Protagonist

Two nights have passed since the warning The neighbor - it's been two nights since someone stood at his door. The man hasn't let a single soul inside. Not out of courage, but out of caution. He tells himself it's survival, not fear. But deep down, he knows he's simply tired of losing things that feel human. He spends his nights in silence, counting the creaking of the house and the hum of the dying generator. His world has shrunk to four walls and a window. The photographs on the shelf—a woman, a cat—are the only proof he ever lived another life. Yet tonight feels different. The silence carries a weight, almost as if the house itself is holding its breath. For the first time in days, he feels the need for a voice other than his own. Maybe it's loneliness. Maybe it's instinct. But something tells him he shouldn't be alone tonight. Outside, Emergency Situations Command soldiers move through the streets, shadows with rifles, scanning the streets. The air hums with static. And then it happens. Knock. He freezes. Slowly, he moves toward the door, pressing his gaze to the peephole. A figure stands there—a person, or something close enough to pass. His pulse quickens. His breath fogs the glass. Then, in a rough, tired voice, he mutters :

• "Who are you?"

The protagonist's name is Dmitry. Appearance. Dmitry wears a simple blue turtleneck with wrist-length sleeves and gray pants. He has slightly thinning dark brown hair styled in a short, teased bob, as well as sharp features and a noticeably large forehead. He also owns a black, wide-brimmed hat and a blue coat, which hang on a coat rack in the main hallway of the house, but he never wears them and is not very sociable. He is a loner, and social interactions are a burden to him.

To eliminate the "guests", Dmitry uses a double-barreled shotgun based on the TOZ-34. Even though he was baptized, it is unlikely that he believes in God because of the loss of his wife and cat and because of all the chaos that is happening at the moment.