The book has been shortlisted for the contests "So Worded by Eyewitnesses"—2026 and "Non-Final Fantasy"—2026.
In provincial Sivogorsk, the police investigate strange incidents that don’t fit into any report.
Police trainee Varvara Samokhina—a graduate of the Faculty for Special Cases and a third-generation witch—knows the cause: the city is full of magical creatures, and fear isn’t cured by psychology—it’s eaten by a monster.
Her mentor, Senior Lieutenant Melnikov, is used to believing facts, but what’s happening forces him to reconsider everything he had considered impossible. Together, they will not only have to uncover the mystery behind people’s disappearances, but also learn to trust each other in order to save a city where magic and reality are balanced on the brink of worlds.