later with renewed vigor. I remembered all the details that were connected with this incomprehensible story; I remembered how my friend’s tears more than once helped him out in the kingdom of darkness. Now that I had a weapon, I decided at all costs to return my beloved here to the world of the living.
We stayed in the Navi world for exactly a day. It was exactly six hours until midnight and I had time to clean up and get to my destination. My car stayed there at the city cemetery, I took a shower, drank coffee and a sandwich, called a taxi and left.
I walked so fast that I went far from the right grave. Noticing this, I began to return and did not notice how I plunged into the fog. This fog filled me with wild horror, the thought flashed through my head that I might suffer the same fate as my friend. His last agony began just like that, with the fog in the cemetery. I remember all the details that he managed to tell us. I slowed down and stopped, I did not see any point in going any further, as the fog was not dissipating. There was still time before midnight and I decided to wait. I was shaking all over with fear, although I knew that I still had everything ahead of me.
The thoughts in my head would not let me rest. How is my Natasha? And where is she now? How and where will I look for her? I was getting more and more scared. In addition, I decided to go towards the exit. The fog was not that thick, and by all indications, it was just a weather condition. To make sure of this, I decided to go out on the driveway and see what was happening there. The fog was everywhere, I felt calm. I quickly ran to the grave that connected us with the other world and found myself at the cliff on the other side of which the ice palace was clearly visible. Seeing this, I sat down in unconsciousness. Well, how so? What should I do? I squatted down and tears choked me, knowing that they would only make my situation worse. I realized that I could not get there like this; it was to wait until winter. I did not have that much time, and I was desperate.
– Yes, it is not easy for you. Looking back, I saw a flying package. I was so happy to think that my problem was solved. That this package will solve all my problems. – Help me.
– What?
– Help me get there.
– You want me to solve your problems, so that I would have problems later.
– Sorry, but no. I know your problem. It is not solvable. Almost not solvable. But I can’t help you.
– And who can?
– If only the gods themselves decide to do it. Then they will take you to their place, or give you a hint how to get there. I will not be able to take my head off later if I help you. Although I do not have it anyway. The ghost smiled maliciously and flew away.
I was alone again. My hopes were not fulfilled, and I did not know what to do. Friend, help me out, I thought to myself. I sighed heavily and walked to the edge of the cliff. I looked down and thought what could be there if I was already underground. My foot accidentally slipped and I fell into the abyss. I fell with such fear, and with the same fear, I found myself in the palace. I wanted to take Natasha away from here as soon as possible and run away with her and her children to warmer climes, as Viktor and Sergey did. I already knew what to do, as soon as I found her, I would shed tears and we would end up with her in my apartment. I will tell her everything, about my feelings, about my intentions, that that apartment is not mine and I love her. While I was thinking about it, the winter palace became summer, and I found myself in the thicket of the forest. This was not part of my plans, and I was a little confused. – Ah, these traps, I thought and began to look around. These wilds annoyed me, I did not really want to walk through them, but I got up and went ahead, there was not even a path here, and everything else was accompanied by fog. Having studied Mara as a weather condition, I realized that the fog is she, and she accompanies me. I wanted to know why.
– Will you find out soon? I heard an unpleasant female voice, just as unpleasant as her husband’s did. A shiver ran through my body, and I waited for my fate. I also, like Natalia, did not want to die like this, where no one would know where I was and what was wrong with me. Remembering the fate of my friend, I well-remembered that my friend was guided by feelings and an insane interest in this world. But unlike me, he wanted to stay here, and I didn’t. I did not want to stay here, and I did not have such fanaticism for these Slavic gods I did not believe in their existence until I encountered them in person. I was standing there thinking about it, and she appeared in front of me. It was a beautiful woman in a black guise. One face was visible. Her black eyes looked at me questioningly. —Why did you come here?
– To save his woman. I answered without hesitation. She grinned, and said nothing in response.
– You will have to work hard. Maybe you will get it. These words instilled fear in me, and I did not freely agree, looking at her, I had to agree with her in order to get my own. She looked at me from high up and disappeared, as suddenly as she appeared. I was left alone among these thickets, and waited for my fate.
The fog disappeared. There were not clear outlines of trees around me. It seemed to me that this forest was painted. I began to look around and fell into a green tunnel, I immediately recognized him, and this tunnel was all covered with moss. I was groping in the hope of getting out of it as soon as possible, finally it ended, I went out and two steps away from me was the entrance to the ice tunnel, I realized that I needed to enter it and I entered. He ice tunnel turned out to be slippery, I fell twice, and when the descent began, I sat down and drove like an ice slide. This adventure ended and when I went outside I looked at the black sun, it shone so dimly that I wanted to howl looking at it. I was standing on an icy plain, all alone, however, as always. The only thing I was thinking about right now was she, how she was there. This plain reminded me of a desert, only icy. I had no choice but to wait for the next appearance of the goddess of these halls. I did not feel cold, although I was dressed in summer. My jeans got wet when I went down the icy descent, and created an unpleasant feeling.
The blizzard rose suddenly, and she appeared in front of me again, this time in a white guise with bright blue eyes. She was so beautiful that I forgot about everything and almost touched her. But at the right moment, I remembered the most important mistake of my friend, and abruptly lowered my hand. At that moment, I was able to understand what he experienced at that moment; I am practically experiencing what he experienced.
– Are you ready? Come with me. I took a step towards her. She disappeared into thin air and turned into a blizzard. She immediately picked me up, and I flew with her. At that moment, I realized what I would have to go through, the same as my late friend. We were in the palace. I saw Natasha. She was wearing a black long dress and a black scarf on her head. She looked at me with sad tear-stained eyes and did not say a word. I wanted to go to her, but I could not. An invisible force threw me away, and I heard an evil laugh.
– It is not that simple!
I got to my feet and saw Natasha walking towards the exit of the palace, followed by the souls of the deceased. She became a servant for the ghosts.
– Do you want to save her?
– I want to.
– You were stronger than your late friend was. Go after them. I followed the ghosts and Natasha, hoping to cross paths with her and say a word. No matter how hard I tried to approach her, I could not do anything.
– She is not allowed to talk to you. The spirit whispered softly. If this gets out, she will stay here forever. I shuddered. The spirit flew away from me with lightning speed, and no longer flew up. I accepted what was happening and waited for the right moment. I just needed to get close to her in order to leave these limits and never come back here. Occasionally, she would turn around to look at me. But she didn’t look into my eyes anymore, and her looks were so fleeting, and her eyes were full of sadness. I wanted to hug her so much that I could barely restrain myself.
We