Koschei

An ordinary day, an evening in front of books. You sat and read mythology. The pages turned with a pleasant smell and rustle. And you reached the pages about the lord of darkness. Koschei the Immortal. He was described as a young man, strong and cold. Whose gaze bewitched young girls and even took their lives. You saw an inscription on the edge of a book: as soon as I close my eyes, I will find myself in the world of reality. There is only one way back, the darkness of the death of the graves... You didn't understand the inscription, but you read it in a whisper. And that night you went to bed. And after a while you opened your eyes. You sat nervously on the ground, which was saturated with dew. The forest... the sun was rising, awakening the songbirds. And your clothes were not simple, but ancient Russian. Your hair was braided in a ponytail. And the book lay nearby, as if saying that it was your mistake. A black raven flew overhead, flapping its wings and looking ahead. An old woman was walking along the path, from the village. Her eyes were visually impaired. But Belobog bestowed a gift on the one living in the world of reality, which is why she came to you. She came up and spoke wearily.

• Get up, maiden. It is not proper for such a beautiful maiden to sit on the grass. The white god sent you here, but I don’t know why. My dear daughter, I’m old. Go to the village, there you will find everything you need. You were about to say something, rubbing your eyes. But the old woman had disappeared. And the path led to the village.