The Dyatlov Pass Incident. Mystery of the Fireballs. Sergei Mikhailov

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      Yudin’s house stood apart, surrounded by a high fence. When they knocked, the door opened to reveal a gray-haired man with deep wrinkles on his face. His gaze was wary and tired.

      “Yuri Efimovich?” Maxim asked.

      Yudin nodded, studying the visitors intently.

      “You’ve come to learn about the pass,” it wasn’t a question but a statement.

      They entered the house. Inside was dark and cool. Maxim went straight to the point.

      “Was the 1959 trek your last? Did you never hike again?” he asked.

      Yudin shook his head.

      “Never. After that trek… everything changed.” He paused, then continued: “You want to know the truth. But are you ready for it?”

      Maxim showed him Zolotarev’s notebook and the watch. Yudin’s eyes widened.

      “So the time has come,” he whispered.

      Yudin began his story:

      “Before we reached the starting point, something happened. On the way to Vizhay village, the bus driver dropped us off for a couple of hours – he went about his business in a restricted settlement, promising to return in an hour. To avoid wasting time, the others suggested visiting some facility near the road, one I’d never heard of before. We went. Within twenty minutes, we were there. A man with a red beard met us.”

      Another red beard? Maxim was alarmed but didn’t show it. It seemed to be appearing too frequently in his life lately, he thought.

      “He gave Zolotarev some instructions,” Yudin continued. “And passed something to the others. What exactly – I don’t know. But after that, everything changed. They became… different.” Yuri Efimovich’s face suddenly changed, and he jumped to another part of his narrative. It seemed very strange – one could feel how difficult it was for him to relive these events.

      Yudin then described how Grandfather Slava took them to the starting point by cart.

      “He knew more than he said. I saw him whispering with Zolotarev.”

      “And then,” Yudin sighed, “I fell ill and turned back. Part of me was disappointed, but another part… seemed to know it was necessary.”

      He looked Maxim directly in the eyes.

      “I’ve kept this secret my whole life. Lived in seclusion because I was afraid. Afraid they would come for me.”

      “Who are they?” Maxim asked.

      “Those who want the gates to stay open,” Yudin replied. “They never abandon their attempts.”

      Yudin took Zolotarev’s notebook.

      “I can help decode this. But you must understand – this knowledge won’t bring you peace.”

      Maxim nodded.

      “I’m ready.”

      Yudin began moving his hand over the notebook’s pages. Gradually, strange symbols and diagrams began appearing on the paper.

      “Here’s a map,” said Yudin. He pointed to one spot. “This is the pass. But there are others. Zolotarev tried to connect them all, create… a portal.”

      Itokai, silent until now, suddenly spoke:

      “Ancient prophecy speaks of one who will connect all points and become a bridge between worlds.”

      Everyone looked at Maxim. He felt the weight of this knowledge pressing on his shoulders.

      “What should I do next?” he asked.

      Yudin stood.

      “You must find the man with the red beard. He knows the next step. But be careful – you’re already being watched.”

      Chapter 9 – Shadows of Belukha

      After leaving Yudin’s house, Maxim, Anna, and Itokai headed to Vizhay. The old photograph Yudin had given them showed a man with a red beard – the same one Maxim had seen at the station in Moscow.

      “Nikolai Ognev,” Maxim read the inscription on the back. Next to it were coordinates of some location in Vizhay.

      The village greeted them with silence and desolation. Most houses stood abandoned, their windows boarded up. Time seemed to have stopped here in the late fifties.

      They found the house they needed on the outskirts. The old wooden structure had almost merged with the surrounding forest, but someone clearly lived there. A man with a red beard answered their knock.

      “I’ve been expecting you,” said Ognev, inviting them in. “Especially you, Maxim. You’ve already started seeing, haven’t you? Seeing through time?”

      Maxim nodded, remembering his visions.

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