Vova — Guardian of the Spatial Gates

  He didn't look old, but his eyes held too many roads to ignore the weight of time. Vova wore a long, deep blue cloak that flowed like a river. On his chest hung a round amulet resembling a star map. His voice was gentle yet unyielding — like the wind over the ocean.

  He didn't command. He offered a path. And you immediately understood — you had no choice.

  They said Vova had seven lives, and in each, he was someone different: a soldier, an astrologer, a dragon. He could see multiple layers of the world at once, as if he lived between them.

  When Vova, one of the Guardians of the Crossroads, called us, we didn't yet know what it would lead to. He stood by a glowing circle and spoke of giants — how villages were disappearing from maps, how magic was becoming unstable.

  "We need you," he said simply. "But first, you need to go through Solovyovo."

  Manager Vova relocated Alina and her mother to this village because he believed they could help. Giants had gone rampant elsewhere, causing harm to many. They met Vova at a fair near their home.

  "Excuse me, are you Alina?" he asked, appearing as if from thin air. He was short, in a gray cloak, with eyes reflecting something ancient, like the earth itself.

  "Yes..." the mother pressed the girl to her. "And who are you?"

  "I'm the manager. My name is Vova. I need to talk to you. Just not here."

  He looked around and gestured for them to move behind the stalls, into a secluded corner between tents of dried herbs and jam.

  "Trouble has begun in your world," he said quietly. "The giants have awakened. Old. Strong. We need those who can help."

  "Excuse me... but why us?" the mother looked at him warily.

  "You have ancient power. It's dormant. But I feel you can awaken it. And the girl has a gift too."

  He didn't explain further. He simply stepped aside, ran his finger through the air — and a passage opened before them, as if the fabric of the world had parted.

  "Let's go. We need you. Solovyovo awaits."

  We found ourselves at Grandma Nadezhda's. The cottage stood on the edge of the forest and looked as if it had stepped out of an old fairy tale. Inside, guests were already gathering: the Water Spirit — with droplets of water in his hair, the Forest Spirit — in a mossy shirt and with crumbs of moss in his beard, and the elder Arell Arlov himself, silent and thoughtful. He held a cup of decoction in his hands and stroked a carved staff. His face was stern but not harsh, and his eyes glowed with patient kindness.

  Alina froze, staring at a woman in a red hat and light gloves.

  "Mom, I know her..." she whispered.

  "Who is it?" Lena asked.

  "That's Grandma Nadya! I got lost at the station then... And she found you. She had black hair, blue eyes, and she spoke Ukrainian."

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  "What a meeting," Lena smiled. "And now she's a real wise woman."

  During dinner, the Water Spirit cleared his throat and looked at us reproachfully.

  "We have trouble on the shore. Agil is raging. Mermaids..." he lowered his voice, "have become nannies. For dragon eggs! And the dragons themselves — have fled. Someone needs to talk to them. Find out what's going on."

  The elder nodded and added:

  "And magic is becoming thinner. Like yarn that no one spins anymore. If it's not contained — it will tear."

  "We can't wait," said the Forest Spirit. "But we can't take Alina there either. It's too dangerous."

  Lena tensed. Where there are dragons — there's danger. She looked at Alina. Small, trusting... She didn't know how close her mother was to stepping into the unknown again.

  "She can't go with me," Lena said firmly. "Too dangerous."

  "I'll watch over her," said Grandma Nadezhda, covering the pie with a towel. "Solovyovo will accept her. And you — go. You're already awaited."

  Lena sat next to Alina on the bench by Nadezhda's house. Evening shadows were already thickening around, and the first lights were lighting up in the windows.

  "Alinochka..." said the mother, hugging her daughter by the shoulders. "I need to leave. But it's not for long."

  Alina nodded, but her eyes were full of tears.

  "I don't want you to go there alone. What if... something happens?"

  Lena took her little hands in hers:

  "Listen. I'm scared too. But if I don't go, no one will find out where the dragons went. And you'll be safe here. Here — magic. Here, good forces await you. You're not alone."

  "Will you come back?"

  "Absolutely," Lena pressed her forehead to hers. "We're just going different roads. For now. But not forever."

  They hugged. And at that moment, everything became clear: love — is when even in parting, you remain close.

  Lena approached Vova.

  "I'm ready to go. Will we travel?"

  Vova smirked:

  "Traveling won't take long. But in reality — we'll transfer. I don't do this often. And don't think it's without consequences. Remember: our reality — it's closer to your former one than it seems. You didn't end up in this upheaval by chance."

  "I know, you still don't fully believe. But that's normal. We always hide our essence. It's... protection. People are weak. Many feel bad when they see the truth. Some break. Some go mad. So we hide."

  "You're going to an interesting place. There, your main one will be Agidel — the sea goddess. She's wise. Maybe she'll explain more to you. Many beings live in the sea who have long wanted to get rid of annoying humans. And in the age of the internet, it's especially hard for us to hide our world. Everything has become fragile. And now even the mermaids have abandoned their work..."

  "Mermaids?" Lena repeated.

  "Yes. They used to guard the boundaries between worlds. And now... they're fussing over dragon eggs. Dragons — they've lived there since ancient times. Very good parents. Their children are like gold to them. They're not chickens that lay an egg every day. Sometimes dragons — are the only protection from those who come from the depths."

  "I remember... Tales about Gorynych."

  "Exactly. Only it's not a tale. Dragons guard treasures and history. But now — they've disappeared. All of them. Left nests, eggs. Gone."

  "We need to find out why. You'll talk to Agidel, then find Gorynych. Don't think you can't handle it. You're awakened. Now you need to awaken the power. I don't know how it will happen. But I know it will."

  "You and Alina are connected. If you awaken the power — this connection will strengthen. Did you feel it when she wasn't with you?"

  "Yes... more than once. It's like a call of the heart, like anxiety without reason."

  "Exactly! And when the connection strengthens, you'll be able to send her a font — your image, thought. As if nearby, even if far away. I see it."

  He extended his hands. Between them, the air began to shimmer, swirling into a spiral, filling with light.

  The wind rose suddenly, as if from somewhere below, and dried herbs were torn from the porch of Nadezhda's house.

  They swirled in the air, then disappeared into the center of the portal — like into a vortex.

  "Ready?" Vova asked.

  Lena took a deep breath and nodded. Together they stepped into the light. And everything around disappeared.