After Samantha managed to reach Alex and tell him about the maniac who, according to her, had broken into the house and already killed Josh, she was finally able to breathe a little easier for the first time. Alex's voice sounded firm and reassuring: he promised he would be there soon. All Samantha had to do was hide and wait for him to arrive.

Sitting in the abandoned elevator shaft, she noticed an old ventilation grate. Carefully crawling closer, trying not to make the slightest sound, she pulled it toward herself. The metal screeched but gave way, and without wasting a second, Samantha squeezed inside.

She had to crawl slowly, almost silently. The flashlight on her phone trembled in her hand, illuminating the rusty walls of the shaft. Her heartbeat was so loud it felt as though the maniac could hear it at any moment. Suddenly, a faint light appeared ahead. Samantha instantly turned off the flashlight, held her breath, and cautiously crawled closer.

Through the grate, she could see a room. She froze, peering into the darkness. The place was cluttered with junk, but small details — a lit lamp, fresh traces in the dust — made it clear someone had been there recently. Making sure the room was empty, Samantha turned around, braced herself, and kicked the grate with both feet. It clattered free with a screech and crashed onto the floor.

"I hope no one heard that…" Samantha whispered, motionless.

Listening carefully and hearing no footsteps, she slowly climbed out. With one hand, she held the bath towel — the only thing covering her body after her escape, since her clothes had been stolen. Switching her flashlight back on, she began to look around. The place turned out to be an old storage room, yet it was obvious someone had used it recently — a lamp was glowing near the door.

Looking around, Samantha noticed a board covered with a cloth. Carefully lifting it, she froze. On the board were sketches of a strange mechanism. The drawing resembled a mannequin or figure suspended in some sort of rig, like a testing frame or a piece of stage equipment.

"My God… what is happening here?..," she muttered, staring at the sketches in horror.

A chilling thought struck her: this was the maniac's lair. Her pursuer had clearly been using this storage room for his own purposes.

With trembling steps, Samantha moved toward the table where a desk lamp glowed. The light fell across the scattered blueprints. Pushing them aside, she tried to find something important, but nothing stood out. Then she pulled open a drawer. Inside lay a worn medical folder.

Carefully pulling it out and placing it on the table, Samantha opened it. The first thing that caught her eye was a name: Josh Washington. It was his medical file, with a final psychiatric evaluation.

With a pounding heart, Samantha turned the page. There were doctors' notes, prescriptions, descriptions of medication effects, and Josh's complaints. The following pages detailed his severe depression, directly tied to the disappearance of his sisters — Hannah and Beth.

"Josh…" Samantha whispered, her voice trembling. "Why didn't you tell us anything?.. We were your friends. We could have helped you. Why did you shut yourself off?.. "

Tears welled up in her eyes, but with them came new questions. What did all this mean? Why was Josh's file here, among these blueprints and strange constructions?

Samantha felt her heart clench with pain and guilt. She suddenly realized clearly: she wasn't the only one who had lost someone that night. Josh had lost both of his sisters at once. And all this time, she had been so absorbed in her own grief that she never noticed how much her friend was suffering. Samantha scolded herself for her blindness and selfishness — she hadn't even tried to help Josh.

Tears returned to her eyes. She remembered how, a year later, she first saw him smiling again and thought he had managed to cope with the loss. But that smile had been a mask — behind it was a chasm of pain and despair. Covering her mouth with her hand, Samantha couldn't hold back anymore and began to sob, her tears dripping onto Josh's medical file.

"Josh… why didn't you tell us?..," she whispered again, barely holding back her sobs. "We were your friends. We could have helped you. Why did you stay alone?.. "

She felt like a traitor — not only had she let Josh down, but so had the others. The realization carried an unbearable bitterness. Fighting to keep from sobbing aloud, Samantha stared through blurry eyes at the papers when suddenly she felt a cold touch on her shoulder.

Her body tensed instantly. Without thinking, she grabbed the desk lamp and swung it around, striking the figure behind her. The lamp shattered against the stranger's head, and in that very second, Samantha caught a glimpse of the eyes of the one who dared touch her.

Eyes that could not be mistaken for anyone else's. They belonged to Alex.

"Alex!" Samantha gasped in horror, panic rushing through her veins.

"You know, Samantha…" he said, brushing shards of glass from his hair. "I never thought our reunion would happen like this. First time I've ever been greeted with a desk lamp to the head."

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! God, are you hurt?" Samantha blurted, frantically scanning his head for blood.

"I'm fine. I've been hit harder," Alex replied calmly. "Better tell me how you are."

But Samantha couldn't hold it in anymore. Instead of answering, she threw herself into his arms. She clung tightly, sobbing, while Alex let out a heavy sigh and hugged her back, gently stroking her back, careful not to disturb the towel she was still wrapped in.

Somewhere deep in his mind, Brunhilde and Göndul gave a mocking cough through their spiritual link, reminding him to keep his hands to himself. Alex only rolled his eyes. He had no intention of taking advantage of Samantha's vulnerability. What she needed now was to let her emotions flow and release her tears.

She buried her face in his chest, turning it into her crying pillow. But her sobs were soon interrupted by a strange sound — like someone chewing nearby. Samantha turned her head and froze: right on the table sat a wolverine, holding a chunk of meat in its paws and chewing it noisily.

"Do you feel better?" Alex asked softly, running his hand through her hair.

"Yes… I think so… Sorry, it just all hit me at once…" she whispered, still clinging to him.

"That's good. And hey, I don't mind the hugs, but aren't you cold?" Alex remarked with a faint smile, raising a brow as he looked down at her.

Following his gaze, Samantha realized the towel was barely clinging to her, covering only her chest. Her cheeks flared bright red. Embarrassed, she released Alex and stepped back, clutching the fabric tighter.

Shaking his head, Alex took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Pressing it closer around herself, Samantha felt a warmth that came not just from the clothing, but from the gesture itself.

"Thank you…" she began, but as her eyes fell on him, she noticed the weapons: pistols under his arms, and a massive revolver strapped to his back.

She opened her mouth to ask, but the room echoed again with crunching and chewing. The wolverine gnawed on its meat undisturbed.

"Where did… the wolverine come from?" Samantha asked cautiously, pointing at the animal.

"Oh, that's Peach," Alex replied nonchalantly, closing Josh's medical file. "Met him in the forest. We became friends. Without him, I'd probably still be wandering around — he tracked you down by scent."

"You… tamed a wolverine?" Her voice was filled with surprise. "How did you even manage that?"

"Nothing complicated. Animals like me. Probably because I'm such a charming guy," Alex smirked. "Anyway, we shouldn't waste time. Let's find you some clothes — that coat won't help much against the cold. Then we'll deal with your friends. I've got a suspicion Josh is behind all this."

"I think so too… but why would he do it?" Samantha asked quietly, lifting her eyes to him.

"You can ask him yourself once we find him," Alex said, gently brushing her hair with his hand.

Samantha only nodded and turned to search the room, hoping to find clothes or something useful. Meanwhile, Alex stumbled upon Josh's phone and a text exchange with a doctor named Hill. Samantha found a board pinned with photos of Hannah and Beth, alongside their belongings. But nothing truly helpful appeared — only more signs pointing to what she already feared: that Josh was behind it all.

She turned her gaze to Alex, who was rummaging through boxes with the determination of someone searching for something important. But all of them turned out to be empty. With a sigh, Alex realized he would have to find other ways to gather at least some evidence without resorting to items from his own inventory — he couldn't risk giving himself away. Calling Peach over, he let the wolverine perch on his shoulder and looked at Samantha. The girl nodded, signaling that she was ready to move on.

Alex gave a faint smile and drew a black pistol from his holster — just in case. During his wandering through the mines and forest with Peach, he had already encountered five Wendigos. That only confirmed his suspicion: in this world, there were far more of them than in the original timeline. For the sake of experimentation, he had purified two of them, while the remaining three he had "passed on" to Red, White, and Rekka — at their own request. The girls wanted to study these creatures themselves, to be prepared in case they ran into something similar in other worlds.

Alex walked in front, with Samantha following close behind, trying not to lag. She wanted badly to ask him what he had found in the forest and what leads he had that could bring them closer to Hannah and Beth, who had gone missing a year ago. But she knew this wasn't the time. The most important thing now was to get out of this place — the conversation could wait.

They passed through a doorway and into a dark corridor. Alex carefully cleared the path with his foot so Samantha wouldn't step barefoot on anything dangerous. She lit the way with her phone flashlight, watching his attentiveness with quiet surprise. She couldn't quite understand why he bothered with such details. What she didn't know yet was that Alex was simply that kind of person by nature.

Step by step, guided by the dim light, they reached another door. Alex peeked through the grimy window and shook his head.

"We need to move on. Nothing here," he said calmly.

"Alright. I'm right behind you," Samantha replied.

Climbing a staircase, they emerged into a half-ruined corridor: peeling walls, gaping holes here and there. Around the next corner, Alex spotted double doors. Looking inside, he raised a brow slightly. In a chair sat a mannequin, dressed in Samantha's clothes.

"Why would he do that?..," the girl asked in confusion, stepping closer.

"Who knows," Alex shrugged. "Still, it's better than those creeps who steal women's clothes to sniff them… or sell them."

"You've… dealt with that before?" Samantha couldn't help but glance at him.

"You could say that… Anyway, there's your backpack. Check it — maybe your stuff is still inside," he said, pointing at a pink sports bag.

Seeing her familiar backpack, Samantha let out a relieved breath. As she reached for it, a hand shot up from a floor grate and grabbed her leg. She screamed, while Alex instantly crouched, aiming his pistol at the grate. But upon seeing the face beneath, he lowered his weapon.

Samantha shone her light downward — and froze. From under the grate, Mike stared back at her. He looked terrible: dirty, exhausted, with cuts on his face — as if he'd been struggling through the forest and fighting something all this time, rather than being with Jessica.

Alex immediately understood: despite his interference and the fact that he had already destroyed five Wendigos, the storyline was still moving along its path. Hannah had still taken Jessica.

"Mike! You scared me! What are you doing down there? There's some psycho in a mask wandering around the house!" Samantha exclaimed.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" he rasped, shifting his gaze to Alex. "Who's that with you?"

"I'm alright. Alex found me," she answered quickly, then added, "But where's Jessica? Weren't you two together?"

"She's dead…" Mike said quietly. His voice trembled with grief. "He killed her. There's a maniac in these mountains — he's hunting us. I tried to save her… I really tried… but I couldn't. I saw her body. I saw Jessica's body."

"What?! How can that be?..," Samantha gasped, her voice filled with shock and disbelief.

Alex listened to Mike's confession, barely restraining himself from rolling his eyes. To him, the guy's words sounded absurd. Mike should have understood that a normal person simply couldn't carry someone else on their back, wade through snowdrifts, navigate obstacles, and still run from an armed pursuer. Yet even Alex couldn't be completely sure whether Jessica was alive or not — too much in this story remained unpredictable.

Samantha's face was overflowing with emotion. She was beginning to suspect that Josh was involved in everything, but the thought that he might have killed Jessica seemed impossible to her.

"I swear, when we get out of here and gather everyone alive, I'm going to find that bastard and rip off his balls, one by one," Mike said with fury, his voice trembling with thirst for revenge.

"That can't be the same person," came Alex's calm voice. He crouched next to Samantha and looked at Mike through the grate.

"Why do you say that? Maybe you're in on it too! Who the hell are you?!" Mike snapped, clearly looking for someone to vent his anger on.

"Mike, wait! Alex had nothing to do with this, he helped me…" Samantha hurriedly interjected.

"Listen here, hero," Alex said coldly, staring Mike straight in the eyes. "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't play hide and seek. I'd just put a bullet in the forehead of every one of you and go home. Think with your busted head: while you were 'saving' Jessica, Samantha was running from a maniac through the house. That means there are at least two of them. Or someone else is wandering around nearby."

Mike frowned but had nothing to argue. A shadow of doubt flickered in his eyes.

"Alex is right," Samantha said quietly. "We found Josh's medical file and his messages with the doctor. There was something about a plan… Looks like this isn't a prank. Maybe Josh got involved with someone, and everything got out of control."

"God… what the hell is going on here…" Mike exhaled, closing his eyes and trying to collect himself.

"We'll find out soon," Alex replied calmly. "First, we need to get you inside and find Josh. I suspect he's alive — even if you, Samantha, saw him die. We found blueprints for some kind of contraption — like a fake death trick. So it's entirely possible Josh is alive. And when we find him, you'll ask him yourself what happened to Jessica… or who's in on it with him."

"I saw a door a little further down the corridor," Mike said, his voice colder and more composed. "It's locked from your side. Try opening it."

Alex nodded, pleased that the guy was finally starting to think. Deep down, he hoped that events wouldn't follow the original story, where Mike and Chris would drag Josh outside and leave him in the barn until morning. The last thing Alex wanted was to run through the forest looking for Josh, only for Hannah to kidnap him, guided by fragments of past memories. But an uneasy feeling inside told him that was exactly what was going to happen.

He also felt something else: Mike already carried a "mark." The Wendigo had left a trace to track him later, and Alex was certain that Hannah had done it. The only question was why—was it to kill him or turn him into another monster?

Opening the door to the next room, Alex looked around and noticed a massive wooden bolt on another door.

"Samantha, you change clothes for now. I'll let Mike in," he said, turning to the girl. "Or are you planning to keep running around in just a towel and my coat?"

"Alright… Just don't peek," Samantha replied with a slight smile, though tension still lingered in her voice.

Alex just rolled his eyes at her. He wasn't the type to stare at a girl while she changed, especially if they weren't in a relationship. Samantha hid behind a wardrobe and carefully peeked out to make sure he wasn't looking. Seeing Alex glancing her way, she scrunched her nose and waved her hand, demanding he look away. Alex shrugged indifferently, lit a cigarette, and lifted the wooden bolt, letting Mike in.

Before Mike could enter, Alex cleared his throat slightly and pointed to the side opposite Samantha. Mike understood immediately and, stepping aside, stared at the wall alongside Alex. In the background came the rustle of clothing—Samantha was changing.

"So, who are you exactly? And what are you doing in this forest?" Mike asked, trying to start a conversation.

"I'm, you could say, a private detective. An old man hired me to check out the legends about this mountain. Before Samantha's call, I had a chance to explore the mines and the old sanatorium nearby. I didn't go inside—the strange animal cries distracted me. Persik and I went to check it out," Alex replied, pointing to the wolverine perched on his shoulder.

"Persik?" Mike raised an eyebrow. "Strange name for an animal… But good thing you didn't go into that sanatorium. It's a nightmare there. I saw some guy living there, looks like a maniac. I'm sure he's the one who kidnapped Jessica. Did you find anything? Or at least figure out what kind of beast it was?"

"What exactly I saw—I don't know," Alex shook his head. "But I did find something. You could say it's what Samantha was asking about. Everything on this mountain is… abnormal. Too many coincidences, too many strange things."

Alex decided to remain silent about encountering the Wendigo—he knew no one would believe him. He was waiting for Jack, a man who had been fighting these creatures for years. Alex was impressed that he was still alive. In his mind, a simple strategy was forming: if Josh wasn't taken outside and Hannah, in Wendigo form, didn't kidnap him, he would lead Samantha's group to the cable car and then personally clear the mountain.

Mike's attention was caught by Alex's mention of Samantha's request—he was curious about what exactly she had asked him. Samantha, almost dressed, also thought about his words—her heart hinted that Alex might have found traces of Hannah and Beth, even if they had long been dead.

"And still, what exactly did Sam ask you?" Mike asked, looking at him.

"I'll explain everything once we meet the rest of your friends. I don't want to repeat it a hundred times. Samantha, are you ready?" Alex asked without turning.

"Ready," she replied and stepped toward them.

Alex turned his head. Samantha was wearing a white shirt, a red hooded jacket, gray yoga pants with black stripes, and dark sneakers. Over it all, she had draped his long black coat. Alex didn't comment on it—he wasn't bothered by the cold, and he wore the coat mostly for camouflage. In another situation, he would have happily strutted across this snowy mountain in a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and flip-flops.

Samantha briefly wondered if she should give the coat back—after all, he was left in just a black shirt with rolled-up sleeves. But seeing that Alex didn't object, she decided to say nothing for now. In his coat, she felt cozy and surprisingly safe, as if he could protect her even from a distance.

"Since Samantha's ready, it's time to find the others," Alex said, addressing both of them. "I think your friends are somewhere in the house."

"You're right, we need to find them and figure out what's going on," Samantha nodded.

"Then let's go—the sooner, the better," Mike added.

Approaching the only closed door, Alex didn't waste a second—he kicked it hard, ripping it off its hinges. The door crashed open, banging against something on the other side.

In the next room, a piercing female scream met them. Alex was the first to move toward the sound, unwilling to risk any surprises. Samantha and Mike followed quickly.

Within moments, they burst into a spacious room. A horrifying scene unfolded before them: Chris and Ashley were tied to chairs, and Josh stood nearby, having removed the clown mask. Alex barely restrained himself from kicking him for such a ridiculous choice.

Samantha froze, shocked, even though she had already suspected Josh. Chris and Ashley were truly in disbelief—they had seen Josh being sawed in half by a circular saw with their own eyes. Josh's grin widened unnaturally, and he erupted into hysterical laughter, clearly relishing the effect he had created.

"Josh! Why did you do this?! I saw you die!" Chris shouted, unable to believe his eyes.

"Josh… is this all you? Why?" Samantha exhaled, her voice trembling.

"How could you do this to us?!" Ashley exclaimed, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Mike and Samantha rushed to their bound friends, freeing them. The four of them now stood facing Josh, who behaved like a true lunatic. Alex silently stepped aside, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it, observing. He had no intention of judging Josh. Deep down, he understood: if he had been in Josh's place, he probably wouldn't have limited himself to a "prank." He might have simply killed everyone immediately.

For the others, the story of Hannah and Beth was just a ridiculous joke that ended in tragedy. For Josh, however, it had become a loss of family, a life turned into a nightmare, and endless depression. Alex knew he wasn't the one to lecture anyone.

"Hahaha! You should see your faces!" Josh laughed loudly, almost hysterically. "Such a storm of emotions! You guessed it right—it was all me! After what you've been through, simply magnificent! So, how do you like my little prank? Enjoyed it? The fear, the panic, the humiliation… all the things my sisters experienced a year ago. Only they didn't get to laugh afterward. They're gone!"

The longer he spoke, the less amusement remained in his voice. Pain and anger began to break through.

"If you haven't noticed, Josh," Mike said grimly, gesturing to their friends, "none of us are laughing."

"Oh, you're all so boring!" Josh replied, waving his hand in frustration. "A little adrenaline never hurt anyone."

"You're just insane, Josh," Chris spat, clenching his fists. "I thought we were friends."

"No," Alex suddenly spoke, cutting off the growing argument. "Josh has a point, in his own way. Not that any of you are completely innocent either."

Everyone turned to him. Ashley stared at the stranger in confusion, assuming he was the private detective they had been talking about. Josh, on the other hand, was intrigued—someone had just said words that, in a way, justified his actions. In his madness, a flicker of rationality appeared for a moment. Samantha looked at Alex, bewildered—why had he decided to partially take Josh's side?

"Are you defending him?" Chris jabbed a finger at Alex. "Are you his accomplice? A fake detective? This is ridiculous!"

"Relax, Chris," Alex replied calmly, exhaling smoke. "Don't bare your teeth at me, or my hand might slip, and I'll hit you. I'm not defending Josh, and I'm not justifying him. But don't forget—he lost two sisters a year ago. Lost his family. All because of your 'harmless' prank. You thought it was funny back then, and he had to live with it. Let me make it clear: I'm not his partner in crime. I'm only here because Samantha asked me to be. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."

Alex took a long drag, then flicked the ash away.

"Go upstairs. We all have things to talk about. And before any of you start fighting each other, I need a drink and a snack. Peach ate all the snacks I brought."

"I… I'll show you the way," Samantha said quietly, giving Alex a long look.

Alex exhaled heavily and nodded. In truth, he least of all wanted to get involved in this drama between friends—it was far beyond his "jurisdiction." But after reading Josh's medical record, he felt pity. The boy clearly needed help, not judgment.

Nevertheless, Alex couldn't shake the thought: if Mike and Chris decided to take Josh outside, everything could go the same way as in the "original" timeline. Something told him that Josh wouldn't be able to hold his tongue and would sooner or later provoke them.

They left the room. Alex walked ahead, with Samantha beside him, stealing quick glances at him every now and then.

"If you want to ask something," Alex said without turning his head, "just ask. I don't bite."

"Why did you defend Josh?" Samantha asked quietly.

"No particular reason," he replied calmly. "I just feel sorry for him. That day, when everything happened, you obviously realized you'd done something stupid, and you felt bad. But imagine what Josh felt when he woke up and realized he had lost both his sisters. Now think about his parents—they lost two children in one night. I don't blame anyone. Life is unpredictable. Nobody knows what will happen next."

He gently placed his hand on her head, as if trying to soothe her.

"I understand…" Samantha whispered. "But it was really hard for us too, when Hannah and Beth disappeared. You said you found something? What exactly?"

"It's hard to explain in a few words," Alex smirked slightly. "But I have a theory: Hannah and Beth might have fallen into one of the mines. That's why they weren't found. Listen, Samantha… things on this mountain are far more complicated than they seem. I don't want to go into details yet, so I don't scare you too early. But soon enough, you'll have to learn the truth. When everyone is together, I'll explain everything. I promise."

He smiled at her reassuringly.

"For now, I need a drink and a snack. Walking through snowy forests and dark mines with a wolverine—well, it's an interesting experience, but not the most pleasant."

Samantha bit her lip and held back the question that hovered on the tip of her tongue. She just nodded and led him upstairs.

They emerged from the basement. Alex still hoped that Josh would find the strength to keep his mouth shut and not escalate the situation further.

In the kitchen, Samantha silently pointed at the fridge. Alex opened it without hesitation and found food that Josh had prepared in advance. He grabbed a ready-made sandwich and a can of beer. Clicking the lid, he took a sip and lazily bit into the sandwich. He had never felt true hunger, but food helped him collect his thoughts.

Peach got his own sandwich too and began chewing with a satisfied purr.

Samantha sat on a chair, hands folded on her knees, watching them. Her gaze was a mixture of fatigue, distrust, and a strange sense of safety next to this man and his predatory companion.

To be continued…

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