"Baihu?" He whispered.
"Yeah, what about it?" Lena asked.
"No, it's nothing. Just struck me as interesting."
She looked at him suspiciously.
"You sure?"
Nikolai nodded in confirmation.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Liar."
"What did you say?"
"I didn't say anything."
"No, you said something."
"Are you going crazy?"
"I'm not crazy."
"Crazy bastard."
"What did you call me?"
"Again, I didn't say anything."
"You did, though."
"No, I didn't. Crazy bastard."
"There you go again! Stop calling me that!"
"What are you even on about?"
"Found you."
Nikolai felt his eyes roll to the back of his head. A familiar darkness overtook his body. It was comforting, a warm embrace he had not felt in ages.
What was the last time I had slept undisturbed?
...
"Kolya!" A child called out to him.
When Nikolai opened his eyes, he was no longer at the funeral home. Then something else struck him. Rubbing his eyes in shock, he realized that the world before him was tilted on its side. Buildings, lamp posts, trees, everything was sideways. People and animals walked up and down, left and right, ignoring gravity. As a leaf fell, instead of floating down the endless abyss beneath him, it drifted peacefully onto the adjacent sidewalk. The air felt the same as it always had, with the exception of the horizon now vertical instead of horizontal.
But it all felt natural, as if he had lived in this world his entire life. Nikolai looked to his left, searching for the voice that had called out.
"Kolya!" It rang out once again.
Nikolai looked towards the gravel footpath. A young boy, no older than eight years old, called out in his direction.
"Wait for me!" Someone else exclaimed.
Nikolai turned around, and saw another child, slightly older than the last, barrelling straight at him. Before he could react, the boy phased through his body as if he didn't exist.
Huh?
When he tried to grasp out to a passerby, his hand went straight through them, and they walked off. He tried to call out to people, but nothing came out. He was voiceless. No sound escaped his mouth. In fact, besides the chattering of the children behind him, there was nothing else to be heard. The usual bustling of crowded streets only left an eerie silence. He couldn't hear the distant crashing waves nor the gulls flying overhead.
"What took you so long, Kolya?" the younger boy asked the other. Nikolai decided to follow the boys, who were the few tweets of life in a muted world.
"My dad's sooo annoying," Kolya complained. "I have to finish my homework before he lets me play."
"It's not that hard," the boy laughed. "It's super easy."
"You're so lucky, Xun," Kolya sighed. "How are you so smart? Tell me the secret!"
"Maybe you're just dumb, Kolya."
"I'm not!" Kolya pouted. "No more boring school stuff, ok? I wanna play." The two continued down the path, kicking loose pebbles. "Hey Xun," Kolya said. "Where's everyone else?" Xun shrugged.
"I dunno, I thought you knew."
"Xun..." Kolya whined. "What are we supposed to play by ourselves?!"
"Did you bring a ball?" Xun asked.
"No," Kolya admitted. "I thought you were gonna."
"Let's go to your house and get one."
"You do it. I don't wanna go back."
"I forgot which way though..."
"Ugh, fine," Kolya grumbled. The duo made their way back to Kolya's home. Nikolai trailed behind. The kids entered a rather large home in the city, the red bricks glowing proudly as they entered. "I'm back!" Kolya shouted.
"You're home early," a voice came from a far room.
"Katerina, where's my ball?" Kolya shouted back.
"Go find it yourself," the voice responded in an irritated manner.
"Xun's here too," Kolya said.
"Xun's here?!" Katerina said, surprised. A teenage girl runs out into the room and picks up Xun, spinning him around in the air.
"Hi, Xunny!" Katerina beamed, all earlier frustration melted off.
"Hi, Katerina," Xun smiled, slightly exasperated. It seemed like he had dealt with this many times before. "Can we get a ball to play with?"
"Kolya lost it last week. Did he not tell you?"
Xun turned around and shot a glare at Kolya, who promptly looked away, acting busy. As Katerina set Xun down, she put in her own suggestion.
"Why don't you play a game that doesn't need a ball?"
"Like what?" Kolya asks.
"Chess?"
"How do you play that?" Xun asked.
"It's like a board game, but really hard," Kolya answered.
"It's not that hard, you just don't want to learn," Katerina remarked.
"How about hide and seek?" says Xun.
"Ok, but I don't wanna be it," Kolya replied.
"Then, I'll be it. Ok, I'm gonna start counting now. Are you gonna play, Katerina?"
"Sure, if you want me to," Katerina agreed.
"Ok, one, two, three..."
The other two race off to far corners of the house. Seconds tick by as Xun counts off.
"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred! Ready or not, here I come-" Xun's eyes darted up, meeting Nikolai's.
His lips trembled.
"Who are you?"
Nikolai realized that he was talking to him. Xun runs off in fear.
"Kolya! There's a ghost in your house!"
Kolya appears from the kitchen cabinet.
"A ghost?! You're lying! There's nothing!" Kolya said.
Katerina emerges from behind a curtain.
"What's the fuss?" Katerina questioned.
"Xun says he saw a ghost!"
"There's a ghost! He's right here!" He led the others to where Nikolai was. "See!"
"I don't see anything, Xun," Katerina responds.
"Right here!" Xun reaches out to touch Nikolai's hand.
When they made contact, a wave of nausea washed over Nikolai, and he collapsed as his consciousness faded.
...
"Oh! You woke up!"
Nikolai felt a dull pain disperse around his face. He groaned, rubbing his aching jaw. Lena was crouched over him, one hand on his collar, the other raised up high.
"I was just... helping." Lena said.
She lets go, dropping his head onto the floor.
"Oops. My bad, Nik-o-lai." He clutched the back of his head as he staggered to his feet.
"Next time, I'll pass on the help."
Then he realizes something.
"Wait, how do you know my name? I never-"
She tosses over his wallet. It's been cleaned out, with only the identification and business card remaining inside.
"Give me my money back-"
"Thank you, dear customer, for your business." Lena smirked, counting her "fee".
"I'm not your customer."
"I gave you information... so you give me money. C'mon, it's a simple transaction."
"That's not how it works. I didn't agree-"
She quickly deflected the topic with a question.
"By the way, you anemic or somethin'? Why'd you pass out?"
"No, I'm not-"
"Nastyaaaa!" She called out. "Can you make a little somethin' for anemia?"
"In a minute!" Nastya called back. Lena clasps her hands.
"C'mon, dear customer, let's get you some tea." They walked out of the room into a small kitchen.
"Take a seat," Lena motions towards a chair. Nikolai sat down, and Lena walked over to help Nastya set up. He glanced over the table. It was empty, barring a small pot filled with water, with a few flowerheads drifting peacefully across the surface. A strange method of display, no doubt, but incredibly serene. He watched as the petals skated gingerly along, their delicate waltz generating petite ripples that brushed past each other.
His viewing of the private floral ballroom dance was halted when a porcelain teacup was placed atop the spruce table. The scent could be described only as soothing, with hints of apple fused into a sweet floral concoction. Light wisps of steam wafted off the drink, as a few stray white petals mimic the earlier botanical ballet. He lifted the brew up to his lips, its warmth spreading through his fingers into his hands. It had a distinct taste of honey, each sip he took pleasantly comforted the wearisome stings of pain which had plagued his throat for weeks.
"It's good, right?" asked Lena, eyes filled with anticipation. They each had their own cups, similarly filled with the beverage. "I'm not the biggest tea person myself, but Nastya makes the best stuff. I could drink this everyday."
"It's amazing," Nikolai agreed. "I've never had tea this great before. The balance of flavors, the temperature, it's all perfect." Nastya smiled, beaming with pride.
"Would you like some more?" She offered.
"Oh, of course, I'll have some more," he accepted happily. She rose from her seat, cane in hand, and slowly wandered back to the kitchen counter. When she was out of earshot, Lena began to question him again.
"So, what're you gonna do now?"
"I don't know," he answered, unsure. "I really don't want to face off against a massive criminal organization, but I have to if I want to continue this case." He slouched back into the chair. "Why is everything so complicated?"
"Y'know, you could join my network."
"Why?"
"Well, it seems like you're pretty lost right now, and I could use a lackey."
"A lackey?"
"I meant a trusted subordinate."
"Ok, let's say I join, what would I do?"
"You'll join the information network! Then when we win, your case is over! Easy-peasy!"
"It sounds like you're really oversimplifying this."
"You wanna join or keep being lost?" Nikolai rubbed his temples, frustrated.
This was better than nothing.
"Alright, alright, I'll join."
"Cool. So now you gotta call me 'boss'."
"I am not calling you-"
Nikolai felt a sharp pain across his cheek as a knife was buried into the wall behind him.
"... It's a pleasure to work with you, boss."
"Much better, see? What a great work relationship we have."
"So," he said, caressing the fresh wound on his face. "What now?"
"Bring the briefcase with the weapons over. Don't let anyone else see what's inside." Nastya returns with a fresh pot of tea.
"Here's the tea," she says, placing the kettle down.
"Oh, it's such a shame, sister, Nikolai just left." She pointed at him, and then the door.
Nikolai quietly got up and made an exit. He walked outside, the sun still high in the sky. His feet guided him towards the tram station, with a singular goal in mind.
The trip back was uneventful. The same sights and smells as every other time he had rode the tram.
He had just made it back when he realized the room was occupied by the other roommate.
Now that he thought about it, he'd never asked for a name; but no time for that right now, he had to get going.
Nikolai briskly walked over to his desk, picked up the pack, and promptly left the building.
"You forget somethin'?"
Nikolai turned around, surprised at the sudden conversation.
"Oh... yea. I forgot. Something. Sorry. Gotta go."
The man didn't bother inquiring any further.
Strange.
The trip back to the funeral home was quick, but he couldn't help feeling dozens of pairs of eyes staring at him. When he knocked on the door, Lena was there to greet him.
"Hello, lackey- I mean, trusted subordinate. Did you get the stuff?"
Nikolai handed over the briefcase. She motioned for him to follow her into a room. They walked back to her office space and cracked open the briefcase. The same gun and knife sat there, metal gleaming against the velveteen cloth. She picked up the gun first, examining it, then the knife. When she set both down, she turned and stared at him, all previous carefree expressions disappeared.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Do you know what this is?" she pressed.
"Yeah... It's the gun and knife, that's why I brought it to you."
"No, of course I knew that you fucking dipshit. I meant who's gun and knife this belongs to?"
"Again, I don't know."
"You said that Cherepakha gave you this?"
She looked at Nikolai with increasing suspicion.
"Yeah, why?"
"This is Baihu's gear."
Nikolai immediately felt the hair on his arms stick on end.
"How do you know that?" He asked, fear palpable in his eyes.
Her face darkened.
"Eight years ago, when the civil war was still going on, my family, he..." her voice trailed off. "He killed my parents. Nastya and I—we hid in the closet. Out of a little crack in the door, I saw it— this is what he... used." Nikolai took a second to take it all in.
"Are you sure it was Baihu? What if it was someone else?"
"Qinglong— he was there as well. I could hear him call that person—no, that... monster... Baihu." Lena's voice quivered. Fear and terror crept into the room. "Could you... give me some time to think? Come back tomorrow. Leave the weapons."
Part of him wanted to know more, but Nikolai also knew that prying further would only dredge up more painful memories. He sighed.
"Alright, Lena. I'll see you tomorrow."
As he walked out of the building, pulling the coat closer, his feet guided him aimlessly, no destination in mind. He had to digest all this new information.
Perhaps it was the salty scent of the ocean or the cries of the gulls, but he eventually wandered back to the docks. It was strange, like something was pulling him to go there. He stood at the end of a wooden pier, cupping his hands and blowing a hot breath in an attempt to warm them. The waves were peaceful today, contradictory to his raucous morning. Nikolai's mind drifted as he closed his eyes, taking in the tune of the sea.
"Hello, Nikolai!" A familiar voice from behind had awoken him from the daydream. "Very pretty day, yes?" It was Liu, with the same energy as always. He reminded Nikolai of an oversized golden retriever; a common breed popular among the American and British diplomat's families.
"Hello, Liu. It is pretty nice out. What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be helping Mira back at the shop?"
"Mira say Liu done with work today! I come for fish!" His gaze turned curious. "But why you not working Nikolai?"
"Oh, I just had some, uh, issues to deal with today." Liu's expression became puzzled.
"You are sick?"
"Oh no, no, not sick. Just— dealing with some things right now, so I can't come in. Mira should already know about this."
"Ok!" He smiled brightly. "If Nikolai not busy, fish with Liu!"
"Maybe next time. I need to-"
"Come! We go to sea!" He pranced off, leaving Nikolai no time to finish his sentence.
But, maybe it wouldn't hurt to destress a little. The surreal experience in the dream world had left him shaken, and he needed some time to ground himself. As he slowly followed behind Liu, certain theories came to mind about the meaning of his vision, but none could fit the bill. Who were those kids? Why could he hear them? What did it even mean? As Nikolai approached the docks, Liu was sitting on a small stool, attending to two wooden poles dangling thin lines into the water. When he drew closer, he turned around and waved, smiling ever brightly.
"Come! Sit! I set up!" Nikolai sat down on a metal bucket, its handles slightly rusted, a faint metallic scent emanating from the source.
"Nikolai, have fish before?"
"Oh – yes, I have had fish before. It's quite nice-"
"No, no, I mean if you go fish before?" He clarifies.
"No, never. I'm not too fond of outdoor activities." Liu tilts his head, confused.
"What?"
"I'm not – I haven't – gone fishing before."
"Oh! Is easy. I teach." He showed him how to throw the line out, how to set the hook, and how to reel. It really was quite simple, and before long, they'd caught a few and lost even more. Liu points eagerly toward each catch, identifying the species.
"Rainbow smelt!" He says, producing a slender, silvery fish with iridescent scales. "Taste very good. Fry or dry."
"You're really good at this, Liu." He beams in pride.
"Of course! My family, all fisher. My father and his father and his father. All fisher."
"So, you're gonna be one too? To continue the family business? Or are you gonna do something else?" Liu stares out into the horizon, as if contemplating something.
"No. My family, not here."
"Oh, they didn't come with you to the city?"
"No. They're dead."
An uncomfortable silence fills the atmosphere. Nikolai felt a shudder in his body.
"Nikolai? Is you fine?" Liu grasped his shoulder, shaking him back to reality.
"What? Oh – My condolences about your family." He looked at him, perplexed.
"My family? They back in Shenyang. What Nikolai saying?"
"They're... not dead?"
"No, no, they living, back in Shenyang."
"But... you said..." Suddenly, Nikolai doubled over, a searing pain in his head. It felt like someone stuck a red hot iron straight through his eyes into the brain. He took a step back, and another, until ultimately there was no more ground to step back on.
"Nikolai!" Liu got up, reaching forward for him. But it was already too late. He felt his body fall back and plunge towards the icy ocean. Cold water rushed in as he cried out for help, only for his lungs to fill with more seawater. Nikolai struggled to swim up, only to realize he never had learned how to.
Shit. Is this how I go out?
Nikolai's legs kicked into a frenzy, desperate to reach the surface, but the current only dragged him further down. As his eyelids drooped and his strength sapped away, the only thing followed was a familiar comfort.
Then there was nothing.
Nothing but murky darkness.