Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 22: Burning Christmas Eve (3)

Dragon Raja 3

“Yes, humans are like that—foolish and fragile, easily satisfied with just a little material comfort. The men and women at this port are eagerly anticipating the Christmas party. The soldiers are hoping to push a nurse into bed afterward, while the boys dream of confessing to their crushes. Weak beings have no right to survive in this world.” The doctor stood in front of a mirror, buttoning his shirt and adjusting his scythe and hammer cufflinks. “But soon things will be different. Once the new human race is born, strengthened by dragon genes, all of humanity’s weaknesses will be eliminated!”

“The vacuum bombs will detonate at midnight sharp. To avoid being hit by the blast, we need to be at least ten kilometers away from Black Swan Bay. So we must leave by 11 p.m. at the latest,” Bondarev said, glancing at his watch. “It’s 7:50 p.m. now, and the Christmas party starts in ten minutes. You should prepare your speech.”

“Is the Lenin ready?” The doctor checked his watch and put on his military coat.

“No problems whatsoever. The nuclear reactor and gas turbines are already at full power, just waiting for us to board so we can set sail. But the blizzard is fiercer than we expected, with visibility down to 50 meters. I’m not sure if the sled dogs can find the Lenin.”

“Trust the sled dogs; they are the spirits of the Arctic.” The doctor hung three medals on his chest—Lenin, the Red Banner, and the October Revolution. “Starting at 9 p.m., the ventilation ducts will begin to supply warm air mixed with hallucinogens to each area. As the amount of hallucinogen increases, everyone will have more and more fun. They won’t notice that we’ve left, and instead will be completely immersed in the joy of Christmas Eve.”

“If there really is a God in this world, we are definitely going to hell, right?” Bondarev whispered.

“God does not punish evil deeds, or else I wouldn’t have lived to this age.” The doctor said indifferently. He turned and pushed open the door. Warmth and music flooded in, gold foil fragments flew in the air, and the golden hall was brilliantly lit.

The soldiers played accordions, and the young girls sang and danced. The children gathered around the enormous Christmas tree, making wishes and standing on tiptoe to reach the gifts above. The scent of beef stew, baked cookies, and perfume from the women filled the air. The doctor’s arrival was met with a surge of applause, and he raised his hands to greet everyone.

“My dear friends, today is Christmas, an important day for Black Swan Bay. Our friend from Moscow, Major Bondarev, has confirmed that our research has received high praise from our superiors! Soon we will be able to go home to visit our families in batches. Everyone here will be rewarded—you will receive military medals and be able to vacation on the Caspian Sea. You are heroes of the nation! Sing and dance, on this wonderful night!”

Renata stood behind the Christmas tree, watching everyone cheer and jump with excitement. Soldiers and nurses hugged and kissed each other passionately. The possibility of going home to visit their families was everyone’s dream, and the doctor’s promise was thrilling. But Renata didn’t believe a word the doctor said. Every word he uttered that night sounded like the hiss of a viper to her, chilling her to the bone.

After clinking glasses with everyone, the doctor returned to his office to continue working. Meanwhile, the golden hall grew increasingly lively, and the temperature inside kept rising. The young people were dancing sailor jigs, growing hot and tossing aside their uniforms. The nurses also took off their coats, revealing the white lace of their undergarments beneath their vests. Everyone had drunk a lot, and their gazes were filled with blatant teasing. The scent of hormones overpowered the perfume, making everyone flush. As they danced, they embraced, with soldiers slipping their hands into the nurses’ vests, biting each other’s lips like lovers—or like bloodthirsty beasts. Even the children became restless, imitating the adults as they danced cheek to cheek. Renata was the youngest of these children; the others were older than her—Anton and Khorkina were both fifteen, and Yakov was already sixteen, much bigger compared to Renata’s small stature. The boys had a few grown mustaches on their upper lips, and the girls’ chests had already started to fill out, with their waists swaying as they walked. Most of the girls had chosen silk dresses that danced above their knees, revealing their slim, straight legs. The boys wore small-sized ceremonial uniforms like adults, with yellow cords on their shoulders, and wide leather belts cinched their waists, making them look upright.

The music transitioned to a soft slow tempo, and men and women held each other gently, swaying cheek to cheek, their faces flushed red as if about to bleed. Renata hid behind the Christmas tree, watching the tall Khorkina and the handsome Yakov dance. Khorkina wore a red, semi-transparent dress, the V-shaped cut at the back plunging down to her waist, revealing the white tank top underneath. Her golden hair was tied in a high ponytail, dazzling in the dim lights. To Renata, Khorkina was so beautiful it made her feel inferior. Every boy wanted to dance with Khorkina, and she changed partners with each song. But her favorite partner was still Yakov, with his well-defined muscles and figure that had already reached adulthood.

Renata wanted to learn how to dance too. Listening to the music, her feet couldn’t help but tap to the beat. But she remembered Zero’s instructions—she had to quietly leave the golden hall around ten o’clock without attracting any attention.

She kept her eyes on the clock on the wall, and there were still five minutes left. She still had time to watch Yakov and Khorkina dance. Tonight, they looked like the prince and princess of the dance floor—so enviable.

As they danced, Yakov’s hand slowly moved down Khorkina’s waist, boldly slipping into her dress. He lifted her skirt, caressing her shapely thighs, and the edge of Khorkina’s stockings was exposed to Renata’s view. Renata was startled, realizing something was wrong. Under normal circumstances, even holding hands between boys and girls would earn a scolding from the nurses. Although the nurses were lenient during the Christmas party, what Yakov was doing was certainly not allowed. Even if no one else noticed, surely Khorkina knew to refuse, didn’t she?

Khorkina clung to Yakov’s body as if completely unaware, her soft white body like a white snake.

Horror erupted in Renata’s mind as she realized something else terrifying—the clock had stopped! She had thought there were still five minutes until ten, but those five minutes stretched on endlessly. Two songs had passed already. Only by staring closely could one see that the second hand wasn’t moving. It was a mechanical wall clock that someone wound up every day, and everyone set their watches by it. But it had stopped, and now the golden hall was eternally stuck at 9:55 p.m. Everyone dancing thought it was still early, that the party was far from over.

Looking around, most of the couples were doing things similar to what Yakov and Khorkina were doing. The soldiers were even bolder than Yakov, biting the lips of the nurses in their arms without restraint, groping their bodies.

Renata stepped back into the corner, trembling. This place, these people—something was wrong! Everyone was lost in another world, indulging themselves as if the world were ending tomorrow. They had lost control, their minds consumed by desire, forgetting shame, turning into beasts.

She had to leave immediately—Zero was still waiting for her. She carefully moved along the wall, feeling her way to the door.

The door to the golden hall was locked—three mechanical locks sealed the door in different directions. The door itself was solid with an iron core and peachwood exterior, with the keyholes filled with melted rosin! Fear gripped Renata’s heart. Someone had intentionally sealed off the golden hall, and danger was approaching while those inside had no way out. Even together, they couldn’t break through that solid door. Renata banged on the door and shouted, but her voice was drowned out by the suddenly louder music. The accordion player jumped into the dance floor, playing flamboyantly, while men and women held hands and danced around him, their shoes striking the ground hard enough to make it shake. They were all so happy, their joy drowning out Renata’s despair—like Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” drowning out the whimper of a puppy.

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