I was cursing myself for agreeing to this idiotic idea. No — this full-blown stupidity. What kind of person dives into a freezing pond on a dare, in the middle of an autumn night? Oh, right. Someone who doesn't want to look like a coward. Bravo, Marina. I could've stayed home, wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot tea and eating chocolates.
But no. At twenty years old, apparently, I still had the brain of a grapefruit.
And now it was a bit too late to grow a new one — because I was sinking. Slowly and steadily. My lungs were on fire, every cell of my body screamed in agony. I tried to kick upward, to free my leg from whatever was dragging me down with demonic strength. Water pressed in from all sides. Panic flared.
"Is this it?" was my last thought before my body betrayed me and I inhaled a full mouth of pond water. And that... was the beginning of the end.
Darkness. Pain.
Pain was good. Pain meant I was still alive.
…For now, anyway.
But eventually, even that slipped away.
The next thing I knew, I wasn't cold anymore. I was lying on something solid. I exhaled sharply and blinked, trying to figure out where the hell I was.
A giant pool stretched before me, steam curling in the air like silk. The scent of incense hung heavy, and everything shimmered in the glow of candlelight. Marble walls. Ornate carvings. Chandeliers dangling from the high ceiling, each candle flickering with warm golden light.
Is this heaven?
Or… the other one?
I mean, a spa instead of boiling cauldrons is an upgrade, I guess.
And then I realized something: the pain was gone.
Wait. Am I actually dead?
I turned — and saw a man.
Naked.
Just… casually standing there. Not a hint of shame! His steel-colored eyes regarded me with the kind of detached curiosity you'd use on a lab rat. Tall. Long, dark hair brushing his shoulders. Pale skin. Sharp cheekbones. Straight nose. A face seems like carved out of marble. Beautiful in that terrifying, "might eat your soul" kind of way.
So if this is hell… at least the demons are hot.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice rolling like thunder through the silence.
I opened my mouth, but the words didn't come. First, because I had no clue what was going on. Second — my throat was raw. All I could manage was a raspy croak.
"I… What? Did I die?"
One of his eyebrows arched, like I'd just asked if water was wet.
"Yes. I killed you," he said, completely unfazed.
I blinked. Processing. Failing.
"You what?"
"You broke into my bathhouse," he said, as if explaining to a toddler why sticking a fork in a socket was a bad idea. "I assumed you were a threat and eliminated you. Then brought you back. For questioning."
Okay. No. Absolutely not.
This had to be a prank. A stupid, elaborate Halloween prank from my so-called friends. And once I get out of here, I'm going to kick their asses.
"Nice try," I rasped. "Tell Irina, Kolya and the rest of those geniuses that their collective IQ adds up to a single-celled organism and they owe me a new life. I'm going home."
"To where, exactly?" he asked, his smile twisting into something between amusement and menace.
Oh he wants to know my address! Oh sure, maybe I should also give him my house keys and the three digits on the back of my credit card?
A faint green glow lit up on his fingertips — and instantly, the room turned colder. A chill crawled down my spine, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. His smile twisted into something much less friendly.
"Don't make me use force," he said softly. "This spell is extremely painful. I wouldn't recommend it."
Oh great. A psychopath with glow-in-the-dark magic.
"Who are you?" he snapped. "Succubus? Clan? Speak. Now."
The last words came out so sharp and commanding, I didn't even realize I was already yelling:
"I'm Malinka! I mean — Marina Orlova! From Tyumen! I'm not a succubus! I don't know any clans! I swear I have no idea how I got here! It was a dare — a Halloween dare — I jumped into a pond! This is all a huge mistake!"
Tears blurred my vision. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would break out of my chest.
"So… you really don't know how you got here," he repeated slowly, green fire flickering between his fingers as he studied me — soaked T-shirt, dripping jeans and all.
"You look far too pitiful to be a spy or an assassin. But that doesn't mean I believe you."
He stepped closer. I stepped back.
Then he grabbed my chin and tilted my face up.
His fingers were ice.
My entire body shivered.
"Listen," he said. "I'm a necromancer. You are currently, let's say… halfway to zombie. Your soul is still tied to your body only because I am holding it there. So—are we going to cooperate?"
"What? Why?" I whimpered. "Magic isn't real. This is some elaborate scam, right?"
The man looked at me like I'd just asked if it was okay to eat a rock.
"What do you think I just did?" he said, dead serious. "Girl, I'm holding Tenebris Paxis in my hands — a spell that can send your soul into eternal rest. So I suggest you start talking. How did you manage to open such a powerful portal? And what was that black energy inside it?"
I stared at him in horror.
Excuse me, what?
Tenebris …?
Black energy?
This guy was clearly insane — and somehow I was the one being interrogated!
"I don't know anything, I swear!" I nearly shouted. "I didn't open any portals and I have no idea what black energy you're talking about! I was just trying to grab a phone that Lera dropped in the pond! It was a stupid dare!"
The man's frown deepened, his lips tightening into a hard line. Then he released my chin and stepped back.
"You really have no idea what you've done," he said, almost to himself.
"I don't," I whispered, holding back tears. "I just want to go home."
"You're not going home," he said flatly. "You're in this world now. And until I figure out what to do with you, you'll remain at the Academy."
He straightened, folding his arms like the conversation was over.
"I am Professor Grey Morne. Dean of Necromancy. Welcome to Tarnograd Academy. I suggest you adjust… before I run out of patience."