiny blue crystals were woven into them, which glittered dimly in the light of the room.
— Aunt Ymir, Ryan asked me to tell you that I'll be here for a while because our car broke down, — Diana politely addressed the green—eyed woman.
— Oh baby. Of course I'm not against you, but where should I put you? Ymira thought for a moment, looking seriously at the skinny girl with heterochromia. She liked unusual things and people to the point of goosebumps and therefore sympathized with the unexpected guest.
— She can just sit among the invited audience in the studio, right? The long—haired blond man suggested wearily.
— Can I play the piano at the beginning of the broadcast? — the youngest representative of the Rayevsky family voiced her idea.
— Diana, are you sure you can handle it? It's not like playing at home for Grandma," Alan worried about his sister's condition.
After taking a few steps to the makeup table, on which his iPhone, several cosmetics for applying makeup and a plastic cup of iced coffee were peacefully lying, the guy pushed back a black chair, then sat down on it. — Now help me with my hair.
— Please wait, our stylist Yulcha will come to you in a couple of minutes, — Korzhikova said quickly.
"Thanks, but we don't need her services anymore. Diana carefully placed the cat in a chair, then went to her brother. — It wasn't enough for her that she ruined my hair last time, so much so that she had to cut it, and despite this she shifted her blame to me, — the girl sighed heavily and plunged into sad memories of her first role in short episodes of the film and the difficult share of artists. She mechanically picked up a red comb from the table and slowly began to run it through the man's curls.
Ms. director quickly took Zyunka away with her, the green-haired woman knew perfectly well what kind of psychological trauma Diana received when her scenes were removed from that film, and how she was later bullied at school. Ryan Shamrock, the girl's manager, was Imira's older twin brother, and the woman saw this child sobbing heartbreakingly in Alan's arms on the evening of the premiere of that ill-fated film in cinemas.
— Dia, what are you thinking about? The soft voice of the person closest to her suddenly pulled the golden—haired teenager out of her sad thoughts. — Let's take some sweets after the broadcast and go to the beach?
— But you have a date with that nasty witch Vetka tonight,— his younger sister reminded him sadly, continuing to comb Alan's silk curls.
— I won't trade you for anyone in this life,— he gently took Diana's hand and, trying to somehow cheer the girl up, began stroking her. — Don't be afraid, I can protect you and I won't leave you alone.
— Thank you, — the girl whispered with a timid smile, and the next moment hugged the interlocutor. — Our little sister Sofia's fourth anniversary is coming soon. Mom will be drinking all alone again, and Dad will be away for a week again. She buried her neat nose even deeper into the thick waterfall of hair, inhaling the soothing scent of sandalwood, and a warm big man's palm gently stroked her head. — I'm so weak, stupid, but I can't put it down. I'm very scared. I often see strange people watching our house and all of us. The girl's hunched shoulders trembled as if from forcibly restrained sobs, and despair and genuine fear emanated from the slender figure.
***
After a live musical introduction, a bright light flashed throughout the huge room and a dark—haired TV presenter came out into the middle of the studio. He is tall, slightly thin, with an expression of arrogant disgust on his face, he is wearing an elegant light beige suit and a pale blue T-shirt that could be seen from under an unbuttoned jacket, emphasizing all the seductive curves of his body. Her black hair was styled in a simple hairstyle. His expressive blue-gray eyes stood out in a bright spot on his high-cheekboned face.
The presenter stood silently and waited for the final chord to die down. Then the camera, mounted on cables, quickly flew over the hall filled with invited spectators, who settled in comfortable places, and took a close-up of his calm face.
— Good afternoon, friends, and who is watching us for the first time, — the man began monotonously, adjusting the barely noticeable earphone for communication with the director on his right ear. — My name is Vladislav Tumanov. I am glad to meet you today on the talk show "My and your life". And today we have the story of one of my close friends and a favorite of many of you. He is still very young, but he has already gone through many difficult trials in his life ... — Fleetingly running his sharp gaze over the dim silhouettes of strangers sitting on a three-tiered podium, as if trying to snatch someone familiar from the gloom, the brunette continued. — How many times in our program have we wondered why people, suffering from difficulties, deaf misunderstanding on the part of our society, emotional violence, do not give up their business, do not go into the fog of drugs, which give short happiness, while this drug finally devours its victims alive… Why do individual representatives of the human race silently endure all bullying and steadfastly go through all obstacles, continue to patiently, stubbornly go towards their goals. Obviously, most ordinary people are interested in learning the secrets of their success. Well, today we will try to reveal to someone the unexpected secrets of a popular writer from a new generation and a conqueror of the hearts of many women and not only… Please meet Alan Rayevsky.
A dynamic melody sounded from the side of the small stage, where there was a group of seven live musicians with instruments. Simultaneously with the beginning of the music, a loud roar of joyful applause rang out on the set, thereby welcoming today's guest of the TV show.
And to the loud cheers of the audience, a long-legged young man entered the cozy studio with a confident gait. He gave everyone present a restrained, friendly smile. The dark purple silk of his satin shirt and charcoal black jeans fit his athletic figure well. With every movement, the beautiful folds emphasized his natural grace. Her light golden-blond curls were gathered into a tight high ponytail and fell in thick curls over her broad shoulders. And the silvery Gothic decorations sparkling with cold gave the image of the guest even more gloomy notes.
— Good afternoon, Vlad. Thank you for the invitation," he said, approaching the TV presenter with a firm, confident step, holding out his hand for a handshake. After a few seconds, the men exchanged a friendly handshake.
— Welcome, Alan! — the brunette greeted the guest with a smile.
The music and applause died down again. The long-haired man turned to the audience, then stretching his thin lips in a sweet smile, he addressed the people sitting in the stands.
— Hello, I am glad to be here and to meet you all today. I hope that we will all enjoy the live broadcast and have a good time…
The TV presenter, with a familiar gesture, invited Rayevsky to take a seat on one of the red leather sofas in the middle of the set.
Suddenly hearing strange noises behind him coming from inside the mirrored decorations in the form of a multicolored panel and six white columns, the blond man looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the columns, but his friend coughed slightly, reminding them that they had already started broadcasting. Alan barely nodded and, looking down, walked to one of the sofas on the left side of the center of the playground. He sat down elegantly on it, adjusting an inconspicuous lapel microphone attached to the unbuttoned collar of his shirt.
Tumanov strode up to the hero and sat down on the opposite soft sofa. The cameraman took a close-up of the guest, and then smoothly turned the camera to Vlad, who grabbed an electronic tablet from a low rectangular table standing between two sofas.
— Perhaps we should start with this question, — the man raised his gaze at the interlocutor. — Alan, your book, which was published not so long ago, has already become a bestseller. If I'm not mistaken, in it you describe the creepy story of a psychopathic doctor who worked in an orphanage and mercilessly killed little orphans. Tell me, how could this idea come to your mind?
— Inspiration can come to me from anywhere — from life, news, real events, even from dreams. I try to be attentive to the world around me and always keep my eyes open. Sometimes even the most insignificant details can become the basis for an exciting plot," the young writer, whose handsome face turned gloomy, said seriously. Sighing heavily, he continued, "And this particular story happened several decades ago. I don't think anyone in our country can not know the case of the bloody doctor…
— Wait, you went to the city of Emilisk last year, didn't you? Vladislav whistled in surprise.
— Yes, I went there to gather information and talk to witnesses. I just tried to understand what exactly motivated him and what goals he wanted to achieve in those moments. Sometimes I felt unbearably heavy with pain and wanted to give up everything... but this is part of my job.
—Oh, Gods! The brunette rolled his eyes dramatically. "How reckless you are!
— Well, for this, my books have become popular and loved by many, — today's guest shrugged his broad shoulders with a grin. — Creating a riddle is like playing chess with readers. I like to confuse things, mislead and ultimately surprise my readers. To do this, I often have to think about the plot for a long time, go through the options until I find the one that suits me.
— Yes, it's hard to argue with this fact, — Vlad grinned with a sly squint. — There is a rumor on the Internet that a film adaptation is planned based on one of your first novels, and the rising star of the musical Olympus, Diya Marie, wrote the soundtrack… Are the rumors true? Is it really true?
— Yes, it's true,— the blond man replied confidently, picking up a translucent glass of water from the table. After taking a few sips, he continued: — The plot of The Paradise Fruit was chosen for the future TV series, I am slightly disappointed that some key points of the plot from the book had to be changed for it. And as for the news about my sister's work. She offered filmmaker Jiang her work and compositions composed by her.
The rustle of applause was heard from the audience stands again. The cameraman shifted the camera lens from the guest to the presenter and took a close-up of his face.
— Dear viewers, please meet a young but talented rising star in the firmament of the stage, Diya Marie, — Vladislav said enthusiastically.
The next moment, a girl appeared with two cute short tails gathered from golden strands, the fluffy skirt of her blue dress resembled a rosebud, adding a delicate femininity to Diana's slender figure. She slowly came out from behind the scenes, holding a microphone in one of the handles, and one of the cameramen recorded her path. Under the applause of the audience, she slowly walked to the small stage where the musicians were standing. The girl confidently climbed onto it.
— Hello. I am very glad to see you all and today I want to give you my new song. I hope you like it,— Diana said happily into the microphone.
Alan looked at his sister with pride, clapping his hands along with the rest of the audience. A pleasant melody sounded, and the girl began to sing. The audience enjoyed listening to the song.
Alan leaned forward a little, closer to the presenter sitting opposite him, and said softly. — I heard a strange noise coming from the scenery.
The TV presenter, shifting his gaze from the stage to the guy in front of him, slightly nodded his head and said: — Okay. When the commercial break starts, I will ask Ymir to send mechanics there to check, — with a tired sigh, Tumanov added sourly: —I have a bad feeling in the morning.
The blonde girl, at that moment, most of all resembled a pure angel. She finished her beautiful singing, and the musicians finished playing the instruments. Loud applause was heard from the audience seats again. One of the employees of the TV studio quickly ran up to the TV presenter and his guest Alan today with two bouquets of pink peonies in his hands. After giving them to the two interlocutors, the employee just as quickly went backstage. Then the two men got up from the sofas and walked slowly towards the stage, holding the bouquets tightly in their hands. The guests of the talk show studio were waiting with interest to see what would happen next. Everyone in the set was completely delighted with the performance of the young artist and the musical group, and the applause did not stop. The faces of the audience reflected admiration and joy after a wonderful performance. She and the band members smiled gratefully, accepting the audience's praise. The entire TV studio was filled with an atmosphere of joy and celebration, and everyone present enjoyed this wonderful moment together.
Suddenly, there was a deafening roar behind the scenes of the set, accompanied by a powerful wave of fire vortex. All living people, decorations and equipment rose into the air.
Alan also felt his body rise up, and the next second his back hit something hard with force and fell to the floor. Abruptly, everything went dark in his eyes and he lost consciousness for an indefinite amount of time.
***
When Alan barely managed to recover, he immediately felt a sharp pain in his lower back and in his right leg. With an effort, opening his eyes, the man saw the ruined landscape in the TV studio, as if someone had incinerated reality in an instant. The electricity went out immediately after the explosion. And in the red semi-darkness, only individual pockets of open flame and a scarlet emergency light were burning. All the surviving walls were covered with cobwebs of cracks, and it seemed that they were still shaking from the explosion, risking falling down and burying the few people who were still alive. Despite the fire-fighting system turned on, Rayevsky muffled their dying moans and screams full of despair and suffering, he shuddered, realizing in horror that his sister was somewhere there, but perhaps she managed to survive.
The man felt a nasty taste of iron in his mouth. He and his clothes had already gotten wet, and the fire-fighting water sprinklers turned on automatically the moment the fire sensors went off. The soaked fabric of the shirt pleasantly cooled the hot skin, giving short-term relief, but the wounded body ached greatly, and at the slightest movement the pain became unbearable.
"It looks like I have broken bones. Still, we need to use the moment of coming to consciousness — to find Diana and somehow wait for the rescuers," Alan flashed through his thoughts.
He was lying on his side and tried to get up to look around.
A loud groan escaped his bloody lips as the man abruptly rolled over onto his stomach. After waiting a short time, he coughed from the suffocating smoke and the stench of burnt plastic and, overcoming the pain, crawled forward, dragging his feet and leaving a bloody trail.
Suddenly, somewhere behind him, a spotlight fell from a height with a crash. He looked around and saw Zyunka, the assistant to the television director, already lifeless — steel fittings sticking out of her chest. Her deathly pale face was forever frozen in an expression of horror. The sound of a faint groan made him turn his head. Diana was lying there next to Ymira, unconscious.
Overcoming the pain, he quickly crawled up to the girl. And finally he got to Diana. She was still breathing, but her breathing was weak and ragged. He gently hugged her with trembling hands, hoping that his warmth and love would help her survive.
Alan didn't know how long it took before he was able to locate her. The smell of burnt plastic mixed with the smell of blood, vividly testifying to the tragedy that occurred here some time ago.
After casting a fleeting glance at the woman lying next to them, Rayevsky was taken aback by the sight of his old acquaintance. Ymir looked frightening, the unnatural pose of her crippled body, green strands of hair spread out like young vines and a thin trickle of blood flowed from her open mouth. She was dead.
"Please don't die," he whispered hoarsely in his sister's ear. — Please hold on. We will definitely survive. Do you hear that?
Diana did not react in any way to his stupid attempts to bring her to her senses. With each passing second, the guy felt more and more clearly how her fragile body was getting cold and her already barely perceptible breathing was slowing down. She was dying in his arms, and he couldn't change anything, just watch the life slowly and painfully leave her. Tears were constantly streaming down her cheeks, and crazy thoughts were spinning in her head.
He was whispering with his lips. —Don't die, don't die... please don't die," as if trying to talk her out of death. But Alan knew that there was no escape from death, and soon the moment would come that would separate them forever, lift her pure soul to the celestials, and leave him alone in a life filled with hopelessness and pain. He did everything to ease her suffering from the pain of loneliness and the heavy loss of their older sister, he did even more, he was by her side in fleeting moments of happiness and in days of black grief…
Alan was a man who always sincerely sympathized with others by watching the news and listening live to the stories of people who had survived tragedies, but who naively believed that nothing bad would happen to him. And now his little sister, his good angel, was dying, just like those unfortunate people who had become just random victims of some crazy twist of fate. And there was nothing, absolutely nothing he could do for her, for all of them. Only despair remained. And the time. Time that was slipping away like sand through his fingers, and he tremblingly caught the last moments of her such a short life, painful breathing.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. Pathetic. I'm pathetic, I can't do anything," he whispered, his voice trembling with overwhelming emotions. He turned back to the chaos surrounding them, his face scarred with fear and pain. — The gods or whoever is sitting in heaven. Help! Please help us! He shouted, hoping that someone would hear his plea for help. Alan, clutching the bleeding Diana to him, in unenlightened despair, prayed to the gods for help.
Suddenly, a column of warm light appeared in front of him, from which a swarm of translucent multicolored moths flew out. He was followed by an albino man in silver lamellar armor of the Chinese Middle Ages. He looked around warily, trying to figure out where he was. Sensing the disgusting stench of death and stench, the stranger twisted his elegant but sharp-featured face into a grimace of disgust.
A truly terrifying sight appeared to the indifferent gaze of the strange creature's ruby eyes. The burned-out set of the talk show looked like a war zone, the mutilated bodies of the dead were visible everywhere and survivors lay unconscious or in a shocked state whispering something unintelligible into the void. The air was filled with the suffocating stench of burnt materials mixed with blood and burnt human flesh, and black smoke was still rising towards the charred ceiling. The twisted metal frames that had once served as decorations were now broken and charred. The cameras, which had recently captured lively discussions, now lay smashed, fused wires stretching out of them. The seats on the podium, which had been filled with spectators a short time ago, were now overturned and burned, and human bodies were also lying there.
"They've made a mess of killing their own kind again. Me! — wincing, the beastman stated the fact, his white cat ears drooped dejectedly, because of this, a tight tuft of snow-white hair became visible, and against the background of the whiteness of the curl, his cat ears became barely distinguishable.
— Who are you? Why are you here? Alan asked with a tremor in his voice.
The mysterious man smiled sadly and said. "My name is Xiao Xuan, I am a spirit, one of the messengers of heaven.
"Did these indifferent idlers who live in paradise finally hear the prayers of such an insignificant person like me?" The wounded guy laughed bitterly. — Well, I am flattered by such attention from the almighty beings. And where were they when all this could have been prevented? Why, why didn't any of them want to save all these people? "What is it?" he asked in great perplexity, looking fearlessly into the pale face of the interlocutor.
"That's what I'd like to know myself," Xiao Xuan sighed haggardly. — They always send us to clean up all the shit in those moments when they make total mistakes, — he lazily began to approach the almost exhausted guy. All of Xuan's movements were admirable, smooth, graceful and absolutely silent. — Over the long centuries of my existence, I have fulfilled the stupidest wishes countless times. Despite the fact that I can make any of all possible dreams come true, people hopelessly choose the same thing: wealth, power, strength, immortality, revenge in order to simply amuse their self-esteem. It's boring, I'm completely wasting my magical abilities," the albino chuckled strangely, dropped to one knee in front of Alan with a smooth movement, then he stared at him with his deep scarlet eyes, and the long—haired man immediately felt that he was being pulled into them. Alan, as if doused in boiling water, tried to recoil, but Xuan was faster and, grabbing his chin, pulled his face to himself. "Humans are the most disgusting creatures of all. Try to convince me, little man," the beastman said in a growling whisper, showing his sharp fangs.
Alan was as if fascinated by the beauty of strong male hands with pronounced bluish veins and prehensile fingers, on each of them grew a pointed silver claw. There was a sense of danger from this creature, but it was this feeling, unknown to the village, that made Alan continue to study Xuan's fantastic appearance with undisguised interest.
Suddenly, his gaze, wandering over the beastman's muscular arms, came across a red thin bracelet on his right wrist. Looking closer, he was able to notice a pendant in the form of a small moth on it.
— What are you looking at there... eh, man? A slightly mocking baritone sounded almost in my ear.
Alan shifted his gaze to the stranger's face and began to look at it carefully, admiring, studying. His skin was marble pale with a slight touch of blush, his plump lips were slightly pursed, and his eyelids were lowered, he had an appropriately impassive expression on his face. His steps were light, as if floating, and he radiated a cold aura with his whole appearance, as if warning of the danger of this creature.
Suddenly, the dark green human eyes opened wide, and thin lips parted; he inhaled the air like a fish that was washed ashore by the waves; an expression of painful delight made its way through the veins on Alan's helplessly confused face, ran through him with some incomprehensible admiration, illuminating him for a moment, and immediately It was replaced again by an expression of surprise, amounting to fright and a perplexed question.
"Y—you're a Chu, aren't you?" The golden—haired man awkwardly voiced his guess, and the subsequent reaction of the werewolf served as proof that one of the representatives of the human race was right.
In an instant, fluffing his snow-white tail, his ears pricked up, and his large almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise, becoming even darker, his expression froze in a mask of bewilderment, and his arched eyebrows rose indignantly.
"You're calling me that bad name again... my name is Xuan, not Chu," the werewolf hissed angrily, pulling his hand away from the human face, and, curling his lips in displeasure, looking at the confused guy, he continued. — However, I am somewhat surprised that you could recognize me in this guise.
Alan was shocked. He knew that his pet was special, but he never imagined that a cat could turn into a human or become a beastman. At that moment, the girl in Alan's arms let out a loud moan full of suffering.
— Chu. Chu... help... Dia… She's the same," Raevsky croaked. In seconds, it became difficult for him to breathe, as if a lump of bitterness appeared in his throat, and his hands trembled treacherously. He quickly became filled with anxiety for his sister again. His heart was pounding so loudly that the messenger of heaven heard it. Alan saw his interlocutor's lips moving, the words flying past his ears, the ringing in them drowned out all other sounds.
"Chu, can you save her?" She has to live. Will you save me? Alan asked, swallowing convulsively, feeling the anxiety wrapping around his heart even tighter.
The werewolf grabbed the guy by the shoulder, his eyes were burning, and said. — You should know, I can fulfill any wish of any being in the universe, but only one wish in his entire life and the price will be equivalent. I can bring anyone back to life, but I'll take a fee for it.
Rayevsky wanted to grab the werewolf by the hand with which he was squeezing his shoulder, but immediately felt his body weaken. His eyes, wet with tears, began to blur and darken. Pools of water mixed with blood formed around them. Alan coughed, and scarlet droplets flew from his mouth onto the dirty gray wet floor.
— Hey, how are you? Xiao Xuan asked Alan anxiously as he shifted his bleary gaze from his sister's pale face to the beastman.
Alan felt a sharp pain, clutched his chest, making a heart-rending moan, everything went dark in his eyes for a second… He began to fall to one side, but his weakened body was deftly caught by the beastman's muscular arms.
— Chu, save her, I will give you any payment, — the young Mr. Rayevsky coughed up blood again, after that he breathed fitfully, it was obvious that Alan was getting worse and worse. It was at this moment that the werewolf realized that his human master had already resigned himself to his unenviable fate "not yet to live to twenty-seven and die," because life did not want to give him more time.
"I am listening to your dying wish, human," Xiao Xuan said in a wistful low voice, slightly bending over the pain—worn face of the dying man in his arms.
Everything around abruptly quieted down, and an almost ringing silence reigned in the room. The beastman raised his head and peered warily into the gathering darkness surrounding them, from which humanoid creatures suddenly began to climb out with a menacing hiss. They looked like very tall basketball players, and long bony fingers covered with grayish skin could be seen from under the sleeves of black raincoats. The faces of the strangers were completely hidden by metal masks, only the slits for mystically burning eyes were open.
"Greetings, grim reapers," the albino said with displeasure and cast an unkind glance at the group of five dark creatures. He continued, "Did you arrive earlier than expected today?"
"Greetings, Mr. Xiao," one of the reapers bowed his head in front of the messenger of heaven. — Our business is small. To take the souls of the dead and redirect them to the courts. We do not know the reason why our team was sent to the site earlier.
— Dear Sir Knight, something is going wrong in our office, - another reaper tried to defend his boss. — Last month, several times we were sent to take souls to places where no one died at those moments. And upon our return, we found a mess in the documents.
— Have you managed to find out who is bullying you? The werewolf asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. — Haven't you been able to find all the escaped ghosts yet?
— Unfortunately, sir, all our investigations have reached an impasse, — the commander of this Shinigami group mumbled guiltily. — We were ordered to take the souls of only four people from this place. He took out something dark gray from the bosom of his raincoat, which resembled an ordinary game console. After a few quick taps on the object, translucent paragrams of profiles of exactly four people appeared in the air. — There should have been a small fire here, not a bomb explosion.
Your vaunted system has failed,— Xuan hissed angrily, his eyes flashing menacingly. "Why the hell didn't you bother to check in advance?"
— Chu... Xiao Xiuan… I wish everyone here would stay alive..." Alan's weak voice sounded barely audible, but the werewolf could hear him perfectly.
— Human, are you sure of your desire? — the werewolf asked in confusion, sadly watching how the remaining grain of life was irrevocably withering away in the green pools of his caring master's eyes.
— Yes, I'm ho... I feel this... — rasped Rayevsky, grabbing the white sleeve of the beastman with his hands.
"If this boy gives up the ghost now, then his soul will fall into the dark realm," the reaper in a mask covered with small cracks, standing apart from the others, said indifferently.
—I will not allow it," Xiao Xuan said with strange determination, and the next moment, wrinkling his face from an unpleasant sensation, with one sharp movement he slashed at his own palm with a sharp claw. A barely noticeable trickle of bright blue viscous liquid appeared from the wound.
"Mr. Xiao, this is a sin…
"Damn boy, are you crazy?"
— Have you forgotten about the penalties for arbitrariness?
The hum of the angry voices of the grim reapers grew louder and louder until the beastman grabbed Alan by the chin and forcefully opened his jaw, and then carefully presented his bloody palm to the man's open lips. Rayevsky tried to pull away, but a tenacious grip on his face prevented him from doing what he had planned, in a moment his whole mouth was burned with something unbearably bitter. Immediately, vomiting rolled up to his throat, but the man had no strength left for stupid resistance, and he swallowed everything with an effort.
When Xiao Xuan slowly took his hand away from Alan's open mouth, Alan was desperately grabbing oxygen with them, and his eyes were wide open.
There was a ringing silence in the air, and all the gloomy messengers of death stood motionless, their eyes wide in fear.
— What have you done… You're a hellspawn… Violated the ban of the gods... — there were only whispers in the darkness.
Before finally falling into a saving oblivion, Alan saw a flash of blinding light and felt a powerful wave of healing heat penetrating into every cell of his body.
