The morning sun was breaking through the curtains when Alexander woke up. He opened his eyes and lay motionless for a moment, getting used to the silence of the morning in Roman's house. Getting out of bed, he stretched, feeling his muscles ache slightly from the previous stressful events.
Going to the sink, he washed his face with cold water, which finally drove away the remnants of sleep. He stood for several minutes, allowing the coolness of the water to refresh his thoughts and gather his courage for the new day.
Entering the kitchen, he saw Roman, who was already finishing preparing breakfast. The wafting aroma of fresh coffee and fried eggs was pleasantly familiar and comforting.
- Good morning, Roman. - Alexander greeted.
Roman turned around with a smile.
- How did you sleep? Breakfast is ready.
“Your sleeping habits are wonderful, excellent,” Alexander answered, sitting down at the table. He noticed that Roman was impatient to ask a bunch of questions.
- Well, did you deal with the bandits? I thought that you wouldn’t need me anytime soon, but here I am. Damn, you have an interesting pastime. Weren't you being followed? So... - Roman did not finish the sentence, but anxiety was visible in his eyes.
Alexander sighed, picked up a cup of coffee and took a sip before answering.
- Yes, we have something to talk about. I want to tell you everything, but first, I need your help with something... Special.
Alexander closed his eyes, using his usual action to turn to his brain, from where he plucked off a thin thread of someone else’s soul. His eyes moved to his hand, and Roman watched as mist began to accumulate on Alexander’s palm, like a silver mist. Roman jumped back, his eyes widening in surprise.
- What is this... How did you do it? - Roman was clearly amazed. - I want it too, teach me!
Alexander smiled, lightly playing with his finger, which made the silver thought seem somehow unnatural. - This is part of what I call soul power. And I think it can be a good weapon.
Roman carefully approached the table, his eyes never leaving the haze on Alexander’s hand.
- How are you going to use this?
In Grani it was a means of protection. Remember how I created a shield that kept souls away? So, after that, I experimented a little and was able to create something like the blade that I'm showing now. In the world of the Edge, with the help of this power, I was able to cut through stone wood like a hot knife through butter. And then a couple of prisoners, moreover, without meeting any resistance. But here, in the real world, it is harmless. I tried to damage the physical object, but it's just a haze. - Alexander explained. “But I’m sure that with your help we can turn it into something more.”
Roman nodded, already determined to help.
- Fine. What should I do?
Alexander lowered his smoking hand onto the table.
We need to experiment. Understand how this energy interacts with physical objects, whether it can be strengthened or directed. Well, essentially, I need your experience and memories. Shall we do it like last time?
Roman looked interested.
“Interesting...” he said, reaching out his hand to touch the haze. - Let's start.
Alexander couldn’t hide his smile as he watched Roman’s reaction. Remembering that Roman also absorbed souls in the Edge, he felt that he could, like last time, begin a joint experiment. And in fact, it would be more productive. So, he decided to share his experience of using the power of the soul.
- Do you remember how you absorbed souls in Grani? You never used them. Let's try it now. - Alexander suggested, encouraging Roman.
Roman looked at him, his gaze full of determination and curiosity.
- How exactly?
Alexander concentrated for a moment, as if preparing to convey ancient knowledge.
- Close your eyes and try to feel your source in the brain. It will feel like a warm corner, full of energy and strength. You should catch the same feeling as when absorbing souls in the Edge.
Roman followed his advice, his breathing slowing and his face taking on a concentrated expression. He didn't move for a long time, but eventually nodded his head slowly.
“Now,” Alexander continued, “Imagine how you stretch the thinnest thread from this source to your hand.” This should be a gentle and careful movement, as if you were running your finger across the surface of the water, without causing rough waves. Breathe evenly and lead it, first in the head, then along the neck, then through the shoulders and into the arm.
A few quiet minutes passed before Roman frowned slightly and finally slowly opened his eyes, his gaze focused.
“I think I’m succeeding…” he muttered, and to both of their surprise, a pale haze began to form above his fingers.
- You can do it! - Alexander exclaimed, his voice was full of admiration. - Now try to hold her. Don't push, just maintain the flow. Make it more stable!
Roman concentrated even more, and the haze became more pronounced, taking shape around his hand. Gradually the color gained strength, becoming silver.
“Incredible...” Roman whispered, trying not to lose control.
Alexander patted him on the shoulder, feeling proud of his friend.
- Now let's see what we can do with this energy.
Alexander and Roman, standing in front of an old wooden table in the corner of the kitchen, were full of determination and inspiration. Roman had always been a fan of science fiction and anime, and his head was full of ideas.
“Imagine,” Roman began, “Our palms are sources of power.” Concentrate the power of your soul right here, and let's release it in a powerful burst!
- Let's clarify. Do I need to gather the power of my soul in my palms, and not at my fingertips, preferably more, and then throw it forward with a gesture or the power of thought? And is there a chance that it will explode?
- Well, yes, I would like to shout something else. Something epic.
- Yeah, so they can bang you, loudmouth. The best attack is the one that is discovered only when it is too late.
They both tensed, focusing their gaze on their open palms. Roman even raised his voice, trying to enhance the effect. Soul energy swirled around their hands, forming a soft silvery glow. They released it forward, but instead of the expected explosion, only a light breeze followed, which barely made the curtains on the window flutter.
- It was a good idea, it’s a pity it didn’t work out. Well, at least we know that we can send the power of the soul into flight, which is not bad.
- Okay, what if we create a lightsaber? - Roman suggested excitedly. - Imagine that the power of the soul is concentrated into a line and becomes solid. It turns out that you need to gain strength and give it an elongated shape.
They focused their attention, trying to organize the energy into a direct stream. For a moment, it seemed that their hands began to emit light, but it quickly faded, and instead of a stable beam of light, only a haze of gray flames hovered in front of them. The energy simply could not be held in such a form.
- It’s a pity, the idea is not bad, a kind of sword that could potentially extend indefinitely...
“Perhaps we should try telekinesis...” suggested Roman, pointing to an old book on the table. - Concentrate and imagine how the power of the soul penetrates the object, becoming its continuation.
They both directed their gaze at the book, trying to establish a connection with it through the invisible thread of their energy. However, the book remained motionless, although some pages moved slightly from the draft.
- Maybe it’s worth touching the book, transferring the power of the soul to it and manipulating it using this method? - Alexander suggested, to which Roman nodded respectfully.
The second attempt began. At first, the energy smoothly flowed into the book, and then with the power of thought there were attempts to move the object. Success was not long in coming. The book actually began to move, but only for a centimeter, after which the connection was lost.
- Well, this is the first noticeable success, not bad.
- Maybe a shield? - Roman did not let up. - The same as you created in Grani? Do you remember what to do?
“Last time, I shared the power of the soul with the help of a dagger. It was like he created a vortex around. In this case, there is no dagger, so let's use another method.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
They decided to create a protective barrier in front of themselves, channeling soul energy into the space between themselves and the perceived enemy. They stretched their arms forward, creating a smoky silhouette in front of them, but when Roman easily passed through the supposed barrier, it was clear that this attempt was unsuccessful.
Roman remembered the scene from the comics where Superman used his ice breath.
- What if we can concentrate the energy and release it in the form of a cold stream? - Roman suggested.
- It turns out that you should pass the thread of the soul not into the hand, but into the lung? Interesting... Let's try it.
They both held their breath, imagining how the soul energy collected in the lungs and turned into cold. As they released air, they both sent energy forward. Wisps of light mist came out of their mouths, but the temperature in the room remained unchanged. They tried to direct their breath to the water in the glass, but the result was natural.
- Do you remember shadow cloning from Naruto? Oh, that's right, I forgot. In short, Alex, there was an anime where a character could create a self-sufficient copy of himself. Of course, this is probably a long way off, but it would be nice to create an illusion. - The novel was full of hope. “We could try to split the energy and create a copy of ourselves.”
Alexander briefly imagined how convenient it would be to have an assistant, especially in the fight against the Twilight. They concentrated and tried to split their presence, stretching the soul's power around them, but in the end only a glowing outline formed around them, not taking on a physical form. And after a couple of seconds, the form lost its strength and dissipated.
Continuing their experiments, Alexander and Roman came to a new hypothesis. If you concentrate the energy of the soul and compress the area of control, then you get the physical properties of strength.
The first thing they tried was to increase the strength of the soul flow by directing all the energy to the fingertips. Alexander imagined how he clutches a ball of this force in his hand, squeezing it to the size of a marble ball, and then stretching it to the desired size. The compression of the energy gave it a kind of hardness, and when he extended his fingers, a thin silver thread appeared between them.
Next, they tried to turn this thread into something similar to a blade. Roman suggested using visualization - imagining how this energy acquires the sharpness of a razor blade. They both froze, focusing their gaze on their hands, and gradually the thread began to change its structure, becoming thin and sharp.
The last step was to hold the shape for a long time. This was the most difficult, as it required constant concentration and control. Alexander and Roman alternated between tensing and relaxing their thoughts, trying to find a balance that would allow them to maintain their form without excessive mental fatigue.
Finally, after half an hour of trying, feeling confident in their new abilities, they decided to try it. Armed with their newfound “spiritual acuity,” they went out into the yard where a stack of firewood was waiting in the wings.
The first blow to the log was hesitant, but when the wood easily split under the pressure of the energy blade, both of them exchanged glances full of surprise and joy. Roman exclaimed:
- Happened! You and I are like Chinese kung fu players, we can move mountains with our palms!
However, the joy was short-lived. The more they cut wood, the harder it became to maintain control. Sweat and fatigue quickly began to make themselves felt. Each new cut required more effort, and they soon realized that although their bodies could continue, their minds were quickly exhausted.
“We have to find a way to do this more efficiently and less mentally taxing.” - Alexander said breathlessly, placing his hand on the split logs. - It is too heavy for constant use or maintenance.
Roman nodded, looking supportive.
- But we are on the right track. We did it, Alex. We made real magic, just imagine! Thank you, dude, for not forgetting about me and giving me the opportunity to try something so cool.
In a friendly atmosphere, the guys decided to take a break to rest and gather strength before continuing their experiments.
Tired, but pleased with their achievements, Alexander and Roman settled down on the worn sofa in the living room. Between them stood a pair of mugs of tea, floating in the quiet rhythm of the lunchtime silence.
- Well, will you tell me what happened to you?
Alexander began the story, his words were balanced and precise. He talked about his unusual death and resurrection, about his unexpected connection with Yulia and her newfound ability to walk, as well as about Dusk and his sister, whom he carefully hid from everyone.
Roman listened attentively, sometimes nodding as a sign of understanding. When Alexander finished, Roman shared his findings related to the information that Alexander had previously sent.
“I went through the data you sent,” he began. - There's a whole web of connections there. Twilight is mentioned in the context of several large operations for the transfer of weapons, tax evasion, and even hints of connections with an international drug cartel, but it’s too dreary, I didn’t bother going into it. In general, there are mostly accounts, money movements and so on.
Alexander leaned forward, his interest instantly aroused.
- And what else?
“There are mentions of secrets, incomprehensible codes, encrypted messages,” Roman continued, “And even a list of names that seem to be part of the inner circle of Twilight.” If we decipher them, we can obtain valuable information about his operations.
- Good job. - Alexander praised, his eyes now burning with determination. - This may be the key to his downfall.
- And what are you going to do? - Roman frowned. - You understand that transferring this information to the police can greatly affect the criminal balance in the region. This could provoke a real war for territory. But on the other hand, if you alone go to war with him... I don’t know what could be worse.
Alexander slowly twirled the mug of tea in his hands, pondering the answer.
“I haven’t decided yet...” he admitted. - On the one hand, this is the right path, but on the other... The Twilight will not stop. He will continue his business until he gets what he deserves. And it’s not a fact that he will be imprisoned for a long time.
Roman nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation.
You know that I am with you, no matter what you decide, but still, there are some things that I do not accept and I hope it doesn’t come to that. - he said, looking supportively.
Alexander sighed and put the mug on the table.
- Then we need a plan. We must act thoughtfully and carefully. Twilight is a dangerous enemy. But maybe you're right... I need revenge, but it doesn't have to be personal. - he said slowly, as if weighing every word. - We must transfer this data, but not to the police. With Berezovsky and Markov, we have no chance of getting justice through the usual channels. Something tells me that they are anointed with each other stronger than blood brothers. So this path is definitely not for us.
Roman nodded in agreement.
- The police here and in Saratov do not inspire confidence. Do you have any other ideas?
“Regional FSB...” Alexander burst out almost instantly. - I remember that Major Markov mentioned cooperation with them before he killed me. And after that there was a whole series of arrests. Perhaps this is our chance. Let's do the same thing, I think ordinary civilians can contact the FSB?
Roman stood up and walked over to the computer that stood in the corner of the room.
- I'll try to find contacts. Nowadays, the FSB probably has a department that deals with public affairs, and they should have a website or at least a telephone number for contact.
Alexander went to the window and looked out onto the street.
- We must act quickly and carefully. This information could ruin Twilight, and I think if anyone finds out that we have it, other than the competent authorities, our life will become much more complicated.