His heart pounded, his every step growing more frantic as the thing behind drew closer.
He could hear it now, a relentless, menacing presence that seemed to close in with every heartbeat.
He never saw what it was, but could feel its oppressive weight bearing down.
The walls of the maze felt like they were closing in, and no matter how fast he ran, there was no escape.
Baihu.
When Nikolai finally woke up, he was disoriented, the remnants of fear having not yet subsided.
Sitting up, he stared into the dark room. The rain tapped softly against the window, a stark contrast to the chaos of his dream. Nikolai tried to shake off the lingering sense of dread, but it clung to him, a reminder of the nightmare he had just escaped from.
He remembered running, the terror, but the details of the dream were already slipping away, lost to the fog of his awakening.
The roommates had all returned, with the exception of Lukas. Nikolai trudged back to the bathroom to search for relief.
The painting was now a constant in his life, a source of calm amid the storm. He stood in front of it, letting the artwork draw him in.
After a time, Nikolai pulled away, feeling a renewed sense of clarity. With a final, lingering look, he turned and made his way to the door. On the way back to the room, he bumped into Lukas, who had returned home and seemed more exhausted than ever.
"Busy?" Nikolai ventured, trying to mask curiosity with a casual tone.
"Yeah," Lukas replied, running a hand through his hair. "Sokolov didn't show up for work again, so I had to pick up the slack."
He scowled, wrinkles showing in his brow.
"Petrov was supposed to help me but he decided to no show as well," He cursed under his breath in Czech.
"Get some rest man," Nikolai responded, patting his back in solidarity. Lukas nodded his head in acknowledgement before returning to the quarters.
Nikolai headed out early to continue searching for any leads on the body and the symbols. The streets outside were damp and gray as he hurried to catch the tram to the police station. Rain drizzled steadily, casting a haze over the city. The memory of Lukas's frustrated face, the dream, and the mysterious word all swirled in his mind as he stepped onto the tram, trying to focus on the task at hand: finding out more about the body at the docks.
The fisherman's description of the carving on the man's cheek haunted him, and he knew that Mira would want answers. He had to get to the bottom of this, even if it meant venturing into the darker corners of the city.
The tram rattled along the tracks, carrying him through the streets of Vladivostok, his mind still spinning with fragments of the nightmare and the looming mystery of the body at the docks. The rain beat a steady rhythm on the tram's windows as he disembarked near the local police headquarters, an imposing brick building standing at the edge of the city's administrative district.
It loomed large and unwelcoming, with small weeds growing out of the cracks in the sidewalk. A great banner of red, white, and blue hung above the door. The interior of the station was cold and sterile, with the dull hum of typewriters and quiet chatter filling the air.
Uniformed officers moved through the hallways, their faces stern and focused. There was a tension in the air, as if everyone inside was on edge. At the front desk, a young officer barely glanced up from his paperwork as Nikolai approached.
"I'm here to inquire about the body found at the docks," he said, keeping his tone neutral. "I'm Nikolai, from the East Bay Gazette. I was looking for any information you might have on the case."
The officer's gaze flicked up, his eyes narrowing at the mention of a newspaper.
"The police are handling the investigation," he said curtly, clearly uninterested in entertaining a reporter.
"I'm aware," Nikolai replied, trying not to sound too pushy. "But the public is curious. Anything you could share would help put rumors to rest. Who knows, maybe we can even assist the investigation?"
He looked him over for a long moment before letting out a small sigh.
"Wait here," he said, standing up.
Nikolai watched him disappear down a long hallway, unsure if he'd return with answers or a dismissal. His fingers drummed impatiently on the counter, the stale air making it uncomfortable to breathe.
After what felt like ages, the officer returned, accompanied by a much older man, his uniform pristine and decorated with several medals. His eyes were sharp and calculating, taking in everything with one quick glance.
"Captain Volkov," he introduced himself. "You're the one asking about the body at the docks?"
"Yes," Nikolai replied, straightening his posture. "I'm Nikolai, with the East Bay Gazette."
Volkov nodded, then gestured for him to follow down the same hallway. The walls were lined with faded propaganda posters, and the low buzz of conversations and ringing phones filled the air. They stopped at a small office, where Volkov gestured for Nikolai to sit.
"We've been investigating the incident," he said, closing the door behind them. "The body... there are certain details we haven't made public yet."
"I'm not looking to interfere with the investigation," Nikolai said quickly, trying to ease the tension. "I just want to make sure we're reporting the facts accurately."
Volkov's eyes narrowed, as if weighing how much to tell him.
"The victim had no papers or forms of identification on him. The perpetrator left no traces at the scene or on the body. The most information we've received was from the autopsy report. It confirms that the cause of death was strangulation, and the mutilation happened after the man had already passed. The level of decomposition suggests that the murder happened not too long ago, most likely within the last 3 days. The laceration on the abdominal area was most likely intended for disposing the body in the harbor, and the eyes can be attributed to torture, but the symbols..."
Volkov took a moment to compose himself.
"We are unable to give any more information than this, I'm afraid."
Nikolai pressed further. "We just need a little more..."
"No, I'm sorry, but this is as much as we can provide now."
He reached out his arm for a hand shake of which Nikolai reciprocated.
"Thank you for your time, captain."
"It is no problem, comrade," he says, gripping and shaking his hand firmly. "Alexander will see you out."
The captain points towards the young officer who had greeted Nikolai at the front desk.
Nikolai stared out of the station window with a heavy weight pressing on his chest. The rain had subsided, but the air was still thick with mist, clinging to the streets and alleyways like a blanket of uncertainty. He shuddered, recollecting last night's events.
Should I have told them about what happened yesterday? It's definitely a serial murder case... The killer left those symbols on both of the bodies purposely.
Before Nikolai could finish his thoughts, a tap on the shoulder brought him back to reality. It was the young officer from the station.
"Do you need something, officer?" Nikolai inquired, a little afraid but more puzzled than anything about this interaction.
The officer looked at him solemnly, his face struggling to hide a shrouded sense of worry.
"You work for a newspaper, right?" Nikolai nodded his head in confirmation.
"So you know a little bit about investigation?" He received another nod.
"But why are you asking? Nikolai asked, perplexed.
"Come to the Driftwood Pub in downtown, ten o'clock, tonight, alone. I'll tell you then." He races back to the police station before Nikolai could get another word in.
Huh. Driftwood Pub, downtown, ten at night. No other leads right now, so going there wouldn't be a waste. Wonder what he wants to talk about.
Nikolai stored the location and time in his head before walking to the tram station. He racked his brain while on the ride, combing through and trying to remember any details that could fit the puzzle pieces together. But nothing would resurface.
The East Bay Gazette came into view, its old, familiar sign creaking slightly in the wind. Nikolai wiped his shoes thoroughly at the entrance, not willing to risk another one of Dmitri's cleanliness-fueled tantrums. As he stepped inside, there was the usual hum of the print machines and the rustling of papers, but today, the atmosphere felt different. Maybe it was just him, but it seemed livelier. He made his way to his office, nodding at Mira, who was busily sorting through stacks of articles. She glanced up as he passed, her glasses slipping slightly down her nose.
"Nikolai, you're late." He froze, just realizing that the appointment at the police station had lasted a bit longer than expected.
"Sorry, I had to visit the police station," he replied, removing his coat and hanging it on the rack in the corner. "I spoke with the officer in charge of the investigation.
"Aaand?" Mira spoke, brimming with anticipation of a possible success.
"Nothing but details about the body." He shrugged, sighing dejectedly. "They definitely know more but aren't willing to tell."
"That's a shame," Mira spoke, disappointed. She glanced back to the stack of papers she was handling.
"Nikolai, take a break from the investigation to help with paperwork."
Reluctantly, he took the stack from her hands. The feeling of an incoming migraine was already forming. Just then, he took notice of a large absence from the room.
"Is Dmitri not here today?"
"Oh, he's on a business trip to Shanghai. Meeting with some higher-ups, I think."
"When do you reckon he'll come back?"
"Sunday morning. He wants to be back in time for the weekly release to make sure everything's in order." Nikolai hid a smile. Three full days without Dmitri's uncomfortable glares and heart-attack inducing outbursts.
"Ok, cool." He turned around to head back to his office.
"Oh yeah, one last thing," Mira said. "I hired a part-timer to help with some errands while Dmitri's gone, since I have to take over his work. He should be here soon."
As if on cue, the bell on the front door rang, announcing someone's entry.
"Hello!" A young man walked into the building, his smile beaming. "I am Liu Weicheng! Very nice meet you." He spoke with an enthusiasm that nearly concealed his broken speech. "My Russian not very good. But I try!"
He bowed deeply. Mira and Nikolai were briefly overwhelmed with the intensity of his introduction. Nikolai quickly rushed over to accept his greeting.
"Hello, I'm Nikolai, and this is Mira. It's nice to meet you. Should we call you Weicheng or..."
"Call me Liu!" He exclaimed, with the same fervor as before. "Easy remember! Liu! L-I-U!"
"Well, Liu, is this your first time in Vladivostok or..."
"First time! Am from China! Shenyang! Study Russian in school!"
"You speak it very well," he complimented.
"Thank you!" He turned to Mira. "Here for job!"
She quickly recovers from her shock and clears her throat."
"Ok, then Liu, we just need you to run some errands." She pointed towards two boxes in the corner. "Distribute the newspaper to our vendors. You can start there for today."
He smiled, picked up the boxes, and raced out of the building.
"Uh, Mira, does he know who and where our vendors are?"
"Oh no! I forgot to tell him!" She bolted outside, looking around for him. "He's nowhere in sight. How fast is this guy?"
"Well, can't do much until he comes back," Nikolai says. "He'll know to return when he realizes we didn't tell him where to go."
They both returned to their desks to begin chiseling away at the mountain of paper.
The clock ticked away, each second producing a more hollow, eerie sound.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.