A NOVEL • PART I

Every choice leads to the inevitable

In a nameless city, political power has become an extension of organized crime. Jack Haris begins a war against a man running for mayor — only to become part of a game set in motion long before him.

32 chapters • 10 points of view
Valafar
MISTER HARIS
FILE NO. 01MISTER HARISStatus: person of special interest
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A story of power, predestination and the price of choice

Jack Haris is a cold-blooded strategist convinced that human destiny has already been written and every choice merely brings the inevitable closer. His private war against influential philanthropist Abbas Hussein becomes a struggle for the city itself. Yet beyond politics, crime and blackmail, another power emerges — one that treats human authority as temporary scenery.

A city with no name

After the Great Unification of Earth, borders vanished, but the struggle for power remained. Every city kept its own government — and its own secrets.

The nameless city — the world of As It Must Be

CONNECTION ESTABLISHED // NODE 14 // 1998

Sanctum Umbrae

Chosen by Darkness cult symbol — Sanctum Umbrae
Do you feel His gaze? The smell of ash and metal in your lungs? He calls. Become part of the chaos that will rewrite the stars.
tenebrae eligunt. reliqui obliviscuntur.
CHOSEN BY DARKNESS // a new world from ash

Key figures in the case

PRIMARY CHARACTERS

Mister Haris / Jack Haris — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginJH-01
01

Mister Haris / Jack Haris

Strategist

A cold-blooded architect of long games who believes every choice merely brings the inevitable closer. His private war gradually becomes a struggle for the entire city.

Valafar — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginVL-00
02

Valafar

Otherworldly entity

A silent inhuman entity who never gives direct orders, but creates the conditions in which people commit the acts he needs. Valafar remains a central figure in the story even though the world is never shown from his point of view.

Eric Hollman — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginEH-02
03

Eric Hollman

Psychologist / right hand

A psychologist who reads fears and weaknesses like intricate puzzles. He changes from an observer into the man who decides how other people's stories will end.

Abbas Hussein — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginAH-03
04

Abbas Hussein

Philanthropist / mayoral candidate

To the public he is a generous benefactor and the city's great hope. Behind that carefully built image stands a man accustomed to owning both people and their gratitude.

Scott Fletcher — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginSF-04
05

Scott Fletcher

Street dealer

A young addict raised in a district where hope is treated as weakness. An unexpected offer gives him a chance to change his life, but the new path carries a heavy price.

Sylvia Blake — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginSB-05
06

Sylvia Blake

Truth seeker

Once Eric's guarded teenage patient, she has become a confident young woman with a dangerous spark in her eyes. Sylvia cannot leave a lie unanswered.

Igor Mareev — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginIM-06
07

Igor Mareev

Police lieutenant

A tall, wiry and stubbornly honest officer in a city where honesty itself feels abnormal. He keeps investigating the cases everyone else would rather close.

Kirill Mareev — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginKM-07
08

Kirill Mareev

Younger brother / seeker

Igor's fair-haired younger brother, whose kindness long coexists with inner resolve. His search for answers leads him to a place where light and darkness trade names.

Nancy Crow — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginNC-08
09

Nancy Crow

Keeper of secrets

An impeccably elegant and calculating owner of elite establishments where the city's most dangerous secrets are collected. Her softness always conceals steel.

Morgan — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginMG-09
10

Morgan

Old guard

A hardened veteran who controls the empire's arms trade. Beneath the pale fedora, dark glasses and rough humor lives the experience of a man who has survived too much.

Mike — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginMK-10
11

Mike

Cult leader

The tall, unnervingly calm head of the Chosen by Darkness hides behind a greenish skull mask and round black lenses. His words sound like a sermon, but cold strategy waits underneath.

SECONDARY CHARACTERS

James Naismith — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginJN-11
12

James Naismith

Political figure

Jack's childhood friend has striking features, long fair hair and a convincing public presence. His confidence changes noticeably in the shadow of real power.

Lydia Hussein — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginLH-12
13

Lydia Hussein

Abbas's wife

A red-haired beauty with green eyes and a flawless public image. Behind the Hollywood glow is a woman who sees more of her husband than the adoring crowd ever will.

Anya Mareeva — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginAM-13
14

Anya Mareeva

The Mareevs' sister

After an accident, her life is bounded by a wheelchair and constant pain. Yet the sharpened features and stubborn curve of her lips still carry the Mareev family's defiance.

Edward Fletcher — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginEF-14
15

Edward Fletcher

Scott's father

A simple laborer with tired yet unfailingly kind eyes. He held on to two jobs and to the hope of keeping his son away from the streets.

Arthur Crow — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginAC-15
16

Arthur Crow

Wealthy heir

Nancy's affluent and influential husband is used to treating the people closest to him as part of his property. Polite manners quickly give way to control and cruelty.

Pablo — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginPB-16
17

Pablo

Hacker

A thin, stooped genius of the digital underground in a stretched T-shirt and thick-lensed glasses. While others threaten with guns, he controls cameras, archives and digital traces.

Jimmy — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginJM-17
18

Jimmy

Arms coordinator

Morgan's younger brother has a fresh, almost boyish face and plain street clothes. He is being taught to watch, remember and eventually claim a larger place in the system.

Marcus — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginMR-18
19

Marcus

Supplier

A dark-haired middle-aged man determined to look intellectual even in the criminal world. Thick-framed glasses and an anxious gaze betray him before he finds the right words.

Harry Belan — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginHB-19
20

Harry Belan

Eccentric newcomer

A loud man in a white headband, open plaid shirt and red shorts with green polka dots. No one can tell whether he is a fool, a madman or something much more complicated.

Reginald Winterbottom — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginRW-20
21

Reginald Winterbottom

Senator

An influential elderly politician who performs public virtue. Behind closed doors remain a soft body, a flushed puffy face and the fear of losing control.

Avvakir — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginAV-21
22

Avvakir

Priest

A tall priest, slightly bent by years of prayer, with a tired and penetrating gaze. His church keeps the confessions of those who encountered what has no easy human name.

Evan, Hector and Yuri — character from As It Must Be by Pavel KulaginEGY-23
23

Evan, Hector and Yuri

Embedded unit

Three operatives from different formerly divided territories of Earth, planted by Jack inside Hussein's security detail long before the main operation. Cold-blooded, disciplined and loyal to their true side, they spent years posing as Abbas's trusted men and fight as a single mechanism.

The archive is far from complete. Dozens of other characters appear throughout the novel — witnesses, allies, enemies and seemingly incidental figures. Some pass through for only a moment, yet even their brief appearance becomes another link in a chain that has always led toward the inevitable.

Everything unfolds exactly as it must

The world in illustrations

Characters, places, signs and emblems of United Earth — a visual archive of the world of As It Must Be.

06 items
Six of the ten POV characters01
CHARACTERS / 01Six of the ten POV characters
Mysterious symbol02
SYMBOL / 02Mysterious symbol
The Hussein mansion03
PLACE / 03The Hussein mansion
Flag of United Earth04
SYMBOL / 04Flag of United Earth
Kirill, Anya and Igor Mareev05
FAMILY / 05Kirill, Anya and Igor Mareev
The nameless city06
PLACE / 06The nameless city

Part One contents

Only chapter numbers and titles are visible by default. Each synopsis opens separately in case you would rather avoid even mild story hints.

I

The People's Candidate

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Contains mild story hints

On the day Abbas Hussein announces his run for mayor, Jack Haris sets in motion a plan years in the making. While the guests at a lavish charity evening see only a celebration, a very different game begins behind the scenes.

II

Point of No Return

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A conversation with psychologist Eric Hollman becomes a journey through Jack's own past. The events that once bound him to Abbas Hussein reveal why some decisions leave no road back.

III

The Great Plan

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Contains mild story hints

Jack reveals the real reason for meeting Eric and offers him a place in an audacious long-term scheme. To answer, the psychologist must decide how much of his former life he is willing to risk.

IV

Russian Roulette

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Contains mild story hints

The night at Abbas's mansion approaches its decisive point. Old grievances, an argument about fate and free will, and a deadly game collide inside a locked office.

V

A Spark in the Darkness

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Police lieutenant Igor Mareev refuses to accept an official story that is far too convenient and begins his own investigation. Each clue brings him closer to a system with almost no place left for honest officers.

VI

Legacy

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The city adjusts to a new balance of power while the people around Mister Haris find their places in a growing empire. Amid political games and private scores, young Scott Fletcher enters the sights of powerful players.

VII

Deviation from the Norm

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Mister Haris returns to his memories of Valafar, trying to understand whether the demon is an omen, an ally or the author of his entire path. A new vision raises the possibility that familiar calculations may fail.

VIII

The Right Hand

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Eric is no longer only an observer: as Mister Haris's right hand, he handles problems inside the organization. A meeting of the inner circle reveals how fragile even absolute power can be.

IX

Behind the Scenes of Power

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Nancy Crow works where politics, blackmail and criminal influence become one. A new assignment brings her up against people accustomed to believing they control the city.

X

The Junkie

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Scott Fletcher is offered a way out of his past and a personal meeting with Mister Haris. The entrance fee to a new hierarchy demands a choice that cannot be undone.

XI

The Torn Dress

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Sylvia Blake's past reveals how a vulnerable girl learned to defend herself and became dangerous. A torn dress, her first meetings with Eric and a series of brutal lessons bind her fate to Mister Haris's world.

XII

Witness of All Things

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Left alone, Mister Haris focuses on Valafar and tries to discern the rules behind his inexplicable appearances. For the first time, a fight for power becomes an attempt to understand something beyond money, fear and weapons.

XIII

Double Game

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Nancy begins a complex operation around city politics in which every participant hides private motives. Blackmail, fear and ambition turn negotiation into a trap waiting to close.

XIV

Ashes in the Wind

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Years after his brother's disappearance, Kirill Mareev still searches for meaning and for those responsible. A strange encounter and a mysterious sign lead him to people who promise answers but demand more than trust.

XV

The Missing Thread

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Eric follows two fading trails at once: the mysterious youth from a vision and a missing person tied to him personally. Digital clues collapse as signs of danger force him to move faster.

XVI

The Old Guard

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Veteran fixer Morgan is asked to quietly resolve a delicate scandal. At the scene he notices details that turn a familiar clean-up into a first encounter with an unknown enemy.

XVII

Through the Web

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Mister Haris enters an old church in search of knowledge about Valafar. A priest may offer the first hint that even a seemingly omnipresent force can have limits.

XVIII

In the Wake of a Forgotten Tape

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A private investigation, an old audio tape and a chain of nearly forgotten events bring Sylvia closer to a dangerous truth. But the people she seeks know how to protect their secrets.

XIX

Chosen by Darkness

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Kirill enters the closed world of a cult built on pain, loyalty and prophecy. His first night there forces him to decide whether he came for belonging, revenge or a game of his own.

XX

The Snake Pit

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The search leads Eric and Scott into a hidden cult stronghold. In a place where every corridor may be a trap, they must act before the final traces disappear.

XXI

Knee-Deep in Mud

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While dealing with the aftermath of a politically dangerous night, Morgan finds a strange object and signs that he is being watched. Familiar criminal logic stops working as the cost of error rises.

XXII

Property

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Nancy's marriage to Arthur Crow reveals the price she paid for access to power. Another humiliation pushes her toward a decision capable of changing far more than her private life.

XXIII

Under Another's Gaze

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After disturbing news, Mister Haris confronts Valafar again and tests the limits of his influence. A strange gift transforms their silent struggle into a new game with unknown rules.

XXIV

The Trace That Wouldn't Fade

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Eric and hacker Pablo continue searching for a man almost erased from the digital world. As scattered fragments form a picture, Eric struggles with guilt and memories of those he failed to protect.

XXV

The Investigation

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Kirill descends deeper into the cult, where evidence cannot be separated from belief. His search approaches the center of the mystery and raises a question: did he find this path, or was he led to it?

XXVI

The Price of Respect

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Scott takes his first independent steps inside Mister Haris's system and learns how respect is earned there. A meeting with a stranger forces him to choose between loyalty, the truth about his father and his own future.

XXVII

The Invisible Level

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Morgan tries to solve the mystery of an unusual flash drive and turns to James Naismith. Their conversation suggests that politics and crime may conceal a level of reality neither of them controls.

XXVIII

Liberation

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Nancy returns to the memory of an evening that changed her life and her relationship with Jack. Facing the past, she must ask what freedom costs and whether another person's power can become salvation.

XXIX

The Second Face

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Mike gathers the cult for the next stage of its struggle. Behind ritual masks and prophetic language emerges a cold strategy in which every person has already been assigned a role.

XXX

The One Who Remained

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Eric reaches a place hidden from the outside world to meet someone connected to an old investigation and a new threat. A conversation about the Mareev family returns both men to a past whose traces never vanished.

XXXI

Before the Inevitable

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Three quiet months only tighten the knots between Mister Haris's empire, the cult and the people caught between them. Everyone prepares a next move without knowing how close their separate plans have come to the same point.

XXXII

Only the Beginning

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Mister Haris gathers his inner circle to prepare for a threat that can no longer be ignored. As plans, prophecy and private motives converge, Part One reaches the boundary beyond which every decision opens a far larger conflict.

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The complete English demo of Part One is now available. Read all four chapters directly on the site or download the carefully formatted PDF edition.

4 CHAPTERS65 PAGES18+ENGLISH TEXT

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The opening four chapters revised

The major revision of the first four chapters is complete. Pavel carefully reread each chapter, recorded his notes and made the necessary changes. Before moving on to Chapter Five, he read the entire prologue once again and further strengthened the revised text.

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The release of Book One has been moved to 2027. The reason is a systematic, in-depth revision of every chapter in light of the completed draft, rather than a superficial round of proofreading.

Valafar: Collector of Souls

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WASD — move • Space — jump • J — strike / soul pulse • E — interactOriginal music: Echoes of the Rusting Metropolis
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Pavel Kulagin

Pavel Kulagin

Writer and creator of the As It Must Be universe. A director, actor and musician connecting literature with stage, film and original music.

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