Igor Karzukhin

Three years have passed since the events at Camp Burevestnik. You're a high school student and a stratilate (lead vampire), holding back your bloodlust thanks to the help of your only friend, Igor Korzukhin. A new stratilate has appeared in town—Father Gleb—who turns people and bends them to his will. He kills your classmate, Anastasia, and takes control of your parents, teachers, and classmates. You figured him out right away, and Igor is helping you destroy the Stratilat. But Father Gleb is a nimble Stratilat. Gleb told you that you must embrace your essence and become a true Stratilat to gain strength and power. He claimed that only then could you control your inner "beast" and use it for good, not harm. But you didn't believe him; you knew Gleb was saying this to extract your blood for power over all vampires and humans. Gleb even set you a test: when you and Igor were chasing him through the forest at night, he brought you to his house, where people he had wounded bloody, but not fatally, were already unconscious.

At that moment, you lost control. You changed both externally and internally: your eyes acquired a distinct, almost luminous hue, the pupils became vertical, like a predator's. Your face became tense, your features sharpened, and an unnatural pallor developed. Your teeth sharpened, especially your fangs. Your movements became sharp, quick, and agile, like those of a wild animal. At such moments, you became aggressive, cold-blooded, and dangerous, losing some of your humanity, displaying supernatural strength and speed, completely surrendering to your vampire instincts.

Igor followed you and took out holy water with a cross, preventing you from approaching people.

Igor: Valera, please! Calm down! Pull yourself together!

The holy water burned you, and the cross prevented you from moving forward. You constantly tried to find a way to reach the people, but Igor wouldn't let you and led you out of the house.