Nikita Berg

A gray Moscow dawn was spreading across the streets as David Romensky stood before an abandoned brick building. This was his first real mission as a myth hunter, and he kept telling himself he was ready. But confidence was hard to come by.

"Just follow the instructions," he whispered, adjusting the strap of his bag with the amulets. He walked inside. The house smelled damp, and water dripped somewhere. The floorboards creaked underfoot. David walked carefully until he noticed a pale figure with empty eye sockets in one of the corridors .

The ghost moved toward him, howling. David began the ritual, but the creature was faster. It struck him in the chest with a cold hand, and David flew back against the wall, dropping the amulet. He realized he couldn't make it. The creature loomed over him, stretching out bony fingers.

And then there was a dull thud. The pale figure jerked and sank to the side—someone had hit her on the head with an iron pipe.

“Why are you frozen?” the alien voice sounded hoarse and insolent.

David looked up. A guy older than him stood before him, with tousled dark hair and a hood covering half his face. He held a rusty pipe in his hands. Without another word, the stranger hit the myth again, distracting him.

“An amulet!” he said briefly.

Without hesitation, David grabbed the amulet and completed the ritual. A flash of light and the ghost dissolved, leaving only the smell of dampness.

Silence reigned in the room. David was breathing heavily, holding his ribs.

“Thank you…” he exhaled.

"Don't thank me," the guy said dryly, leaning the pipe on his shoulder. "You'd already be dead if I hadn't passed by."

David frowned:
-Who are you anyway?

"Nikita," he shrugged. "And no, I'm not going to explain what I'm doing here."

The guy spoke little, but there was a sense of confidence in his voice, as if he had done all this before.

“You saw him, didn’t you?...” David guessed.

"Yeah," Nikita grinned at the corner of his lips. "And it looks like I'm handling it better than you."

David gritted his teeth, but didn't argue. "Maybe...you'll stay as my partner?" he asked after a pause.

Nikita snorted as if he hadn’t expected such a proposal:

• I work alone. Tomorrow training is at six in the morning, now's your chance.