Chapter 13:

Yuri was in a peculiar state, with his own mind slipping away in real time. He wanted to deal with the intrusive voice that had been sounding in his head for quite a while now.

[Stop ignoring me!]

However, his thoughts rang out into a void, never reaching the voice.

[Heh, so you've decided to play it like that? Just talking about yourself to me in the third person? Is that the best your imagination can manage? From a crybaby who used to get offended by just a couple of my words?]

His monologues, filled with bile and indignation, might have been offensive — if anyone were actually hearing them. But the resounding silence continued just as before. Soundless and unhurried silence.

[Something about this silence just won't shut up.]

Each of his words was angrier than the last, but it yielded no visible results. Just loud thoughts — like dogs barking at squirrels they can't reach. Nothing more.

[The only thing you're capable of is insulting me indirectly? And not even with profanity — just a comparison to an animal? Mate, I currently have a pair of rabbit ears on my head and a little rabbit tail on my lower back! You think you can offend me with that nonsense?]

His words went undelivered — only obsessively circulating in his consciousness, waiting for someone's nonexistent reaction. And his reason was weakening. He needed to fulfil the quota — and for that he would have to find five more people to produce "pitas." His time was running short, and he couldn't spend it talking to a void. He needed to get on with the quota, not throw a tantrum into nothingness.

— WHO ARE YOU?! ANSWER ME!

But his words were ignored, and the thread holding his rattled concentration was fading ever faster — drawing him back to his standard thoughts about leisure.

— I'll get you, you wretch...

That was the last thing he said before losing, for good, the concentration he had won back with such difficulty.

...

..

.

Chuck was an ordinary worker at a foundry. He wasn't clever or strong — just an absolutely ordinary person with the most standard hopes for better things, nothing more.

His work came with a certain degree of stress — mainly connected to a lack of sleep and a reluctance to go in. But there weren't many alternatives in his life, so he simply kept going by inertia, without any particular desires. Not that he had none — most of them were just difficult to fulfil.

As always, he came home and decided to rest — not even noticing as he drifted off to sleep. A very kind and gentle dream...:

In an empty clearing where a muted light shone and unfinished dandelions grew everywhere, Chuck raised his body. The landscape around him was so tranquil that his old pains and sorrows vanished on that warm breeze.

And right across the dandelions, pink rabbits were leaping about without a care. Watching them, Chuck felt his heart — worn down by adult life — beginning to heal, and his lips began spreading into a smile.

One of the frolicking rabbits glanced fleetingly at him — and immediately leapt straight toward him.

Circling the man with an air of great importance, it gave his appearance a thorough once-over.

Chuck was somewhat surprised by what was happening, but his hand was already moving involuntarily toward the rabbit. Rhythmically stroking it along its back.

The rabbit, in turn, settled obediently on the man's lap, enjoying the massage. The other rabbits — the moment they saw one of their friends, who had been frolicking so energetically, now spread out so lazily — were eyeing Chuck with interest but great caution.

He simply smiled at their endearing behaviour and beckoned to them with his hand. And the rabbits, being extremely clever, immediately hopped over, surrounding him and making him stroke them.

The sensation of their soft fur was hypnotically pleasant — utterly engrossing. The rabbits arranged themselves amusingly on top of him, providing extra warmth.

The very first rabbit, having rested to its satisfaction, stood up on its hind legs and was gently tapping at his chest with its front paws. Chuck didn't quite understand how — but clearly sensed that the rabbit was proposing a game. Chuck didn't particularly want to do this, but somehow the thought of refusing never even entered his head, making him nod without will.

The rabbits, who had been lazily dozing until that moment, immediately sprang to their feet and began circling around Chuck, expressing their delight at the upcoming game. The moment they gathered into a group — the rules came into Chuck's head.

Chuck would now count for one minute, during which three rabbits would hide somewhere on the clearing. Once he finished counting — to win he must find the rabbits within the allotted ten minutes, otherwise he would lose, and the rabbits could demand some small thing of him. But if he won — they would give him something truly wonderful: whatever he himself wanted but couldn't quite put into words.

So he himself began to show impatience — yet dutifully followed the rules, counting down the minute.

— We don't have much time. Your life is in danger.

A man with violet hair was interrupting his count. It was irritating.

— Don't talk nonsense! What danger is there in a game with ordinary rabbits?

— But is this truly an ordinary game?

— I have no time for your rubbish — either speak to the point or get lost!

— You want so eagerly to play with these animals — but did you truly and entirely voluntarily agree to this? Did you actually want to play at all?

— You're getting on my nerves. You'd better clear off before I...

Chuck's words broke off. Come to think of it — he really didn't remember wanting to play. On the contrary: his desire had been to rest peacefully in this clearing surrounded by rabbits. Then the thought had appeared in his head of its own accord, that playing with them was a completely natural outcome of events.

— From your silence I can assume you're beginning to understand.

— So I didn't want to play — so what?! Why are you sticking your nose into other people's business anyway?!

— Sir, with all due respect — your life is genuinely in real danger. Your bickering is only worsening an already precarious situation.

— And what am I supposed to do?! Listen to your endless speeches?!

— You don't have to listen to me — but cooperation would benefit you.

— Heh, and what makes you so sure of that?

— At the very least, the fact that you seem to have stopped counting — and our conversation has lasted more than a minute. I wonder what will happen if the rules of the game are broken?

— YOU—!

Having realised something too late, Chuck began looking at his hand. But where it should have been — there was nothing.

— WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!

— Me? Absolutely nothing. You simply chose to break the rules yourself — and all that was left for me was to observe what exactly would happen in the event of their violation. Don't worry — your sacrifice will not be in vain.

Chuck had wanted to shout or strike out — but his limbs, like himself, were dissolving into dust of a reddish hue. His eyes expressed horror — but within them there also appeared a trembling akin to a narcotic high. The trembling spread across Chuck's eyes. His body dissolved further into the wind, leaving behind only red particles drifting in a particular direction.

Nom~

And were swallowed by Yuri like the most delicious of meals.

Meanwhile, the man with violet hair was tensely working his fingers. Right now he needed to negotiate with an anomaly on its own territory. But if he couldn't manage even that — could he continue to carry his resounding name: Doctor D?

He needed to stall for time until the response team arrived.