Alexander slowly opened his eyes, feeling a piercing cold that seemed to penetrate into the very core of his bones. There was absolute darkness all around, as if he was immersed in a bottomless black sea. He carefully took a sitting position, while his hands felt the cold, rough stone. Alexander channeled the power of his soul from his brain into his hand, creating a dim glow emanating from the haze enveloping his palm. A smooth glow of light began to illuminate the corners of the gloomy room.

At this moment, Alexander had the idea that it would be worth checking with Roman the ability to see in the dark, using the power of the soul. Maybe they could develop new techniques or even learn to see in complete darkness. These thoughts were interrupted when his gaze fell on someone's face, barely visible in the darkness.

Leaning closer, Alexander felt goosebumps run across his skin from what he saw. Before him lay the cold corpse of Major Markov, tied up and artlessly thrown in the corner. There was an expression of misunderstanding and horror in the eyes of the dead man. Alexander realized that, most likely, he was in Roman’s cellar.

Carefully examining the gloomy space of the cellar, Alexander noticed a faintly translucent light in the corner of the room, which could indicate an exit. The cellar was strewn with old boxes covered with dust and cobwebs, and the air was saturated with the smell of mustiness and dampness. Traces of rodents were visible in the corners. Approaching the supposed exit, Alexander discovered a small wooden door creaking on its hinges.

Pushing open the door, he found himself on the street. The sky was covered with gray clouds and the air was filled with the smell of rain. It was late evening, illuminated by the light of a street lamp. Alexander left the cellar and found himself in a familiar courtyard. This was Roman’s property, and his house was very close, where Alexander headed, rubbing his frozen limbs. The surroundings seemed incredibly calm after everything he had gone through in the Border.

Entering the house, Alexander quickly examined it and realized that it was empty.

“It’s strange...” he muttered, feeling the cold gradually leaving his body. He went to the kitchen, where he found fresh food in the refrigerator: vegetables, a piece of chicken breast, several eggs and milk. Deciding not to waste time, Alexander prepared himself a hearty dinner: an omelette with vegetables and pieces of chicken.

Each resurrection, as he had already noticed, required considerable effort from the body to recover, and often after it there was an acute feeling of hunger. Alexander ate with pleasure, feeling how every bite of food returned his strength and energy. He also looked at the body, but as before, only dried blood reminded of the mortal wounds.

- Phew, now we can live.

After finishing his meal, he leaned back on the comfortable sofa in the living room and closed his eyes. Fatigue from the adventures in Grani and from all the stress he had experienced overcame him, and Alexander quickly fell asleep, slowly falling into a restorative sleep.

Alexander's dreams were strange and chaotic, intertwined with echoes of his recent adventures, the faces of the people he had met, and even echoes of the battles in which he had to participate. But the most memorable was the vision of the woman from the Dark Mirage. She stood on the edge of the cliff, looking into the distance, where the colors of the sunset played on the horizon. Her image was so vivid and real that Alexander felt a strange attraction to this image. She turned to him, and her eyes were full of wisdom and understanding, as if she knew the answers to all the questions in the world.

Alexander woke up from the sound of the door closing. He quickly glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. Only two hours have passed. He shook his head, trying to push away the last remnants of sleep, and slowly rose from the couch to find out if it was Roman or someone else who had returned.

Alexander went out into the corridor and saw Roman. He was covered in blood, with a stunned expression on his face.

- What's happened? – Alexander asked worriedly, coming closer.

Roman silently raised his hand, as if asking to wait, and slowly walked into the hall. Alexander watched his friend, feeling anxious. Roman walked up to the icon and pulled out a bottle with clear liquid from behind it. After Roman filled the glass and drank its contents, his face relaxed a little.

- Grandfather’s moonshine, I didn’t think it would be useful. – Roman cleared his throat. - He has a lot of stash here... Alex, this is incredible, but... There was an uprising of the dead in the cemetery. I saw about fifty people rise from the dead. The police arrived, but when some of the resurrected began to attack people, someone shouted “zombies” and they opened fire.

Roman paused, catching his breath, his hands shaking a little.

- One of them decided to attack me. I'm panicking... I... I cut it in half. He killed... Then he ran here.

- How did you even end up there?

- Not on purpose, that's for sure. I had an interesting idea, so I went to implement it. - Roman pulled out a camera from his jacket pocket. - And we have a cemetery literally a couple of streets from my house. While walking back from the store, it was then that I heard strange sounds and screams. I couldn’t pass by, you know, Alex? By the way, I took some money from you.

Alexander brushed aside the last offer about money; it was of little interest to him. He tried to wrap his head around what was happening.

- Rise of the dead? - he thought. It sounded like a horror movie script, but there was true panic and shock in Roman’s eyes.

- We have to do something. After all, we have power and we can use it for a good cause. With great power comes great responsibility. - said Roman.

- Wait, I’ll change, and it won’t hurt you to get yourself in order. Otherwise, if we meet someone, they’ll think they’re zombies and shoot us. So come on, while I’m in the shower, you eat, find us some clothes, then you’ll go take a shower yourself and we’ll go to the cemetery. We need to figure out what's going on there. – Alexander finally said.

Roman nodded, putting his glass aside. His gaze was heavy and thoughtful. He clearly had not yet recovered from the shock. Alexander went into the room to take off his clothes. Having done his business and going back, Alexander saw that Roman was standing near the window and looking out onto the street.

- As I understand it, you won’t go to the shower... Can’t wait anymore? – Alexander asked, pulling on his jacket.

- Yes. – Roman answered briefly, turning around. - Let's go.

Both left the house, and Roman’s gaze was firm and decisive. What they were about to do was dangerous, but necessary. Alexander sighed, feeling the night air enveloping him, and together with Roman headed towards the cemetery.

On the way to the cemetery the streets seemed deserted and gloomy. Only occasionally were passers-by encountered, hastily hiding in the safety of their homes. The lantern-lit streets created an uncomfortable feeling, and every shadow seemed suspicious.

As they approached the cemetery, Alexander and Roman heard distant screams and the sounds of a fight. It seemed like someone was shooting. Listening intently, they continued moving forward. The cemetery greeted them with chaos and destruction: overturned and broken headstones, open graves and signs of recent clashes.

Roman carefully examined the area, his hand involuntarily lay on the handle of the knife, which he took with him just in case.

- Do you see anything? – he quietly asked Alexander.

- No, but you don’t need to see much here to understand that there is someone here. – Alexander said in a whisper, peering into the darkness. - We should be careful.

Roman nodded and they both slowly moved deeper into the cemetery. Suddenly, a figure jumped out from behind one of the graves, heading straight towards them. It was a man, or what was left of him. His movements were unnaturally jerky, and his gaze was empty and lifeless. In appearance, it was almost a mummy, which unknown forces managed to raise from the grave. One hand was missing, the skull was partially destroyed.

Alexander quickly reacted, creating a lightsaber half a meter long; he was not yet capable of anything more in the real world. Roman also took a fighting stance. But before they could do anything, the figure suddenly collapsed to the ground, as if it had lost its last remaining strength.

- What was it? – Roman asked in surprise, looking at the dead body.

“I’m not sure, but it seems the powers of the soul were unable to restore and retain the spirit in the body,” Alexander answered.

- By the way, why do you have such a big blade? Mine is at most a centimeter away from my fingertips, but yours is definitely half a meter! - Roman looked with interest at the blade of silver haze that came from Alexander’s palm. The guy dispelled the power of his soul and replied:

- I had to go through a lot in Grani and it seems my control has increased.

- We'll have to go there too. It’s true that I don’t want to die, but if you’re with me, then there’s nothing to worry about. - Roman hit himself in the chest.

- It's not safe in Grani now. Some girl raised all the dead and now they are hunting people like us, the Forsaken. Yes, when you say it, it sounds like nonsense...

- Damn, it’s a pity... So, we’ll train until we win after returning!

They carefully continued their path through the cemetery, peering into every shadow and listening to every rustle. A gloomy silence reigned around, which was occasionally broken by distant screams and strange sounds coming from the darkness.

Alexander and Roman walked through the cemetery in search of zombies. They slowly made their way among the gravestones and monuments, shrouded in the twilight of the night. Roman, armed with a knife, carefully watched every rustle, while Alexander walked next to him, feeling a folding black knife in his pocket. Despite his recent experiences in Grani, Alexander preferred to keep a backup plan in case something else was needed.

The silence of the cemetery was broken only by the crunch of leaves under their feet and the distant sounds of the night city. Suddenly, an unexpected sound was heard from behind one of the graves. Both instantly turned around, ready to fight, but saw only a young couple lost among the graves. The guy hugged the girl, who was actively typing something on her phone, barely illuminating both of them with the weak light of the screen.

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- Looks like they're here for a reason too. – Roman whispered, watching the couple. - Maybe they saw something unusual?

Alexander nodded, thinking it was worth asking them. He approached the couple, trying to look as unthreatening as possible, and asked:

- Excuse me, did you see anything strange here? We're looking for... Um, someone strange?

The guy looked at Alexander with disbelief, and the girl pressed closer to him.

- We just ran away from one. It was creepy, the police shot at him, it was creepy. – she answered, her voice trembling with fear.

- Was it a zombie? – Roman climbed in, trying to get as much information as possible.

- I don’t know what it was, but it was terrible. It’s a pity I didn’t have time to take pictures…” the girl continued. - But it was there. There was shooting there.

The girl pointed in the direction of the old chapel, which was located at the other end of the cemetery. Its outlines could be seen through the birch trees. Thanks to this information, Alexander and Roman decided to move in the indicated direction. They left the couple alone with their fears and continued on their way.

On their way to the chapel, they noticed more signs of strange activity: scattered items, signs of a struggle, and even bloody stains on the ground. This made them even more careful.

As they approached the chapel, Alexander felt tension building inside him. He knew that something unknown and, possibly, very dangerous awaited them ahead.

Alexander and Roman continued to move, immersed in the gloomy atmosphere of the night. The smell of earth and old leaves hung in the air, and the shadows of the graves gave the impression of movement in the corners of their vision. Their steps were quiet, but decisive, as if they were walking not through a cemetery, but through a labyrinth of uncertainty and danger. There are no more than ten meters left to the chapel.

Suddenly Roman stopped, raising his hand in warning. Alexander instantly froze, alert. Ahead, something was moving between the monuments. The shadows twisted and stretched, creating the illusion of movement. The tension in the air grew, and the silence seemed almost tangible.

- There. – Roman whispered quietly, pointing towards one of the monuments.

Alexander saw eyes flickering in the darkness. They were lifeless and cold, like ice beads. Suddenly those eyes shot up, and Alexander was able to see a figure slowly rising from behind the gravestone. It was a zombie - one of many that had risen from the dead. His body was mutilated, and his clothes hung in tatters. There was a body lying under his feet; it was clear from his clothes that it was a policeman.

“Be prepared...” Roman warned in a whisper, tightly gripping the knife.

Alexander nodded, feeling the strength of his soul growing inside him. He concentrated, preparing for battle. Suddenly, the zombie rushed towards them, emitting a nasty wheezing sound. Roman stood in his way, waving a knife, ready to strike. Alexander, in turn, focused and summoned a lightsaber, which instantly appeared in his palm, illuminating the surrounding area with light.

The zombie froze for a moment from the sudden light, which gave Roman the opportunity to attack. He boldly rushed at the creature, striking quickly with his knife. Alexander, using his soul power, pointed his sword at the zombies, ready to deliver the decisive blow.

The battle was short but intense. Roman was able to deprive the undead of his hands with a couple of blows, while Alexander dealt the final blow with his lightsaber, cutting the zombies into two parts. The zombie's body fell to the ground with a quiet groan, and its eyes went out, losing the last sign of life. Alexander felt a surge of strength, the same as when he was in Grani.

“Very strange...” Roman looked questioningly at his comrade. “The last time I killed people, I didn’t receive the power of their soul, but now I felt it and quite strongly...

Alexander and Roman were talking when they suddenly heard sounds like clicks behind them. They quickly turned around, but saw only a young couple with surprised and frightened faces. The girl, clutching her phone to her chest, filmed what was happening, while her boyfriend looked completely lost.

- No brains at all! Run away from here! – Roman shouted, looking at them angrily. At that moment, the girl let out a piercing scream. Alexander took a closer look and saw how the half-decomposed corpse grabbed her leg, trying to bite her through her boot. The guy standing nearby took a step back, as if trying to escape from the horrifying sight.

Without hesitation, Alexander rushed forward and kicked the head with a powerful kick, separating it from the body. The skull flew to the side with a crunch, and the undead stopped moving. Alexander only now dispelled the power of his soul and turned to the couple.

- Follow us quickly, let's get out of here! Roma, come on!" Alexander commanded, grabbing the girl’s hand and dragging her along. Roman followed them, still holding the knife at the ready. The guy ran after.

They ran out of the cemetery, as if driven by an unknown force. A police patrol met them at the gate. At first, the police prepared to shoot when they saw people running towards them, but quickly realized that they were ordinary citizens and lowered their weapons.

- What's going on here? – asked one of the policemen. - Did you see something there?

- Rise of the Dead, or something like that. – Roman answered with irony in his voice, although his heart was still beating in unison with adrenaline. - Let me in, it’s very scary!

After a short conversation with the police, Roman, Alexander and the couple they met quickly walked out of the cemetery. The tension of the situation was palpable in the air, and each of them felt that that night the city was shrouded in something unknown and alarming.

Under the light of city lamps, Alexander was able to see the unlucky couple who were now following them. The guy was tall, with dark hair and strong hands in which he nervously clutched a mobile phone. The girl, shorter, with long brown hair, was still holding her phone, in which she apparently recorded the events of that evening.

At this moment, alarms sounded throughout the city. The drawn-out, threatening sound of a siren came from the high-rise buildings, echoing off the walls of houses and empty streets.

- You better go home and as quickly as possible. – Roman advised the couple. - And this... You should learn to stand up for yourself...

- Yes, we will do so. Thank you! – the guy answered, hugging the girl with his hand. She quickly put out her phone, judging by the sounds, taking a photograph of Roman and Alexander, and then ran away, the young man following behind.

- Take the time, crappy bloggers!

Meanwhile, Alexander and Roman, with worry in their hearts, headed to Roman’s site. Closing the gate behind them, they went into the house and could finally relax a little.

- What is happening to this world? – Roman looked at his friend with concern, looking for answers.

- Apparently, now the place of any person, or rather his body, can be taken by another soul if he can defeat it in the battle of souls. But sometimes, it may happen that there is no winner and the soul, torn by memories, runs wild and instincts remain. – Alexander answered, wearily sinking onto the sofa.

- Well, exactly like in horror films. They want to eat... - said this, Roman also sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV.

A news anchor appeared on the screen, reporting on strange events in the city. The presenter's voice sounded excited:

- Citizens, stay safe. Authorities are reporting riots and strange phenomena throughout the city. It is recommended not to leave your homes and...

- We need to do something, Alex. We can’t just sit idly by,” Roman said, interrupting the television program.

In this case, we need to rest. – Alexander said, rubbing his tired eyes. – We will train to be able to stand up for ourselves and, apparently, for everyone who needs help... Yes, Roma?

- Well, of course! Okay, then rest. I'll go while I close the door. And I’ll close the shutters, well, these crazy ones!

Alexander and Roman, exhausted after a stressful night, washed themselves and decided to rest a little. They made themselves comfortable in the living room, where the TV continued to broadcast the news.

At first, the presenters talked about strange events happening around the world, but by morning the tone of the program changed dramatically. The news anchor with a serious face announced that all information about the rise of the dead was nothing more than local hysteria caused by mass psychosis.

- Didn't understand? - Alexander got out of bed, not believing his ears.

“This is some kind of bullshit, right...” muttered Roman, approaching Alexander. The young man had not slept for a long time and saw how the tone of the news changed with every hour. - There was a real zombie uprising, and they are talking about mass psychosis. It seems to me that the government has decided to intervene...

Alexander, frowning skeptically, answered:

- It doesn’t matter what they say in the news and who decided it. We need to be prepared for anything. I brought a gift from Grani and would like to give it to you. We need strength because the world has changed!

- To me? What kind of gift? Damn, that’s not what we’re talking about now... - Roman nodded: - Yes, and I thought about it while you were in Grani. We need to record everything on camera. Our training. We are pioneers after all. I already Googled it, there is nothing on the Internet, only rare forums where they mainly describe their stay in the Border. We need to prepare people for the new world, show them what is really happening. Show how you can become stronger!

Alexander agreed with this proposal.

- Great idea. We can use these recordings to better understand our strengths, and perhaps help others.