Part 1.
Silence. She was always like that in Mikhailovsky Psychiatric Hospital №3 after the retrunch. The patient of ward 217 - a middle-aged man with curled gray hair - was lying on a narrow bed, looking at the ceiling with a sable eye. It was always quiet here. Too quiet. But not today.
At first he heard a grinding. Metal by metal, as if someone was dragging a heavy object on the tiled floor of the corridor. The patient blinked, but did not move. It's better not to show curiosity in such places. It's better to hide with your head and pretend that nothing is happening.
The sound stopped. Silence enveloped the hospital like a shroud. The minutes dragged on slowly, like thick syrup from bottles with medicine. The patient almost convinced himself that he heard when the silence was broken by a new sound - wet, splashing, as if a huge animal was devouring its prey.
It was followed by a scream. Short, interrupted by a half-sound. Then there is the sound of a falling body.
The patient slowly sat down on the bed. His heart was pounding so loudly that it seemed to be heard in the corridor. He felt the slippers with trembling hands. Common sense shouted him to stay in place, but something else, more ancient and primitive, pushed him to get up and check.
Only one dim lamp was burning in the corridor. The yellowish light barely broke through the dusty ceiling, leaving most of the space in the shadows. The patient took a step. Then another one. Linoleum chilled bare feet even through the thin soles of hospital slippers.
With each step, the sounds became clearer. Squeaking, squeaking and... muttering? Indistinct, not similar to human speech. A few words in a language that is not intended for the human throat.
He reached room 215, from where the sounds were heard. The door was ajar. A thin stream of dark liquid flowed out from under it, forming a small puddle in the corridor. The patient pushed the door with a trembling hand.
What he saw was incomprehensiable. The human mind refused to perceive the picture that appeared before his eyes. The walls, once white, were now covered with brown splashes and dripping. On the floor - torn bodies, bones, insides. And in the center of the room...
The patient screamed. This scream broke the night silence of a psychiatric hospital lost in the forests of the Volgograd region, and seemed to have stopped time itself for a moment.
*
*
*
- ...and that's why I think they should charge us business trips, - Daniel's voice cut the silence of the Mercedes-Benz G-class cabin, which was rushing along the M6 highway. - Six hours on the road! They have to pay extra for it.
Kirill, who was behind the wheel, rolled his eyes, but did not take his eyes off the road.
- Danil, you get paid a million rubles for this mission. I don't think you also need business trips.
- You don't understand, Kir, - Daniil leaned back in the back seat, stretching his legs as far as space allowed. - I need to update the computer. Do you know how much a normal video card costs now? And I also looked at a couple of jackets for autumn...
- And three pairs of sneakers, seventeen T-shirts and a new phone, - Alexander continued for him, without breaking away from the tablet, where he studied the case materials. - We know, Danya. You've been talking about it every day for the last two weeks.
- Sanya, don't start, - Daniil jokingly shoved his friend in the shoulder. - Not everyone can be as thrifty as you. By the way, what do you spend money on anyway? You always wear the same coat.
- On black coats, obviously, - Kirill grinned, deftly overtaking the truck. - He probably has twenty of them hanging in the closet. All are the same.
- Seven, - Alexander calmly corrected. - And they are all different.
- Yes, yes, whatever you say, - Daniil laughed, taking out a bag of chips from his bag. - Does anyone want it? No? Well, okay, I'll get more.
Kirill glanced briefly into the rearview mirror.
- Don't scatter crumbs around the cabin. Last time the cleaning cost me ten thousand.
- It was once! - Daniel was indignant, already crunching chips. - And in general, it's not my fault that that creature jumped out right on the road. Anyone would have turned a glass of coffee over out of surprise.
Alexander broke away from the tablet and looked at the sunset sky outside the window. The reddish rays of the sun cut through the clouds, creating an sinister atmosphere.
- Anything interesting in the case? - Kirill asked, noticing his thoughtful look.
- Mikhailovskaya Psychiatric Hospital number three, - Alexander replied. - Built in 1972, designed for two hundred patients. Last night I lost contact with the staff. In the morning, a security group was sent - two D-rank hunters. They didn't come back. The department believes that this may be a manifestation of the B-rank.
- B-rank? - Daniil clinced. - They could have sent someone else from A-rank. Why are we always?
- Because you lost poker to the head of the department again, - Kirill said dryly.
- Hey, it's not my fault that Stepanych always has good cards! - Daniil was indignant. - Next time I'll definitely win back.
- You say that after each game, - Alexander allowed himself a slight smile. - By the way, the last message from the hospital was strange. The nurse on duty said something about the patient from the 217th ward. That he shouted that "it came".
- Great, - Daniil leaned back on the seat. - Crazy and monsters. My favorite combination.
- Our psychiatrist spoke, - Kirill grinned, turning onto a dirt road leading towards the forest. - Danil, if you weren't a hunter, you would have to be treated in such a place yourself.
- Then it's good that I have you two to get me out of trouble, - Daniil smiled broadly. - By the way, Sanya, what's the plan? Standard procedure?
Alexander nodded, putting the tablet in his bag.
- First, reconnaissance. Then we determine the type of creature. Then Neutralization. As usual, without unnecessary risk.
- As usual, - Daniil rolled his eyes. - And then Kira and I will pull you out of some mess again, because you will decide to climb first again.
- It happened only a couple of times, - Alexander calmly objected.
"Twelve," Daniel and Kirill said in chorus.
- And most of them are your fault, Danya, - Alexander added.
The car was going deep into the forest. The sun almost disappeared behind the horizon, painting the sky scarlet. Ahead of them was a psychiatric hospital, shrouded in mystery and perhaps filled with something much scarier than human madness.
Part 2.
Six hours on the road flew by unnoticed. Between Daniel's jokes, strategic stops at gas stations and endless disputes about what music to turn on, the time was quite fun. But the atmosphere in the Mercedes-Benz interior changed when the headlights snatched a rusty road sign with a half-erased inscription: "Mikhailovsky Psychiatric Hospital №3" from the darkness.
- We have arrived, - Kirill said quietly, turning onto a narrow road going deep into the forest.
The car moved slowly along the broken road, illuminating the path through the unnaturally quiet forest. When they left for a small cleared area, all three of them involuntarily fell silent.
The building of the psychiatric hospital towered in front of them like a funeral monument. Four-story gray array with narrow windows, many of which were broken. Once white walls were covered with dark streaks that resembled descending tears. One of the corners of the building was covered with black moss, which in the light of the headlights seemed to be a stain of baked blood. Above the central entrance hung faded letters, from which only a fragment could be disassembled: "...chiatric... hospital №3".
- Cozy place, - Daniil was the first to break the silence when Kirill stopped the car in front of the slanted barrier.
- Right, the Five Star Hotel.
- According to the data, there should be security here, - Alexander frowned, looking at the empty booth of the duty officer. - But no one is visible.
- Maybe they're hiding inside? - Daniel suggested, getting out of the car and stretching. - Brrr, it's cold.
Kirill also came out and looked around.
- Strangely quiet. Even for a night in the forest.
And indeed, there was an unnatural silence around. No crackle of branches, no rustle of leaves, no screams of night birds. Only a light wind swaying the branches of trees, and the loud sound of your own steps on the asphalt.
- I don't like it, - Daniil muttered, lifting the barrier manually so that Kirill could drive through. - It's like everything is dead here.
- Technically, there could be up to two hundred patients and about fifty staff in the hospital, - Alexander remarked, taking a bag with equipment from the trunk. - Plus two D-rank hunters sent earlier. And there hasn't been a word about all of them for almost a day.
- Thank you, Sanya, for cheering me up, - Daniil rolled his eyes. - You always know how to cheer up.
The trio moved towards the entrance. The closer they got to the building, the more uncomfortable it became. The central door - massive, old-fashioned, with peeling paint - was closed.
- Shall we stop with the noise or knock like polite people? - Kirill asked, stopping in front of the entrance.
Alexander leaned his ear against the door, listening. No step, no conversation, no creaking of furniture - nothing that could indicate the presence of life inside.
- Hey, is there anyone alive? - Daniil shouted, knocking on the door. His voice echoed from the walls of the building and dissolved into the night.
There was no answer.
- Something is wrong, - Alexander stepped back from the door. - Get out of the way.
The friends knew this tone and unconditionally stepped aside. Alexander took two steps back, then abruptly stepped forward. His leg crashed into the door with incredible force. There was a deafening crack, and the massive door did not just open - it broke off the hinges and flew inside the building, as if it had been blown away by a truck at full speed. The rumble of the fall spread through the corridors of the hospital, repeatedly amplified by an echo.
"Kir, pyrodetector," Alexander said briefly, not even out of breath from the blow.
Kirill silently took out of the bag a small device resembling an old PDA with an antenna. Pressing the button under the screen, he waited for it to light up green.
- I'm scanning three kilometers," Kirill commented, watching numbers and diagrams run across the screen. - Nothing yet.
- What if it's just hiding? - Daniel asked nervously, looking around.
- These things are not always reliable.
- If you have an idea better than a billion-dollar technology and a decade of development, I'm all attention," Kirill replied dryly, not taking his eyes off the screen.
- Let's go in, - Alexander commanded, the first to step into the dark door of the entrance.
It was twilight inside the hospital. The weak light of emergency lighting barely dispersed the darkness in the corridors. The lamps above the head flashed periodically, creating a creepy stroboscopic atmosphere. The air seemed musty, with a slight metallic taste.
- Turn on the lanterns, - Alexander activated his coat, fixed on the sleeve. - We stick together. And look under your feet.
The rays of the lanterns snatched the interior details from the darkness. Cracked walls with yellowed paint. Linoleum, swollen in places with moisture. Reception desk with an overturned chair. But the main thing is that there are no signs of violence. No blood, no traces of struggle.
- According to the hospital's plan, - Kirill checked with the tablet, - there should be a security post here. To the right of the entrance.
Alexander directed the beam of the lantern in the specified direction. A small room with bulletproof glass was empty. The door is wide open, the monitors of the surveillance system are turned off.
- Let's check the registry, - Alexander suggested. - Maybe we'll find some records of what happened here.
They moved to the reception desk when Kirill suddenly stopped.
- Wait," he said, looking at the pyrodetector. - The screen flashed. For a split second.
- What does it mean? - Daniil tensed up, instinctively standing up in battle.
- That means... - Kirill began, but he was interrupted by a sudden sound from the depths of the corridor. The sound of steps - slow, shuffling.
All three froze, pointing the light of the lanterns towards the sound. A figure appeared at the end of the corridor. A man dressed in hospital pajamas slowly approached them. His gait was unnatural, as if he had learned to walk and now re-learned this skill.
- Hey! - Daniil called him. - Are you all right?
The man didn't answer. He kept getting closer, shuffing his feet on the floor.
- Something is wrong, - Kirill muttered, looking at the pyrodetector screen, which was now flashing yellow. - There is definitely paranormal activity here.
When the figure came closer, the light of the lanterns snatched the details. It was a middle-aged man with curly hair and pale skin. But his eyes were the most frightening - completely black, without proteins and pupils, like two bottomless pits.
- Damn! - Daniel cursed. - It's...
- A man without a soul, - Alexander finished for him, instantly assessing the situation.
- Puppet. Kir, the type of power?
Kirill squinted, activating his ability. His eyes lit up with silver light for a moment when he focused his mental energy.
- I can't read his thoughts, - he said a second later. - There's... emptiness. Absolute emptiness. But there are traces of external influence. Something controls him from afar.
- A demon? - Alexander suggested, not looking down from the approaching figure.
- It looks like it, - Kirill nodded. - Judging by the nature of the mental imprint, not higher than B-rank.
At this point, new figures began to appear from the side corridors. Patients, nurses, guards - all with the same empty black eyes, moving inhuman, mechanical movements.
- I counted twelve, - said Daniel, secretly rejoicing that at least in this part of the mission his ability to fly will not be needed. - Plan of action?
- First you need to find the source, - Alexander took a step forward. - These people are not a threat, they are just puppets. Kir, can you determine where the control comes from?
Kirill concentrated again, closing his eyes. Mental energy diverged from him in waves, invisible to ordinary vision, but palpable to any hunter.
- Upper floor, - he finally said. - West wing. Something blocks the exact definition, but the source is definitely there.
- Then let's go there, - Alexander nodded, and then turned to the approaching puppets. - Let's clear the way?
Alexander made a slight movement with his hand. The air in front of him seemed to thicken, and then an invisible force threw the nearest puppets to the walls. They fell like rag dolls, but almost immediately began to rise again.
- Impressive, as always, - Daniil grinned. - But they're not going to give up.
- To the stairs, - Alexander ordered, pointing to the door at the end of the corridor. - Don't waste your energy on them, they're just pawns.
The trio moved forward, pushing through the crowd of controlled people. Alexander walked in front, using telekinesis to throw especially persistent people out of the way. Kirill stopped from time to time, using mental attacks to temporarily disorient groups of puppets. Daniel covered the rear, with the help of physical strength enhanced by X-Gen, throwing away those who tried to enter from behind.
- I don't like it, - Daniel muttered when they finally got to the stairs. - It's too simple. If it's a B-rank demon, it should be smarter.
- Exactly, - Alexander frowned, closing the door to the stairwell behind them. - He's planning something. Kir, pyrodetector?
Kirill glanced at the screen, which was now flashing on the border between yellow and red.
- We're getting closer, - he said. - But there's something strange with the testimony. They hesitate.
- Maybe he's moving? - Daniel suggested.
- Or it's a trap, - Alexander began to climb the stairs. - Anyway, we're not here to guess. Let's go to the spring.
They silently climbed the steps, ready for any surprise. But the gloomy silence of the building was broken only by the sound of their own footsteps and the distant shuffling of puppets trying to follow them.
When they reached the upper floor, the pyrodetector finally steadily lit up red.
- He's here, - Kirill whispered. - Very close.
- Interesting, - Alexander said quietly, looking at the door leading to the west wing. - What are you?
The door in front of them slowly opened by itself, as if inviting them to come in.
Part 3.
The door opened, opening a room to the eyes of the hunters, the sight of which would make the blood of an ordinary person icy. The walls and ceiling were covered with brown stains of dried blood. Fragments of bodies, interiors and scraps of hospital clothes were lying on the floor in a chaotic order. The air was saturated with the heavy smell of copper and the sweetish aroma of rotting flesh.
- Fuck you, - Daniil couldn't hold back his swearing, grincing from the smell. - And I thought that after that story with werewolves in Siberia, I wouldn't be surprised by anything. It looks like a couple of dozen people were blown up here.
The hunters crossed the threshold, carefully bypassing the bloody puddles. There was a wooden table in the center of the room, and a girl of about twelve was tied on a chair next to it. Her dark hair stuck together with sweat, her face was stained with tears and snot, and her mouth was covered with a wide strip of electrical tape. Her eyes, widened with horror, dug into those who entered with plea and hope.
- Damn, there's a child! - Daniil rushed forward, but Alexander grabbed him by the shoulder, holding him in place.
- Stop, - his voice was quiet, but steel was ringing in it. - Something's wrong.
At the same moment, the pyrodetector in Kirill's hands exploded with a series of furious red flashes, making a shrill squeak.
- He's here, - Kirill whispered, not taking his eyes off the screen. - Right behind her.
As if in response to his words, the darkness behind the girl thickened, taking shape. What emerged from the darkness could hardly be called a creature. The demon was a nightmarish mass of darkness, barely distinguishable in the twilight. It seemed that his body consisted of a swirling fog, dotted with dots, like stardust in a black hole. Needle-sharp growths were sticking out of his face, and the only eye, enclosed in a diamond-shaped red frame, was burning with a hellish flame. His mouth was open, exposing rows of sharp teeth and writhing snake-like tongues. An aura woven of chaos and pain pulsated around him. She put pressure on the mind, causing panic and despair, poisoning everything around her with her wicked energy.
- Hunters... - the demon hissed in a voice resembling the grinding of metal on the glass. - I was waiting for you.
- Well, then I'm sorry for being late, - Daniil took a step forward, taking a fighting stand. - Traffic jams, you know.
The demon laughed - a sound that made his teeth whine.
- Oh, we have a brave man. I like it. They always die in the most interesting ways.
- Let the child go, - Alexander said calmly, his ruby eyes dug into the creature. - Otherwise, your death will not be enviable.
- Should I be scared? - the demon tilted his head, his tongues fluttered in the air, as if they were sniffing. - There's no fear in me. There is only hunger. After all, I'm a hunter, you are my prey. Could it be the other way around? Let's find out.
He ran his long clawed finger over the girl's cheek, leaving a thin bloody line.
- But I'm fair. I offer you a chance. The game.
- A game? - Kirill squinted, his gray eyes studied the demon, trying to penetrate his mind.
- Oh, you shouldn't, mental baby, - the demon grinned, looking at Kirill. - My thoughts are not for your fragile mind. But yes, a game. Three riddles. Solve them - get the girl alive. If you lose, you will all die. Fair, isn't it?
Three of them looked at each other. There was no doubt in their views - the demon was lying. But now they had no choice.
- We agree, - Alexander replied. - Give us your riddles.
The demon got pretty nagged, exposing even more teeth than it seemed possible.
- The first mystery: I exist only in darkness, but light creates me. I'm always there, but I can never be touched. I follow you, but I never get tired. What am I?
Kirill stepped forward, his eyes narrowed in concentration.
"Shadow," he answered without hesitation.
The demon hissed with irritation.
- Right. The second mystery: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What is it?
Kirill looked at Alexander, understanding flashed in his eyes.
- Steps, - he replied. - You're talking about steps.
- Okay, - the demon roared, his aura darkened. - The last mystery: I'm always hungry, I have to eat all the time. The air I breathe gives me life, but the water kills me. What am I?
This time Kirill thought longer. The eyebrows converged on the bridge of his nose while he was thinking about the answer.
"Time is running out, hunter," the demon hissed, again putting the claw to the girl's face.
- Fire, - Kirill suddenly said. - The answer is fire. He is always hungry, feeds on air, but water extinguishes him.
The demon roared, his only eye burned brighter.
- You won, - he wheezed reluctantly. - Take the child.
He stepped away from the girl, making an inviting gesture.
Daniel moved forward, but Alexander stopped him again.
- Do you think we'll just believe that you'll keep your word? - he asked coldly.
The demon burst out laughing, and his laughter was like the sound of breaking glass.
- Of course not! - he suddenly soared up, unfolding his wings of pure darkness behind him, grabbed the girl and broke the ceiling, rushing into the night sky.
Alexander threw out his hand, trying to grab the creature with telekinesis, but it was too late - the demon had already disappeared in the punched hole.
Alexander and Kirill looked at Daniil, he nodded.
- Damn, I knew I'd have to fly, - Daniil sighed. - Always me, always! I said I didn't want to go on this mission.
"Time, Danil," Kirill reminded.
- Yes, yes, I remember, - Daniil stretched, as if he was going for a run, not to chase the demon. - Take care of the puppets, okay?
He bent his knees and soared into the air, punching the already existing hole in the ceiling. A moment later, there was a sound bang - Daniel overcame the sound barrier, rushing after the demon.
In the night sky, Daniel noticed a dark silhouette quickly moving north. The demon had an impressive speed, but for an A-rank hunter with the ability to fly, it was not a problem. Having concentrated, Daniel accelerated, cutting through the air like a bullet.
- Hey, bat! - he shouted, catching up with the demon. - We have unfinished business left!
The demon turned around, his eye widened with surprise and anger. A girl was squirming in his paws, trying to get out.
- Annoying insect, - the demon sneared. - How can you fly without wings?
Instead of answering, Daniil stretched out his hand. A weapon materialized in the air in front of him - a sword, the blade of which seemed to be woven from moonlight. The blade was a work of art, from the tip to the ephesus covered with intricate patterns and engravings, woven into a kind of living lines. The handle was decorated with a filigree ornament with fine carvings depicting mythical creatures and ancient symbols. The guard, branched and elegant, seemed to be woven from cobwebs, but at the same time it was strong and reliable. The blade itself was perfectly smooth and shiny, reflecting the light as if a fire was burning inside it.
- A beautiful toy, - the demon hissed, dodging Daniel's first lunge. - But you can't hit me without hurting the child.
He was right, and Daniel knew it. Each of his blows had to be accurate, calibrated so as not to harm the hostage. The hunter gritted his teeth and began to maneuver, trying to find a vulnerable place.
The demon didn't stay in debt. With his free hand, he threw clots of darkness, which exploded upon contact, leaving clouds of acrid smoke in the air. Daniel dodged, used a sword as a shield, but could not strike a decisive blow.
- It's a bit difficult, isn't it? - the demon sneered. - Do you know what's even more difficult? Catching falling children!
With these words, he unclenched his claws, and the girl flew down. Her cry cut the silence of the night.
- Damn! - Daniil rushed down, folding his body for maximum acceleration. The wind whistled in his ears, the earth was approaching at a terrifying speed, but he had to have time, he had to...
At the last moment, Daniel picked up the girl, hugging her and slowing down. Having landed neatly, he quickly removed the electrical tape from her mouth.
- Are you okay? - he asked, trying to smile, although his heart was still pounding like crazy.
The girl nodded, too shocked to speak.
"Curse, I missed it," Daniel muttered, looking up, but the demon was no longer visible.
And then something fell heavily to the ground next to him. Turning around, Daniel saw the lifeless body of a demon, and next to him - Alexander and Kirill.
- But how... - Daniel started, and then slapped himself on the forehead. - Damn, I forgot that you can fly too, Sanya!
Alexander shrugged his shoulders, his ruby eyes shimmered in the dark.
- Telekinesis is multifunctional, - he said calmly. - While you were saving the girl, I caught up with him. He didn't expect a second flying hunter.
Kirill approached them, shaking the dust off his coat.
- The puppets fell apart as soon as the demon died. They just... turned off.
Daniil looked at the girl who was still trembling.
- Hey, everything is fine. Bad uncle won't come back. We'll take you to a safe place, okay?
She nodded, clinging to his jacket, as if afraid that someone would try to kidnap her again.
- By the way, - Daniil turned to his friends, - where are all the survivors? There must be survivors, right?
Kirill shook his head.
- I'm afraid not. The demon sucked out the vital energy from everyone in the building. Those he didn't kill right away turned into puppets. And then... exhausted. I checked the lower floors. There are only bodies.
- Damn, - Daniil pursed his lips. - It's a fucking mission.
- But we saved the girl, - Alexander remarked, looking at the child in Daniel's arms. - And they stopped the demon before he could get to the nearest settlement.
Daniil sighed.
- Well, yes, at least something. Let's get out of here. This place is starting to get on my nerves.
He looked at the demon's body, which had already begun to decompose, turning into black slime.
- I'm behind the wheel, - he said, correcting the girl in his arms. - I've had enough adventures for today.
*
*
*
Six hours later, the Mercedes-Benz G-class rushed along the morning highway towards Moscow. Daniil was sitting behind the wheel, whistling some kind of melody. Kirill was filling out a report on a tablet in the passenger seat. Alexander was looking at something in the back seat, in his phone, and next to him, wrapped in his coat, was sleeping a rescued girl.
- You know what? - Daniil suddenly said, interrupting the cozy silence. - Next time Stepanych offers me to play poker, I'll just say that I'm um... card allergy? Well, or something.
Kirill hummed, not breaking away from the tablet.
- And how long will this promise last? See you next Friday?
- Until the next salary, - Daniil said dreamily. - By the way, has a million already come to the card? I already have plans for a new video card.
- And three pairs of sneakers, - added Alexander, clicking on the phone screen.
- And a jacket for the fall, - Kirill nodded.
- Hey! I have the right! By the way, I saved the girl!
"After the demon abandoned her," Kirill remarked.
- Details, - Daniel waved it off, and then suddenly became serious. - And what will happen to her?
Alexander looked at the sleeping child.
- The department will take care of it. They will find relatives or pick up a foster family. You may need psychological help.
- Poor thing, - Daniil sighed. - I wish we could save everyone.
- But we saved her, - Alexander answered quietly. - Sometimes that's all we can do.
They continued their journey in silence, each immersed in their own thoughts. The sun rose above the horizon, flooding the road with the golden light of a new day, promising that no matter how dark the nights were, the dawn would always come.
But somewhere far away, in the shadows that were not touched by sunlight, new nightmares were already emerging, waiting for their time.