- Happened! - Alexander exhaled, all wet from the heat. He clenched his hand into a fist and happily felt the dagger in it. He returned and Titan Smith nodded in response. Alexander, meanwhile, seemed to feel that something was different in his soul. As if something was interfering. He turned to his soul and saw something unusual: his soul circuit was doubled. He carefully touched the second circuit, and his body instantly changed - he became a hare again.

Touching the first circuit, he returned to human form. With a puzzled expression on his face, he asked:

- What did you do?

- I restored your real body, but since you have two of them, you also have two souls. So I reforged them. - Titan answered calmly.

- And what happens, I can transform in the same way in reality? - Alexander asked, already imagining how much he could do in this case, but the words of the Titan shattered his dreams.

- No, your consciousness will walk between these bodies. So I advise you to hide in the farthest corner of your planet with one body and live with the other. After all, a body without supervision can be devoured. - After these words, the Titan laughed.

- Things won’t work like that! - Alexander shouted, his voice ringing with anger and disappointment. - This is not what we agreed on.

- Don't confuse hot with cold, Rejected. I did exactly what you asked. Your real body is safe and sound. You can be reborn in it, so the contract is fulfilled in full. Your soul is strengthened and now you, like a phoenix bird, can rise from the ashes, which is not given to anyone. Say thank you and get out of here! - Titan Smith barked, his eyes sparkling with rage.

Thank you, of course... But with ballast in the form of a second body, I will hesitate to run back and forth! Answer me, can you make me transform between two bodies in reality? - Alexander insisted. The Titan nodded his head and grinned.

- But of course you won’t do this? What if I force you? - Alexander challenged, his voice was full of determination.

The Titan's laughter rang like thunder through the depths of the mountain. Then he waved his hand, and Alexander’s body began to press hundreds of kilograms. Alexander growled like a beast and immediately turned into a hare to relieve the weight. Then he became a man again, jumped, grabbed the Titan's shoulder, and turned into a hare again. At that moment, his claws appeared from the hare’s paws, which he put to the Titan’s head.

The Titan was at first surprised by Alexander's audacity, but then he laughed even louder. With a powerful burst of aura, he threw the hare off of him, throwing him several meters away.

- Well, it’s okay, we’ll fight again!

- The agreement was fulfilled, and I will not forge your soul. - said the Titan Blacksmith, watching Alexander, who stood up with difficulty after the blow and sighed heavily. But the Titan continued: “But I can teach you, and you can do it yourself.”

-Are you offering to become your student? - Alexander asked, his voice full of amazement.

- Right. - said the Titan and returned to his workpiece, continuing to beat it with a hammer.

- I would like to, but I need time to solve things... I seem to have helped some mantis, who was pretending to be Charon, collect the souls of Death.

- When you are ready, come. - said Titan. It seemed that his words did not hurt or puzzle the blacksmith. Alexander nodded thoughtfully and walked out on his own two feet.

Alexander left the depths of the mountain thoughtfully. He raised his head and saw a fiery comet rushing towards him - it was Roman.

- You look beaten, did you succeed? - Alexander asked when the guy landed next to him. Roman really looked unwell.

- Sorry, Alex, I couldn’t save her, and he ran away. But maybe we can try to intercept him from Charon? We still have a chance, since you are human now.

- You are desperate, Roma, in the form of a hare I am stronger, but luckily I can do this. - Alexander said and transformed. The young man was surprised. - Let's fly, friend.

Roman took the hare, and they took off, rushing to where Charon was now. When they arrived, they saw that Zeus had already given something to Charon, and then rushed away with a flash of lightning.

“We can try to catch up with him,” Roman shouted, to which Alexander said: “It makes no sense.” He did his job. We are flying to Charon, but I’m not sure that we have enough strength to defeat him.

Both silently accepted this and landed near the grinning mantis that was once Charon.

The creature, in its new guise as a huge mantis, looked at them with mockery, its emerald eyes sparkling with an evil gleam. He seemed even more menacing and unpredictable than before. Surrounded by an aura of water, it not only exuded strength, but also a deep, ancient soul.

Alexander instantly transformed into human form. Charon chirped and said:

- You are late. And what would you do? Now there is no one stronger than me and my people in Grani. But I'm glad you've restored your body - the more fun it will be to watch you.

- Why do you need all this? I have so many questions that I don’t even have time to ask half of them. Yes, and you may not answer me. - said Alexander. The former Charon laughed:

- Do you want to witness what you contributed to? It will be better than any words!

Charon spread his arms to the sides, and around them, as if in a funnel, a barrier was created, similar to a ghostly veil, and behind him the souls of seven sisters appeared.

“I am here to give my people a new home: first the Edge, then perhaps other worlds.” Who knows? - he said, and at that moment the horizon howled with terrible pain and parted, revealing a view of the wasteland, with cities made of stone and millions of mantises that rushed screaming into the new world.

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- Well, to make it even more fun for both you and us, then by the power of Death itself, I give each Rejected a Gift and power, which after death will serve as the key to other worlds. - continued Charon.

At that moment, Roman and Alexander, as well as all people, both in the Edge and in reality, were enveloped in a vortex of power.

- Now, when your soul is destroyed and absorbed, a wormhole to another world will open in place of your body. I hope you will enjoy. - said Charon with an insidious grin.

- But won't the Edge turn into a battlefield? We are losing our souls here! - Alexander shouted.

- Exactly! Your rejected souls will become the road for us to new worlds! - Charon answered, enjoying the moment.

The vortex of power around Alexander and Roman intensified, its energy flows seemed unimaginably powerful. Alexander felt his soul overflowing with new, unfamiliar energy.

- Have fun, guys. - Charon said with a grin and began to disappear when Alexander shouted:

-You still owe me a favor!

Charon stopped his water technique and turned to the man.

“I don’t have enough nobility in me that I would call off an invasion just because I owe you.” But I'm ready to listen to you.

Alexander sighed heavily, looked at Roman, who put his hand on his friend’s shoulder, ready for anything, and said:

- His brother, his soul is needed, return him to us and restore his body. That's my wish!

At first Roman didn’t understand what he heard, but Charon just turned his head to the side and then nodded. A veil appeared around him again, and behind him were the souls of the Sisters. Roman shouted:

- What? But Alex...

He could not utter a word as his brother's soul was forming right in front of them. The appearance gradually became clearer: a tall young man with short dark hair and deep eyes that shone with surprise and confusion. His face, haggard and pale, began to take on life and color.

“You exchanged any service from Death itself for a man who couldn’t hold out for an hour on the Edge and disappeared like a rootless creature.” Stupid... - said Charon and disappeared into the whirlpool.

Roman's brother, still not understanding what was wrong with him and where he was, looked around. Seeing Roman, he said:

- Brother?!

Roman hugged his brother tightly and felt tears running down his cheeks. The brother felt the warmth of the hug and the reality of what was happening.

- I can't believe it's really you. - Roman whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. - Alex, thank you...

- Roma. How did I end up here? I can’t remember... the brother said, his voice was weak.

Roman held him tightly, not letting go for a moment. This moment was priceless for both of them, despite all the trials and losses, they were together again.

Meanwhile, Alexander looked at the torn horizon through which foreign people penetrated into the Border. He understood that this was not the end, but only the beginning. Many challenges are still ahead, and the fight for the Edge has only just begun.

*******

Near future. On the former border of America and Mexico, among the dusty and hot wasteland, stood a dilapidated gas station. Its walls were full of cracks, some of them collapsed, leaving only rubble. Gas stations have not worked for a long time, covered with rust and dust. Around the gas station stretched a huge crater created by an unknown force, its edges were pitted, and at the bottom hundreds of portals could be seen that should have been in Grani, but ended up here. American soldiers stationed at three firing points non-stop poured machine-gun fire into these portals, trying to hold back the various creatures that climbed like crazy. Helicopters circled in the sky, which was also supported by rocket and machine gun fire. Flowers of explosions illuminated the area.

Zeus was sitting on a chair next to a destroyed gas station, covered in soot and dirt. He watched what was happening in the crater, his gaze tired and empty.

“I’m so tired...” he said in English, sighing heavily. At that moment, he heard a quiet sound and immediately turned around, seeing a white hare. Instantly, lightning flew from his fingers and struck the animal, killing it instantly.

- Damn hare! - Zeus muttered in English and was about to turn back to the crater, when he suddenly saw another white hare, and behind him another. The hares were simply jumping on the cracked asphalt. Zeus no longer shot lightning, only watched in surprise.

One of the hares jumped to Zeus and looked with interest at the tired guy.

- Why are you staring, furry one? - he asked in English, after which he picked up the hare and sat him in his arms. - I knew a hare, which is why I hate all your brethren. Can you hear me, big-eared? I hate it!

He sighed heavily and raised his head when his body suddenly jerked and blood poured out of his mouth. His body immediately became electrified, lightning began to jump across his skin. Zeus's gaze dropped down, where the hare gazed into his eyes while a paw with spiritual claws extended ripped open his belly. After this, the hare jumped away and transformed into a human.

Alexander stood in front of Zeus - a simple guy, a brunette with a short haircut and a tattoo on his shoulder. He was dressed in a casual white tank top that hugged his toned body and shorts that showed off his muscular legs. On their feet were military boots, dusty and worn from the long journey.

Alexander, looking carefully into the eyes of the surprised Zeus, said in English:

- I hate you too. And he came to avenge Sonya.

At that moment, spiritual claws reminiscent of those of the comic book hero Wolverine extended from his fists.

- Well, let's see who wins?