“Cassandra’s whisper... A rare gift, but not from my hands...” the man spoke dryly, with a crack on the last syllables. Alexander examined it in every detail. He was a tall and thin old man with gray hair and a beard that fluttered under the force of the wind. His eyes are hidden from prying eyes under heavy black glasses, as if taken from the outside world. He wears a long gray cape that makes him seem to blend into the darkness around him. Underneath she could see shabby clothes. In his hands he holds a long cane with a curved handle that looks like the head of a snail.

- Are you... Are you Charon? - The guy didn’t understand where that whisper came from and the name, but he tried to ask.

- You are rejected. One of the first who approached me. And what do you want, rejected one? For your gift, I am ready to offer you amazing things. - the old man smiled, making an inviting gesture towards his boxes. With a crash, the wooden walls fell down, revealing an amazing view. Alexander carefully examined the surrounding objects, which seemed to be from different areas of life. He decided to take a closer look at each item.

A small violet with a transparent glass body lay in front of him. The violet filled the surrounding space with a soft glow, as if there was a small star inside it. The sparkling liquid inside the violet created soft shimmering shades of blue and green, as if it contained life itself. On the walls, the violets were decorated with inlays of tiny crystals that reflected light, making the gray world of the Edge a little more alive.

Next to the violet lay a scroll, the images on which aroused incredible curiosity. The various regions of the Edge and the transition points between them were depicted on the scroll, but their pictures and lines were confusing and changeable. It seemed as if someone had deliberately complicated this map to create an intriguing impression. The colors and outlines changed as Alexander stared at the scroll, as if the map were alive and changing.

The next item was a small stone rune with a smooth surface. Its patterns and symbols were etched onto its surface so carefully, as if every detail had some hidden meaning. The rune was attached to a leather chain and looked like an amulet, ready to be worn. Emitting a soft light similar to the halo of the Verge tunnels, the object aroused strong interest.

In the immediate vicinity stood an ancient mirror with a golden frame. The frame was covered with fine carvings and patterns, giving it an ornate appearance. The surface of the mirror was perfectly smooth and reflected the world as if in another reality, adding zest to this artifact. Alexander could not resist and looked at the mirror, the reflective plane of which began to ripple, and he saw himself in another world. We look like a metropolis, only a little destroyed. In this world, he stood before a trio of dead people - zombies.

The first zombie was taller than the others and moved awkwardly, its rotten flesh hanging from its skeleton. Despite his slow steps, he looked terribly persistent, as if no amount of pain could stop his slow progress.

The second zombie was faster and stronger, with skin like parchment. He chewed on a piece of glass he held in his hand and let out muffled groans, filling the air with horror. His fingers were long and sharp, ready to grab his prey.

The third zombie was outstanding among them. He was younger and looked less decayed. In his hands was a broken door, which he was about to throw at Alexander. His eyes were full of rage and he was ready to fight.

The guy himself clenched the hilt of his blade, preparing for a fight. He looked shabby, but the changes in his appearance were noticeable. At least the hairstyle was different.

At this moment, Alexander wanted to see more and took a step towards the mirror, but suddenly the picture turned black, reflecting only an impenetrable curtain. The guy turned his head, stepped back, but nothing else appeared. He turned to Charon, who smiled slyly.

- Mirror of destinies. It could provide answers to important questions of the future and past and help make the right choice. I see you are interested in it and I am ready to exchange it for your gift.

- What kind of gift is this? Why are you ready to part with these things for him? - the guy was excited and his thoughts flowed faster than usual. Perhaps it was the sight of his possible future, perhaps the adrenaline from the possibilities that had opened up.

- You don’t even know what kind of gift it is. Maybe it's better to accept my offer? I can tell you everything about any of these things! But your gift and its unknownness to you remains your problem. Decide, rejected one.

- Tell me about these items. - the guy was confused, his heart was beating faster than usual.

Charon picked up the violet with a transparent glass body and smiled.

- This Violet of life. She, my new friend, is the fruit of life itself. Its creation is attributed to ancient alchemists who lived in an era when the Edge had just begun to interact with the real world. Not by what you know. Its liquid is capable of restoring strength and healing wounds, be they physical or mental. It contains sparks of life, and even one drop of this liquid can give strength in the most difficult moments.

Charon took the scroll and unrolled it in front of Alexander.

- This is the Map of the Worlds, my young explorer. Its production dates back to the period when Death himself came to power, and every detail of this card has its own unique history. It will help you navigate this complex world, showing you different areas of the Edge and the transition points between them. And also, it allows you to find yourself in other worlds. But it is not exactly. But be careful, it is sensitive to your intentions and can change as if the Edge itself were breathing.

Charon took the rune and showed it to Alexander.

“This Rune of Transition, my dear young man, is a gift from the castaways who traveled along the Edge. Its smooth surface hides amazing properties. She will help you find hidden paths and tunnels in the Edge, making your search for your way home more efficient. Her light will be your guide in this world.

Charon tilted his head towards the mirror and smiled mysteriously. “This Mirror of Fate, my young friend, will open the door to your past and future. The surface of the mirror reflects the world as if in another reality, and you will be able to see what was and what can be. But be careful, because not all answers are pleasant.

Charon fell silent, allowing Alexander to weigh his choice.

- Now, my friend, decide which of these gifts you will choose in exchange for your gift of Cassandra’s Whisper?

The guy wanted to say something, but at that moment he heard a call. He turned around, without making his choice, and saw a guy of about sixteen. His black hair was long and a little tousled. He was wearing an old leather jacket and jeans, which showed signs of wear and tear, carefully hidden by patches. The boy waved his hands, every now and then flashing a dagger behind his waist belt.

- Hey guys! Can I come with you? And then the guy I was walking with caught the arrival a little.

Alexander was about to take a couple of steps towards the young man, when Charon’s strong palm grabbed his shoulder and turned the guy to face him. The old man wanted to end the conversation, but the rejected one was distracted by the whisper of the wind right next to his ear: “Run.” Alexander jerked his shoulder, throwing off Charon’s hand, slowly moving to the side, looking steadily into the merchant’s eyes. The old man shook his head in annoyance.

- Cassandra's whisper...

After these words, water gushed straight from Charon’s chest, forming waves that revolved around, every now and then blocking Alexander’s view. With the sound of the surf, all the goods and the old man disappeared, leaving behind not even a trace of moisture.

Alexander stood, feeling the light breeze that now pleasantly enveloped his body after the disappearance of Charon. A boy of about sixteen ran up to him, his black hair fluttering lightly in the wind and his breathing uneven.

- Hey, are you okay? What happened? Where is that old man?

- Don't know. He just disappeared as if he didn't exist. - Alexander turned to the unknown. - A very strange guy.

- Yes, there are a lot of them here, these strange types. One attacked me, can you imagine? He rushed with a knife and had to fight. And the other one seemed adequate, and then he caught the hop and came, now he stands there, looking at the sky. How did he bring the salt here?

- Yes, interesting... By the way, my name is Alexander.

- Oh, exactly! Novel. - the guys shook hands. - How did you get here? From what that epileptic Georgiy told me, it turns out I died. - the boy pretended to be a corpse, putting his palms to his shoulders. - A strange guy, although he is tongue-tied. I uploaded something like this here. That we all died, that there is a way to come back. That you can go into the tunnel and be resurrected. But not in every tunnel, but in a specific one. You need to walk and listen to where your name is, and go there. So we went.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

- Well, in some ways he was right. I was stabbed with a knife. How did he catch the arrival?

- What's real? - Roman froze for a second, and then laughed and waved his hand. - Well, you pranksters. Yes, we walked past these pyramids with knives, and I saw them in Nio*, I thought it was cool if power can be obtained by defeating the soul hidden there. Well, when he heard about it, he became very interested. He took the nearest knife from the pile of ashes and eventually began to look at the sky.

“I don’t think you should trust those you meet here.” - Alexander thought differently, but was in no hurry to reveal his thoughts. He's like a blank slate in this world, and he's already died twice. - But maybe we should try to find this George and find out more about how to get out of this place.

- If he can tell you something, then let's find out. Come on, I'll take you.

While they walked, the guy carelessly kicked stones, every now and then being distracted by something. Alexander himself was collected and ready for battle. Something inside him simply screamed about danger, but he no longer heard that “same” whisper.

- What's the last thing you remember before you got here?

- Nothing special. - Roman thought about something, making a thoughtful face, and then said: - I was looking for my brother, I climbed into the military unit near Kinel. They were shouting something, when I pulled it, I heard a pop, and then I was here.

- I see, cotton and you are here. - Alexander did not share the guy’s positive attitude. Apparently, he was shot by a guard, first as a warning, and then to kill. What was in doubt was the lethality of this action. - Listen, don’t you have problems with your head? Why did you go to a military facility?

- There are no problems with the head, only with the heart. I was looking for my brother, I tell you. He's the only one left for me. He wrote to me a month ago that he was returning. He serves in my hot spots. A month has passed, he’s still not there, he doesn’t even call, although once every two weeks he managed to get in touch for a couple of minutes, and then there was silence.

The guy walked around the tunnel in a wide arc, and then continued:

“I had already blackened their eyes there near the military registration and enlistment office, skipped school, kept trying to find out about him, and the last time a soldier came up to me, took them to their commander and he said that my brother had gone missing. Just imagine, he's lying right in my face. Of course I didn't believe him. When he returned that year, he lived in that part, so I went there. In general, I know everything in those parts, my grandfather and I all came from there. There are no parents. He taught us, showed us everything until he died. And then my brother was taken into the army, and I was taken to an orphanage.

At this moment, Alexander and Roman approached the place where Georgy was. A strange sight greeted them. Georgy stood in the middle of a small area, holding two blades in his hands. He waved them with insane intensity, as if fighting an invisible enemy, and at the same time muttered in a mixture of two languages.

At first glance, these seemed to be incoherent words and phrases, but as Alexander and Roman approached, they began to distinguish individual sounds. Georgy mixed Chinese and Russian, creating a strange pseudo-language that changed its meaning with every word spoken.

- Happiness... Shime du meiou... Traitor... Guang... Kill... Daolu... Home... Yo lai liao... Eternity... Beat iwang...

Alexander was also able to see the man. He was tall with tousled black hair and a face dotted with wrinkles. His clothes were modest and functional, consisting of a simple cardigan and old pants that showed signs of wear. Boots that had seen better days completed his outfit.

Alexander and Roman froze in place, listening to the ravings of a madman. There was no doubt about the obviousness of the latter. The man has gone crazy. The madman looked sharply at the people watching him. And what tensed the guys was the way he looked at them. The eyes were bloodshot, the lips were trembling.

George's sudden attack on Roman was so fast and unexpected that the guy barely had time to react. George approached him with the precision of an experienced fighter, rushing forward and raising the blade in his right hand. Roman had to react instantly, and he fell back, avoiding a blow that could have cost him his life.

Alexander, seeing that Roman was in danger, without hesitation, rushed towards George to intercept his attack. Georgy was focused on the attack and did not have time to take into account the approach of a new opponent. With a powerful thrust, Alexander slammed into the man, sending him flying. But before he had time to take a horizontal position, Georgy had already rushed towards him.

A couple of sharp blows with blades, a swing of the leg and a subsequent deception forced the guy to retreat, defending himself with his knife. Alexander quickly analyzed the situation and determined that Georgiy was attacking with good coordination and accuracy. His blows were aimed at vulnerable points of the body, and he used quick movements to move him out of the path of the blows. This suggested to Alexander that George may have experience in hand-to-hand combat or martial arts training.

He himself understood that he knew how to fight, so he took the path of least resistance in battle with an enemy who was better than him in skill. The palm of his free hand hit the man clearly in the chest when he plunged cold metal into it, but Alexander was waiting for this. In this world, his body is only a state of mental health, and if you reject all fears, you can do something that a man did not expect.

Unfolding his palm, the guy grabbed the blade, spraying blood and wounds. His weapon, in a close space, made a deep cut in the armpit area, after which it sharply pulled the man down, hitting him in the groin area. Blood gushed out in a large stream, sprinkling the pants with crimson shades. A sharp turn, crippling one's own arm, to impale the opponent's neck. Mig and George dissipated into ashes, dropping two blades to the ground.

- Hey, how are you doing, Sash? Alive?

The guy did not answer, his body was enveloped by a strange energy that filled his mind. In this state, it was as if he had entered another body and time. His mind was filled with images of an office filled with papers. Opposite there was a table with a computer, whose number series were currently actively filling the screen. Alexander suddenly realized that his name was Georgy Trofimovich and he was working on a project that, in his opinion, could change the world. His hands were immersed in complex calculations and experiments.

The professor felt exhaustion coming, but his passion for science was stronger than his fatigue. He delved into his research, forgetting about everything except science. However, his condition worsened every minute. He began to feel unwell and weak, but despite this, he refused to stop working. The professor was obsessed with his ideas and did not want to leave until he completed his project. His gaze swam, he closed his eyes and left this world. And then came another image.

The sun was already starting to set, and the sky was turning red-orange. The Battle of Gaugam was brutal and bloody. Chinese warriors fought with the troops of rival principalities, and the air was filled with shouts, the noise of swords and the neighing of horses.

Hanhe stood surrounded by his brothers. He was a veteran of many battles and an experienced warrior. His armor was tattered and covered with signs of battle. Fatigue and determination were visible on his face. Swords and spears flashed, and arrows whistled in the air. Every moment was worth its weight in gold, and Hanhe fought for his life and for his homeland.

He fought with desperate courage, protecting his comrades and attacking his enemies. In the last hour he felt tired and in pain from his wounds, but his spirit was unshakable. In battle he was completely devoted to his task and his principality.

As sunset approached, the warrior's strength began to fade, but he was not going to give up. In his last moments, his thoughts were filled with memories of his homeland, family and true friends. At that moment, a stray arrow pierced his body. Next was the Edge, where the warrior did not have time to take a single step before an unknown creature killed him. Only fangs, flashing in the last moment, and then peace.

- Hey, why did you catch the arrival too? Sasha?

* Nioh is a computer game in the action/RPG genre with a historical twist, developed by the Japanese studio Team Ninja.