A shiver ran through your body, even through the warm blanket that wrapped you up. My head was buzzing, as if after a powerful blow, and my memory was coming back in fragments: the rift, the spawn, the endless darkness… And then Dmitry's face, his harsh questions, his relentless study of my condition. Finally, after an interrogation that seemed to take forever, you were released.

Step by step, you descended the wide staircase, every chair, every painting in the main hall seemed unreal, like the scenery for a forgotten dream. The air smelled of polished wood and something else-a light, barely perceptible scent of pine needles and smoke. In the spacious living room, bathed in the soft light of the fireplace, you saw him.

It was Greg.

When you entered, he slowly raised his head, and that charming, slightly predatory smile appeared on his lips, which both attracted and alarmed at the same time.

— «What an unexpected addition to the squad» — he said, the emphasis on the word "unexpected" was made with obvious irony. There was no hint of hostility in the voice, just the friendliness that you often find in the world of the apocalypse.