Alexander slowly opens his eyes and feels the blinding light of a flashlight, which is aimed directly at his eyes. Intense pain begins to flash through his head, and he slowly comes to his senses.
- Where I am? What happened? That creature... - these questions are swirling in his head, while the ambulance worker standing next to him asks him questions that he cannot hear. Only on the third attempt, the voice of a young guy breaks through the veil of white noise:
- What is your name? Do you know where you are now? Do you remember what happened to you?
- Alexander Stepnov... - the young man tried to say something else, but he was weak and his voice was trembling. And any attempt to collect thoughts in a heap brought pain.
The ambulance officer finished his examination, after which he and his colleagues slowly lifted Alexander and carried him into the ambulance. Moving around makes the guy feel dizzy and nauseous. The gaze involuntarily falls on the scene of the accident.
At the scene of the accident, Alexander sees several broken and damaged cars. Scattered glass shards and parts of broken cars indicate a terrible accident. A team of firefighters is actively extinguishing the fuel tanker. Doctors and rescuers are working to help the victims. Ambulance and police sirens create chaos at the scene. He also understands that this is some kind of road in the forest, but he cannot remember how he ended up here.
Alexander feels pain and weakness, but his attention is attracted by the flashing image of some strange creature among the rescuers, as if it came from another world. Everything around him seems unreal and mixed with memories of what he saw in the world of the dead. The guy understands that this is the creature, but it only watches. A slight shaking distracts the young man, after which the picture of the world becomes normal again.
When he is placed on a stretcher inside the ambulance, Alexander almost completely loses consciousness. He hears the muffled voices of employees and the sounds of medical equipment, but it all sounds distant and unreal. The last thing he remembers is a blinding light and a strange attraction.
Alexander felt a strange moment inside the ambulance, as if his consciousness was beginning to blur and reality was losing clarity. Suddenly, he found himself in the foggy edge again. In his hands was a blade that glowed with a dull blue light. The young man examined him carefully, but did not see any memories or images. He was deprived of the burden of his past life.
The fog surrounded him like a living thing, slowly weaving around him. The sounds were muffled, and in the distance he heard some rustling and whispering. Alexander stood inside this mystical Edge, again feeling its incredible atmosphere.
At that moment he heard the voices of the guys. They sounded calm and clear.
- Come on, guys, concentrate. Let's start with a heart massage. One two three four five…
The young man spun around his axis, watching how, from the voices of unknown people, the fog spreads to the sides, showing the way. The place where the foggy corridor opened contained several gaps, glowing with white light and attracting the eye. The guy froze in indecision, nervously squeezing the blade in his hand.
- Connect the defibrillator. Prepare to be discharged. Discharge! We check the pulse. There is no pulse, we continue the massage...
Alexander saw how, from the words of the ambulance workers, one of the tunnels went into resonance, then expanding and then shrinking its edges. The young man took a deep breath to gather his courage, and then ran into the tunnel. He moved quickly, keeping his blade ready. If Death itself comes before him, he will not allow his soul to be taken away without a fight. The last jerk completely blinded the guy.
When he finally bridged the final gap and emerged from the Fringe, his consciousness began to blur again and reality slowly returned. The voices of the emergency personnel became louder and he felt his body being subjected to various procedures. Fragments of memories of the Edge and the blade that he no longer felt in his palm flashed through his head.
He tried to cling to the lingering aftertaste of his time in the Edge, but ended up collapsing under the influence of medical procedures and fatigue. The words of the ambulance workers sounded from afar, and the world of the Edge disappeared as if in a fog.
Alexander could not catch the thread of reality, either falling into oblivion, or catching parts of everyday life. He did not understand where he was, since the places he saw were alien and incomprehensible. Everything around him was blurry and unreal, as if he was in a dream world. He clearly realized one thing: he was lying on a white hospital bed, and bright ceiling lamps were shining above him. It seemed as if he was being taken somewhere, his eyes were caught on the dirty white tiles of the walls
The sounds, although muffled, were distinguishable. He could hear the faint whirring of medical equipment and the quiet conversations of nurses in the hallway. In the distance there were the sounds of footsteps and a loud voice giving instructions. All this created a rather drifting irrational perception of the surrounding world.
He fell asleep again. First, images of the Edge appeared before him. Foggy landscape, glowing tunnels, strange creatures. Then the faces of strangers he had never met in real life flashed by. They seemed familiar and important, but their names and stories remained mysteries.
As if suddenly entering another world, he saw distant landscapes and celestial spheres where the stars sparkled brighter than ever. He felt like a part of this universe, but did not understand his place in it. After which he abruptly collapsed into reality, kicking his legs. He heard a selective scolding, the meaning of which was simple: “Fix and not interfere with the operation.”
But every time he began to unravel at least the edges of the mysterious images, he again fell into the unconscious. The voices of the doctors and the sounds of the hospital became more and more unreal, and he again found himself in a world of dreams and dreams. Each such moment gave him a moment of clarity, but soon it disappeared, like a drop of water in the ocean.
Alexander slowly came to his senses. A palette of pain and weakness was reflected on his face. He slowly raised his eyelids, trying to adjust to the bright light in the room. The room was neutral white, with high ceiling lamps and neutral furniture.
The guy decided to examine himself. Alexander's right leg was in a cast, limiting his movements. Fixation began above the knee and continued to the lower part of the leg. The arms were secured to the bed with padded restraints to prevent unintentional movement or friction against the wounds.
To Alexander's right was an empty bed, and to his left was his neighbor. The patient’s bed was also neatly made, but on his face there was a mask of absolute, pale calm. Part of the man's head was covered with a medical mask. Monitors and medical equipment surrounded the neighbor, and the sounds coming from under the mask created an obsessive atmosphere of tension and anxiety.
Alexander's body showed numerous bruises and abrasions caused by the accident. There were several stitches on his forehead, and under his eye there was a huge blue abrasion. But the guy didn’t see this and couldn’t even touch it. Alexander tried to move, but immediately felt pain and stiffness. His breathing was shallow and his heart rate was rapid. Internal damage also required attention. Alexander experienced pain in his chest and sides, and it was difficult for him to take a deep breath.
The sound of the door opening attracted Alexander's attention. They were two men, one of whom was in a police uniform. They entered the room, and Alexander immediately noticed their appearance. The lieutenant was a tall man with a serious expression on his face. His epaulettes featured a smooth silver leaf with two gold stars, indicating his rank. His uniform was clean and neat, and he carried himself with dignity.
The second policeman, on the contrary, was in civilian clothes. This young man seemed less formal, but his gaze was attentive and distrustful. He was very fit and seemed always ready for action.
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- Good day. Lieutenant Krupnov,” he introduced himself, taking off his cap. - This is my colleague, investigator Zaginsky. You are Alexander Stepnov, right?
Alexander nodded, trying to collect at least some fragments of his memory.
“We found your documents in the car,” said investigator Petrov, writing in his notebook. - The fuel truck that took part in it was hijacked and exploded. Your car was also seriously damaged. Can you describe the moment of the accident? Who was driving?
Alexander tried to remember, but his mind was like a blank sheet of paper. He had difficulty turning over the fragments of what had happened in his mind.
“I... I don’t remember,” he muttered.
- Badly. We need to try to remember. There were no traces of the fuel truck driver at the scene of the accident,” investigator Petrov noted with dissatisfaction in his voice, “this really raises questions.” We will have to thoroughly investigate this incident. We ask you, Alexander, to tell us everything you remember about the accident itself. Even the smallest details can be important to our investigation.
- You do not understand. I do not remember anything. I only remembered the name with difficulty. I remember the doctors and how they took me here, everything.
- Look at me carefully, do you recognize it? - The lieutenant moved closer. Alexander tried to recognize at least something vaguely familiar in the man’s features, but nothing worked. He shook his head in annoyance, to which the policeman looked thoughtfully out the window.
- We'll come see you again. - The investigator looked at the lieutenant strangely, but did not say anything to him. - Goodbye.
The police went out. The investigator disappeared around the bend, but the lieutenant stopped and turned to Alexander lying in the hospital bed.
“After what you did, even the fact that you don’t remember anything doesn’t negate your deeds.” It would be better if you died there than what awaits you now. - the guy spat on the floor with anger on his face, after which he turned around and walked away. Alexander looked without blinking at the doorway, not understanding what was happening.
After some time, they looked into his room again, but this time they were not to his liking. Alexander watched as nurses and doctors carefully performed procedures on his roommate. The medical equipment made soft noises, and the light from the ceiling lamps cast long shadows on the walls. His focus was blurred, and sleepiness slowly fell over him like an invisible blanket.
Over time, the world around him became less and less tangible. He felt the strength leave his body, and the sounds and conversations of nurses and police officers disappeared into a distant echo. It was difficult for him to resist this weariness, and slowly but inevitably, he slipped into the world of dreams. Images began to penetrate his consciousness, and then merged into one unclear kaleidoscope.
Alexander was pulled out of his sleep by the sound of a TV coming from the corridor. His consciousness slowly returned and he sluggishly opened his eyes. The sound of the television grew louder as the news report penetrated his consciousness.
The doctors and nurses busy in the room did not pay attention to the TV, and only Alexander listened carefully as the reporter talked about an unusual case in the Samara hospital.
“An amazing event happened this morning,” the presenter said. - A man who was in the morgue of the Samara hospital unexpectedly returned to life. Morgue staff claim they witnessed a medical miracle.
Alexander listened carefully to the story of how the deceased man suddenly began to move and breathe in the morgue. This unexpected incident shocked medical professionals and was described as a medical phenomenon. The check has now begun. A delegation from the regional institute gathered to investigate the unusual incident.
- And now to other news... - the sound was turned down, apparently someone was only interested in a unique case, the rest was not interesting. And Alexander himself began to fall asleep again.
Alexander floated slowly in his sleep, but the calm atmosphere that had just surrounded him left him. Instead, he suddenly woke up with alarm. The room was in darkness, and only the faint light from the street lamp came through the window. Something made him peer carefully into the dark corners of the room.
His heart was beating wildly and he felt an inexplicable anxiety. At some point, in the depths of the chamber, he noticed movement, or at least a shadow that seemed unusual. In the corner of the room something rustled quietly.
Alexander struggled to rise on his elbows, his awakened senses struggling with the remnants of sleep. It was difficult for him to see what kind of shadow it was, but he felt that it was causing him concern and apprehension. His heart continued to beat wildly, and he tried to understand what was happening.
Suddenly, the silhouette of a man appeared from the side, leaving Alexander stunned and scared. An unknown person came out from behind the screen. He was of average height, with a strong and muscular build. His face was covered with a medical mask, leaving only his icy eyes visible, full of ruthless determination. A rough leather jacket and faded jeans emphasized his casual style.
He leaned over Alexander, pressing his hand to his mouth, and uttered words that made the guy freeze in incomprehension:
- You have to pay for everything, boy.
These words were whispered with threat and coldness, and Alexander felt his heart beat even faster. Then he slowly took out a folding knife, which he immediately opened and put into action, delivering careful and precise blows to Alexander’s chest. Each blow was accompanied by painful sensations, and blood began to slowly flow out of the wounds.
Alexander tried to move and resist, but his strength was running out due to a previous accident and loss of consciousness. The knife continued to pierce his flesh and he felt the life fade from his eyes. Slowly he began to lose consciousness, and the terrible moments seemed endlessly long. And then a pleasant veil of coolness enveloped him.
Alexander suddenly woke up. His hands were grasping something cold and hard. He looked down and saw a blade in his hands that was clean and glistening in the light, leaving not a single scratch on its surface. Alexander was unharmed, and he felt full of strength.
But his surroundings were far from ordinary. He was in a place that looked neither like a hospital nor like the real world. This was the Edge, a strange landscape where light and darkness wove together to create something mystical. It also proved that he was dead again.
Alexander carefully examined the world of the Edge, trying to catch any signs, hear a sound from the real world. He needed a guide to find the right path, but everything was chaotic.
The World of the Edge was an unpredictable mixture of different areas, as if pieces of different worlds were randomly mixed in this dimension. Here one could find everything that exists on Earth, but in a strange and incomprehensible order. Trees grew upward and their roots sank into the sky, rivers flowed in the opposite direction, and mountains pierced the sky.
Alexander moved forward cautiously, not knowing what to expect. Under his feet the ground changed color from gray to sandy, and the sky above him was strewn with clouds of different
shapes and shades. Grotesque reality played with the laws of physics, causing a headache. The guy didn’t even understand at first why everything had changed so much since last time, but now he began to notice.
- The fog disappeared... - Alexander saw everything without restrictions, including a strange man standing in the lowland with a bunch of boxes around. The guy chose him as a landmark, slowly descending from the hill of sand and stone, now and then maneuvering between tunnels and daggers sticking out of the pyramids on the ground. Approaching the old man, he wanted to say hello, but instead a chill ran down his spine. And it was as if the wind itself whispered the name of the creature: “Charon.”