9

When Cornelius Kaminski woke up, he felt a wild pain. That pain must have awakened him.

It's like the whole body was set on fire on a lighter. And if that were the case, this lighter would be of considerable size and its flame would be hotter than in hell.

Frightened, Darek splashed water at his older brother, which remained at the bottom of a rusty bucket that they had previously found in the forest.

The water immediately evaporated with a loud hiss, as if it had been poured onto hot metal.

Cornelius twitched. It seems that this small amount of water brought him relief.

However, it was also small, since there was little water.

Radoslav ran to the river, took water from there, returned and splashed on his son.

Cornelius was smoking.

— Radek, why did you get up?—Looking around for something to protect his hands with, General Thomas grabbed his wife's cardigan thrown to him.

The fabric smoked as he wrapped Cornelius in Helena's cardigan.

While he was carrying Cornelius to the river, the cardigan completely crumbled into ashes.

But at least it saved his hands a little…

After throwing the guy into the water, the general looked at his burns. The bloody burns were spreading out in cracks and were now reaching up to the elbows.

The cold water calmed the wild pain, but the blood was still very strong.

Maybe, without at least such minimal protection of his hands, he would have been left with bare bones in place of his upper limbs…

Cornelius's breathing could be heard even through the water. When the water stopped evaporating, the guy raised himself on his hands and coughed.

It's strange how his clothes didn't turn to dust.…

Cornelius' entire skin was red, as if he had just been doused with boiling water.

— James!—Helena rushed to her husband.— Your hands need to be bandaged with something... where is my cardigan?—

— It's burned! Come on, it's okay, we'll figure something out now... my hands just burned...—The general looked at the wounded skin.— I'll just hold them in the water for a while... —

— What if there's some kind of infection in the water?—The general's wife froze.

— There's... there's no infection here... there's no infection here!—Cornelius said, spitting.— After I got into this water, it is practically sterile. There aren't even any fish here now...—

— The fact that there is no fish is bad… We could use some food, and there are practically no animals in this part of the forest...—James Thomas thought about it.— Okay, let's go. Then we'll figure something out...—

***

The shelter where they were supposed to hide was several dozen meters underground.

It was dusty here, it was a little hard to breathe, but it was much better than an unsafe forest.

Cornelius leaned against the wall. The cold of the stone calmed, even added a little strength.

— So, the first-aid kit is intact... now we need to check if the inviolable supply is in place… There should be a bottle of vodka there, I can use it to safely operate on Radoslav...—James said, shoveling dirt in the corner with an old shovel.

Radek was already very pale.

— Dad, are you conscious?—Cornelius asked, taking his father's hand.

— Yes, darling... it's been worse, it's okay...—Radoslav smiles weakly at his son.— It would be cool if you could heal wounds....—

— And if I try?—Cornelius suddenly said.

— There's no time to try now!—

James Thomas splashed vodka on Radoslav's wound, checked with a flashlight whether there were any fragments left in the wound, and then began to sew.

Radoslav squeezes the stones with his fingers when the needle enters the skin.

Cornelius tries not to look at it. Pulling his knees up to his chest, the guy joined his hands so that the fingertips touched each other.

Bright purple sparks passed between his fingers.

Cornelius rubs his fingertips, the static electricity between them increases. The sparks are gathering, increasing.

He did not understand how a huge purple bubble began to grow around him.

This bubble resembled a bubble made of gum, thin, transparent and constantly growing, as if someone was inflating it from the inside.

— Everyone inside!—Cornelius commanded.— Get into the bubble!—

— How is this even possible? How do you do that??—General Thomas asked.

— I can't imagine. But it's safe here. I'm sure of that...—Cornelius waved his hand irritably.— I already said, get in here! —

Radek, despite how bad he was now, stood up.

He and Dariusz were the first to step into this bubble.

—James, don't play the skeptic! Although I don't see it every day either, I believe Cornelius.—Radoslav said, sitting down next to his sons.

James Thomas looked around the bubble and stepped inside.

— Come on...—He sighed.

His whole family also entered the bubble.

—Don't you really know how you do it?—General Thomas asked.

— How many times will I tell you about this?—Cornelius smiles nervously.

They were sitting in this bubble, as if under the most powerful shield.

Gradually, fatigue began to overwhelm them. They fell asleep one by one, only Cornelius stared into the void.

Apparently, with renewed vigor, he won't need to sleep.…

***

When the morning sun smelled in the air, Cornelia still closed her eyes.

Either his strength was gone, or the guy just wanted to sleep.

Radek strokes his sleeping son's hair.

Cornelius smiles in his sleep.

— Dad, what's going to happen to us now?—Darek asked, suddenly awake.

— I don't know, my dear… I don't know that...—Radoslav sighs loudly.— My beloved sons… How quickly you've grown up...—

Darek took his father's hand.

— Dad, we're going to get out of here... do you hear, we're going to get out! I see you giving up again! But you don't have to give up...—The youngest son said softly.

— I know, Darek… But sometimes I want to finish everything.… Sometimes all that remains is a bullet in the temple...—Radoslav sighed loudly.

Cornelius opens his eyes.

— Dad, and... how long have we been here? I was lost in time...— He said.

Radek suddenly froze. His pallor stood out sharply in the semi-darkness.

— Cornelius, can you reach James? Wake him up!—Radoslav whispered, alarmed.

— Yes, I will try...—Cornelius said, trying to reach General Thomas as silently as possible.

One light push was enough for the man, accustomed to a hectic life, to wake up.

— I would ask you not to push! I hear...—James Thomas said.— No need to make unnecessary sounds. They

all stared at the trapdoor in the ceiling. It was covered with earth, but a small hole was visible.

The eyes of everyone who was in the bunker now were directed there.

—They're coming...— said Cornelius quietly.

— Don't try to do what I see in your eyes, you want to do.—General Thomas said.— You can't handle all of them.—

Suddenly, someone started tapping the ground with the butt of a rifle.

Dariusz put his hands over his mouth.

Cornelius's heart was beating with superhuman speed.

He only wanted one thing now, he just wanted to get out to madness and ...

Those who did not have time to react in time would end up on the ground with their necks twisted, and he would have plenty of fun with the rest....

Cornelius shuddered, imagining the blood and corpses in front of him.

What's wrong with him? Why was he suddenly losing his mind?

Darek took his older brother's hand.

The obsession that had visited Cornelia suddenly disappeared.

—Why were your eyes red, Corey?—The younger brother asked.

— If I knew, I would have told you...— It seems that the danger has passed for a while…