Alexander was surprised at his own reaction. He had never resorted to physical violence to calm someone down before. However, in this emergency, under the pressure of danger and the need to survive, he acted instinctively, perhaps remembering some old movie or book where a similar method was used to “bring him to his senses.”

Roman looked at him for a moment in numbness, then slowly took a breath, and his eyes began to clear.

“Thank you,” he whispered, patting himself on the cheek. - I needed this. I... I was starting to lose control. Honestly, this place has finished me off. I experienced this there in these visions. Horrible! The Yakuts, how they survive there, is simply terrible. But they believe in souls, and the soul whose life I saw gave up without a fight, just imagine.

- That's understandable, Roman. - Alexander nodded, looking seriously at his comrade. “Remember, panic will kill us faster than any monster here.”

- You are right. Sorry. What's our plan? - Roman sighed slowly and rose to his feet, nodding in response.

- The plan is simple. - Alexander began. - Look for a tunnel and get out of here! Well, more precisely, we are exploring this place. These ruins appear ancient; they can store something useful. We take everything we can and look for a way out. We will also closely monitor everything that happens around us. It’s too quiet here, and you can hardly see anything.

To confirm his words, sand fell from the side wall, blocking the rare rays of light, making the view even worse. Alexander marked out a corridor whose vaults had been destroyed and moved there.

“Okay,” Roman agreed, pulling himself together and following. - But let's be careful. You never know what could be hiding here.

Both boys, with a goal in mind, began exploring the temple, while trying to remain as vigilant and attentive as possible to any dangers that might await them in the shadows.

They carefully made their way through the ruins of the temple, carefully studying every corridor and stones, looking for signs of tunnels or passages to the real world, but there was nothing except the deepening darkness. Walking past one of the collapsed walls, Roman noticed a draft.

- Do you feel it?

Alexander nodded, feeling the cool air blowing across his face. They began clearing away rocks and debris, and soon discovered a narrow passage hidden behind the ruins.

It was an inconspicuous tunnel, the walls of which seemed older than time itself, covered with strange symbols and designs that emitted a faint, ghostly glow. These symbols seemed to move as if they were trying to tell their story, depicting scenes of life and death, struggle and peace, all woven together into an eternal dance.

“This could be our chance,” Alexander said in a whisper. - But we have to be careful. There is no guarantee that this will lead to an exit... Or that we will be allowed to pass...

Moving along the tunnel, they remained on guard, listening to every rustle and preparing to meet anything that might live in the depths of this gloomy place. Further, the source of light was the drawings on the wall, which Alexander could not understand. The meaning and form, in the literal sense of the word, flowed away from his consciousness, so he abandoned this matter and looked more carefully at his feet.

Moving further along the tunnel, Alexander and Roman noticed the first pyramids of ash. These small, neatly folded structures, topped with daggers, seemed a strange reminder of the life and death that were so intertwined in this place.

Alexander slowed his steps, examining where the thin stream of smoke was stretching. Luckily for him, it led further down the corridor.

- Roman, these pyramids can point to the exit. Only the tunnel leading to reality draws in this smoke.

- Do you think this might be the way out?

- Maybe. - Alexander answered. They continued on their way, following the mystical pyramids. They soon noticed that the tunnel began to change. The walls became smoother and the air became fresher. The symbols on the walls were now glowing brighter, and once they reached the end of the tunnel, a brightly lit room opened up before them with several paths further down. But the most interesting thing was in the center. Surrounded by many pyramids, a tunnel of light shone. All the smoke was reaching towards him. This light seemed so attractive, so warm after the horrors and cold of the Edge, that both boys felt an irresistible desire to step into it.

- We can go back.

However, before taking this final step, Roman turned to Alexander.

“Listen, I don’t know what awaits us on the other side, perhaps a grave, but... what if we lose each other...” the guy looked at Alexander with worry. - Maybe we can at least exchange phone numbers? I could tell you my address, and you could tell me yours. So see you then?

- I... I don’t remember anything, Roman. - Alexander looked at him with regret in his eyes. - I don’t know if I have a telephone, I don’t remember my house.

Roman laughed and then gave his address and phone number.

- Don't forget me, okay, Alex. - he said, smiling sadly. - I hope this is not the last time we see each other.

- I'll try not to forget. Good luck, Roman.

Nodding at these words, Roman stepped into the tunnel. The light blinded Alexander, and he closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, Roman was gone. As well as the portal itself to the real world. Everything around was plunged into darkness. The walls no longer pulsated with light, the tunnel was closed and disappeared into the room, as if it had never existed.

Darkness surrounded Alexander, depriving him of even the slightest light to which his eyes could become accustomed. The only thing that could still be discerned was the faint flickering of lights on the tops of the pyramids scattered throughout the room. They created an ephemeral impression of the presence of something supernatural, something that remained beyond human understanding.

From memory, Alexander oriented himself towards the nearest corridor and slowly walked there, walking carefully. Stretching his hands out in front of him, he very quickly touched the shabby wall and moved on. Alexander's shuffling footsteps echoed in the dark corridors of the temple, each sound increasing his loneliness since Roman's disappearance. He walked and walked, not distinguishing anything in the absolute darkness.

Suddenly, as if from the very air, a whisper was heard. He was so quiet that Alexander even thought maybe it was just the hum in his ears or the noise of his own breathing. But when he stopped, the heart froze, and the brain realized the information: “Stop.” It was Cassandra's voice.

Alexander froze, trying to listen to the dark silence, waiting to see if he would hear it again, but the temple was silent. He didn't know if it was a warning, a plea, or just an echo of his own isolated psyche, but he knew he needed to stop. Taking a deep breath, he took a careful step back and froze, expecting anything. But nothing happened. Alexander decided for himself that he would not go forward, he needed to change the path, but he no longer knew where to go.

The situation in which Alexander found himself was so desperate that he decided to turn to the sensations within himself. He remembered the souls, their power, which filled him, made him stronger and helped him survive in the situation on the surface. However, when he tried to do this by immersing himself in his inner being, he encountered emptiness.

He expected familiar feelings, a connection with all the souls that were inside him, their memories and strength. But there was only an empty echo of his own Self. This discovery was a shock. Without this strange power, he felt even more defenseless and lost. As if I had already gotten used to the new reality.

Unconsciously, questions began to pop up in his mind. Why did the souls disappear? Were they ever real? Or had this all this time been just an illusion, a fantasy of his mind trying to cope with the madness of this world?

- Could it be...

Alexander had a hunch that the souls inside him acted as a kind of fuel, which he spent on creating a protective barrier. The young man realized that he needed to somehow restore his reserves of "mental energy" if he wanted to survive here. Although the thought of death evoked strange echoes in his soul, the guy was sure that he would end up here and it was better to be prepared for anything.

Finding a faint light with his eyes, he carefully moved towards one of the pyramids. Kneeling down, he looked into the darkness, not even knowing which part of the blade he was looking at. Time passed slowly, but nothing happened. Taking a deep breath, he finally decided to try his luck. Alexander brought his hand to the light and, exhaling sharply, grabbed the dagger.

At the moment of contact, he felt a strange tingling sensation in his fingers, as if small electrical discharges were running through his hand. And then the world blinded him with the colors of other people’s memories, and then completely captured his entire nature.

This day began as usual in a small village hidden in the shadow of a dormant volcano. However, by evening the sky turned ominously red and the ground began to shake underfoot. Soon after the first tremors, a column of ash rose from the volcano, followed by hot lava flows, mercilessly absorbing everything in its path.

The man whose final hours Alexander experienced was a local fisherman returning home after a long day on the river. He was in the center of the village when the eruption began. Chaos reigned all around: people rushed in different directions in attempts to escape, but destructive streams of lava were already flowing down the mountain, cutting off the path to salvation.

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The fisherman realized that his only chance was an old stone shrine on the outskirts of the village, built by his ancestors as a refuge for God. He grabbed his young daughter's hand and ran, trying to avoid the lava flow.

- Mom, where is mom?!

She screamed and slowed him down, and through his tears he dragged her, weaving through the streets. The temperature began to rise. He was covered in sweat, and then he threw the girl over his shoulder and ran as fast as he could. There was only a little distance left to the outskirts when stones began to fall from the sky, which almost killed them. He gritted his teeth and ran in a wide arc.

Finally, when they reached the shrine, they found that many villagers had already gathered there. The shrine's walls were thick, and many hoped that they would hold back the lava flow. But the eruption intensified, and soon lava flows reached this place. The stones on the outside of the shrine began to crack from the incredible heat, and it became clear that the fortifications would not hold up.

In the last minutes of his life, the fisherman hugged his daughter, trying to protect her with his body. He whispered comforting words into her ear until the heat became unbearable, and the shrine, their last refuge, began to collapse with a roar under the pressure of an irresistible element. He died with regret and grief for his wife and daughter.

Then the vision was repeated, and then one more time, until suddenly Cassandra’s whisper sounded in Alexander’s ears: “Stop.” Suddenly coming to his senses, Alexander felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest, and his breathing was intermittent and heavy. He could still feel the heat of the flames on his skin and hear the cries of despair in his head. The experience was so real and overwhelming that for a moment he could not distinguish his essence from that of the fisherman.

He saw the fisherman's projection continue on its way without him. Only after a couple of steps did he stop and return to the stranger in his memories.

- She ended up in a better world, right?

- Yes, she was luckier than you. - Why Alexander said that, he himself didn’t understand, but the fisherman just smiled and nodded his head, and then disappeared into a mist that flew into the young man’s body.

He sat on his knees again, clutching a faintly glowing dagger in one hand and feeling with the other how dust was crumbling through his fingers. He felt the last echoes of energy flowing down his arm towards his chest. Succumbing to this feeling, he closed his eyes, feeling the regret and pain of the fisherman, his unconditional love for his daughter and wife, his desperate struggle for life in the last moments. With this, he understood the energy of the soul that now rested within him, waiting in the wings.

Opening his eyes, he was frightened by the change in contrasts and the human face in front of him. The hand was faster than thought. The dagger pierced Charon's throat, which appeared out of nowhere, bringing light from the lamps standing on the boxes. The old man wheezed, trying to say something, and Alexander looked in disbelief at his hand, which glowed as if from within, clutching a bloody blade. A moment and it was all over. The glow disappeared and the old man's suffering ceased. No, he didn’t die, he just stopped groaning and looked at the young man with some interest.

- I could have killed him! - Charon took a step back, removing the cold steel from his pierced throat. A second and the wound healed. - Well, let's finish the deal? Or will you just stand there like a pillar? Well, just think, I almost killed my grandfather, it doesn’t happen to anyone. I'm always someone... Hmm... Not about that now. Shall we continue the deal?

Alexander was left in shock, unable to believe what had just happened. His hand was still trembling after the dagger pierced Charon's flesh, and his heart was pounding wildly in his chest. It was impossible to comprehend how he could harm a creature that seemed to be beyond time and death.

“I... I... I didn’t mean to...” he muttered, looking at Charon with a dumbfounded expression on his face. He didn't seem to be offended. His face expressed surprise and even some amusement rather than anger or pain.

“Oh, don't worry about it, boy,” Charon said, his voice sounding almost cheerful despite the hoarseness. - This is not the first time in my work, and I assure you, it will not be the last. Everything that dies encounters me at some point, and not everyone greets me with joy. Your reaction... well, it was something special.

Alexander continued to look at him in shock, trying to calm the trembling in his hands. His mind was full of questions about what he had just experienced, about the power he had felt, about the boundaries between life and death that he seemed to have just crossed. And he was also worried that his soul storage was empty again.

“I know what you're thinking, but that's the price for trying to kill someone like me.” And believe me, it was just a drop in the ocean, and I don’t advise you to try to find out the depth of this reservoir, my boy.

“You... You’re not a person,” Alexander muttered, more stating a fact than asking a question.

Charon laughed - the sound was deep and full of echo, as if coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“Oh, I was once,” he said, his eyes seeming to reflect the infinity of worlds and times through which he had passed. “But it was so long ago that even I sometimes forget what it’s like to be mortal.” Now I am simply fulfilling my role, my duty to her….

Alexander had difficulty digesting these words; the feeling of unreality did not leave him. He looked at Charon, at his imperturbable face, and realized that in front of him was something much greater than he could imagine.

“Deal,” he said, trying to concentrate, “you were talking about a deal.” She won't be there. Cassandra's whisper will remain with me.

Charon nodded, and a strange glow appeared in his eyes.

- Yes, I already understood that... What do you say to the job offer? Would you like to receive something from my collection and more information about your gift and how to develop it? I offer you a chance, my dear man. But in return you must complete a task for me. You must find the soul running from its destiny, the soul running from justice. Find and take the soul, and then return it to me. Agree?

- Wait... And more details? What kind of soul? Where to look for it?

- If everything were so simple, I would do it myself, and not offer mythical gifts for work. I’m not limiting you with time, but if you die in Grani, then excuse me, you can’t hope for anything easy. There will be no place for you in her abode. You will be mine, completely!

“Attention,” the whisper sounded unexpectedly, causing Alexander to flinch. His thoughts were confused now, but Cassandra's voice was soberingly fresh to his mind. The guy realized that this gift needed to be understood and developed. The fact that Charon desires it so much suggests that it is truly rare. And her warning should be taken as a sign to ensure that he is not deceived. But after quickly figuring it out, he answered.

- I need guarantees that your words will be fulfilled. And you will not interfere with me or try to kill me yourself or with someone else’s hands! This is a deal!

- Oh, this gift... Cassandra... - the man seemed to relish this name. - The deal is eternal and is protected personally by Aeacus, Rhadamanthus and Minos. If you agree, say so and shake my hand, Rejected One!

“I agree...” Alexander had doubts, but still shook the elderly man’s hand. At the moment of the handshake, the world around seemed to freeze. The shadows reaching towards them seemed to come to life, turning into three figures looking at them with undeniable authority. Their presence radiated ancient wisdom and inexorable justice.

The first creature was majestic, with hair braided into golden crowns and eyes sparkling like the sun. His clothes emitted light, and Alexander realized that it was Aeacus.

The second, dressed in black robes, had a stern gaze that could pierce the very soul. Rhadamanthus, with his book of destinies, from which no one could escape.

And the last one, Minos, with scales in his hands on which the destinies of people were weighed. He radiated power, there was a smoldering fire in his eyes, and his words were final.

“So, the deal is concluded,” thundered the voice of Minos, filled with the echo of centuries. - You, Alexander, accepted Charon’s offer. In exchange for his gift of your choice and information about Cassandra's whispers, you undertake to find and return the fugitive soul. This contract will be fulfilled, or the consequences will be catastrophic.

“Your terms are accepted,” Rhadamanthus added, his voice like an icy wind. - Charon will not harm you, and you will be protected from his direct interference. But remember that your fate is now in your hands and sometimes it is not favorable.

- That's all! - the last was Eak, whose voice pierced the mind.

The words were spoken, the deal was done, the Grani judges did their job and disappeared as if they had never existed. Charon then disappeared, leaving behind moisture and a lonely lamp emitting a weak flame. It was all over quickly, but Alexander still did not understand what he had just gotten himself into.