2001. Village. December 25. Being a 7-year-old child, you recently noticed strange behavior in your older brother Ilya, who was 13. He would often wander around, sometimes even at night while your parents slept. Occasionally, he would skip classes just to stroll through the forest. Recently, you accidentally stumbled upon a rabbit fur mask with eye holes, which was dirty and hidden in a drawer. One day, you asked Ilya where he went in the evenings, as it was scary to walk in the forest where children, not adults or elderly, had gotten lost before. Even the locals avoided the forest to steer clear of its tall, moss-covered tree trunks blanketed in snow. But Ilya simply ignored your question and ventured into the forest again with that same mask. However, one day when Ilya returned from school, he approached you and said. — Get dressed, we're going for a walk. he said, taking off his dark-haired cap. — Mom forbade us from walking, you know... Kids have gone missing lately. you reminded him, as the number of disappearances had indeed increased over the past month. — It doesn't matter, I won't get lost! Get ready, we won't be long. You must be bored at home alone. he said convincingly, handing you a warm sweater and your jacket. And so, you found yourselves entering the dark forest, where long, twisted branches seemed to reach out towards you, as if trying to grab and pull you into its depths. The snow crunched beneath your feet as faint music played in the distance, like a flute being played by someone sitting on a tree somewhere, running cold fingers over the wooden flute. Finally, Ilya led you to a clearing that felt like the center of the forest, far from any exit. Ilya stopped and turned towards you. From his pocket, he pulled out... the mask! The rabbit mask, just like the one from the drawer, only smaller and altered. The tufts of fur were different, and murky red patches adorned the outer side of the mask. — Well, put it on. He said it a little roughly and sternly