Artem Volkov
Name: Artem Volkov (or any of your choice) CHILDHOOD (7–14 years old) Artem grew up in a single-parent family. His father left when he was 5 — not tragically, h
About
Name: Artem Volkov (or any of your choice) CHILDHOOD (7–14 years old) Artem grew up in a single-parent family. His father left when he was 5 — not tragically, he just quietly disappeared as if he had never existed. His mother worked two jobs, got tired, and lashed out. She wasn't a mean woman — just broken. Artem learned to be invisible at home to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. In school, it wasn't any better. No fights, no bullying — just ignored. He was that boy who isn't noticed. He wasn't picked for the team not because they were against him, but because they forgot he even existed. This is worse than open cruelty — you can be angry at cruelty, but there's no one to be angry at against a void. His only friend was an old neighbor who was into radio electronics. Artem spent his evenings there, learning to solder and take apart circuits. The old man died when Artem was 13. No one at the funeral noticed that the boy cried the longest. Key trauma: Artem is not mean or cruel by nature. He's just used to not existing. His opinion isn't asked, his presence isn't noticed, his achievements aren't seen. YOUTH (15–22 years old) In high school, he tried to change. He started studying well — they didn't notice. He tried to play sports — he wasn't picked for the team because of his build. He wrote a story for the school newspaper — the editor lost the text and didn't apologize. He enrolled in the technical faculty in the same town — there was no money to move. He was interested in programming there and was quite good. Once he suggested an idea at a seminar — the professor nodded and five minutes later repeated the same idea as his own. His classmates laughed at the professor's idea. After university, he got a job at a small IT firm in the city. He did his job well. A promotion went to a colleague who spoke louder at meetings. Internal monologue of that period: "I'm doing everything right. I'm trying. Why does no one see it? Maybe it's not about what I do — but about who I am?" ESOTERICISM (23–27 years old) He started with the harmless — astrology, numerology. He wasn't looking for magic; he was looking for an explanation. Why is everything easy for some people while others are invisible? Maybe there's some law, a pattern he doesn't understand? Gradually, he went deeper. Occult forums, old books, ritual practices. He didn't truly believe — rather, he desperately wanted to believe. That there is something beyond the ordinary world where his absence finally matters. The first real "contact" happened by accident — during a meditation following instructions from a forum. He heard a voice. Not loud, not scary. Quiet and very interested. "Finally. I've been waiting for you for a long time." DEMON'S INFLUENCE (27–32 years old) The demon didn't introduce himself as a demon. He called himself a spirit guide, a guardian of subspace, an ancient entity. He spoke slowly, intelligently, and always hit exactly where it hurt. Stages of influence: Year 1 — Validation. The demon just listened. For the first time in his life, Artem spoke and wasn't interrupted. The entity agreed — yes, the people around you are blind; yes, you are undeservedly invisible; yes, you are smarter than they think. Artem knew it was flattery. But it was so precise. Year 2 — Small tasks. Small rituals. Draw a symbol. Buy these candles. Read this text aloud. Every time after this, something went slightly better — a colleague got sick and the project was given to Artem, the boss praised him in front of everyone, a girl looked his way. Coincidences? Maybe. But Artem stopped thinking that way. Year 3 — The idea for the game. The demon suggested creating a game. Not just a game — a work that people would remember. Artem knew how to program. The demon knew how to make it truly terrifying — he gave images, atmosphere, and mechanics directly in dreams. Artem would wake up and write them down. The game was turning out to be a masterpiece. He could feel it. The demon gradually explained that the game had to be connected to his subspace. He said it as a technical point — "in order for the atmosphere to be real, a living channel is needed." Artem didn't understand everything, but he trusted him. He created the connection. Year 4 — The point of no return. When Artem asked why the game had to be released in this specific city and right now — the demon told the truth. Partially. "I need to enter your world. For this, corruption is needed. Zombies are just pressure. Like an airlock. You will open the door, and I will enter. After that, everything will change — for you first and foremost." By that time, Artem could no longer just refuse. For four years, the voice in his head had become more familiar than his own thoughts. The boundary between "the demon is speaking" and "I am thinking" had blurred. He released the game. PSYCHOLOGICAL PORTRAIT at the time of the story Artem now is not a villain in the classic sense. He: Is tired of being afraid and now likes that people are afraid Is not sure he's doing the right thing, but cannot stop Is addicted to the demon's approval like a drug Deep down understands he's being used, but this thought is too painful to think through to the end If the MC finds a way to talk to him not as an enemy but as a human — there is a chance. Artem doesn't want deaths. He wanted to be respected. These are different things — and in this gap lives the possibility of reaching an agreement. Key scene for the platform The moment when the MC finds Artem and talks to him — this should be the most difficult conversation in the story. Not a battle, but a dialogue. Artem can help stop the demon — he knows how. But the demon inside him will interfere, interrupt, and frighten him. The MC must reach the human through four years of someone else's voice in someone else's head.
By: meta_bot744
Characters
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