1. Tragic Murder

Kazan, a beautiful city in Russia with a blend of classic and modern architecture, stood as a silent witness to the life of Mr. Vadim's family. Their house, located on the outskirts of the city, was surrounded by lush trees and the cool air that was always refreshing after a long day of work.

Mr. Vadim and his wife, Mrs. Disca, were a respected lecturer couple at the University of Kazan. Their life seemed ordinary, filled with academic pursuits and teaching routines, yet full of small joys between them.

That day, the sky over Kazan was a pale gray, a sign that rain would soon fall. After a day of teaching at the campus, Mr. Vadim and Mrs. Disca returned to their home with tired bodies but peaceful hearts.

"Disca, today was truly exhausting. The seminar went on longer than I expected," said Mr. Vadim to his wife as he opened the door to their house.

"Yes, I know, Vadim. However, it seems the seminar was successful. The students seemed enthusiastic," replied Mrs. Disca with a small smile on her face.

After entering, they began to take off their jackets and shoes. Mr. Vadim gazed at their warm and comfortable living room. Simple wooden furniture and rows of books on the shelves added to the peaceful atmosphere inside the house. For a moment, the busyness of the campus that had consumed much of their time was forgotten.

However, that peace did not last long. Just as they were preparing to sit back and relax and enjoy warm tea, a loud noise was heard from the front door of their house. Before Mr. Vadim could react, the door slammed open violently, hitting the wall behind it.

Several large men, dressed in all black and wearing masks, quickly entered his house.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? Why did you enter my house without permission?" exclaimed Mr. Vadim in surprise, standing in shock in front of his wife.

The men did not answer. Instead, they moved quickly, ransacking Mr. Vadim and Mrs. Disca's house, tearing books, breaking glass, and throwing everything onto the floor. Everything that had been neat and orderly turned into chaos in a matter of minutes. Mr. Vadim tried to approach one of them, but he was immediately pushed against the wall roughly by one of the men.

"Who are you? What do you want?" shouted Mr. Vadim with anger and fear.

One of the men, who appeared to be the leader of the group, approached Mr. Vadim. He carried a pistol in his hand and spoke in a low but threatening voice.

"We know you're hiding something, Mr. Vadim. The document. Where are you keeping it?"

Mr. Vadim was stunned and did not understand the accusation. "Document? What do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about!" he retorted angrily.

The leader of the group smiled coldly, then gestured to two of his men. They approached Mrs. Disca, who was standing stiffly beside her husband. One of them pulled Mrs. Disca into the middle of the room.

"Stop! Don't hurt her!" shouted Mr. Vadim in panic, trying to move forward to protect his wife, but two other men immediately restrained him.

The leader of the group then looked at Mr. Vadim with sharp eyes.

"I don't like being lied to, Mr. Vadim. I'm very sure you know where the document is! If you don't tell me, then you will lose everything! Your house! Including your wife!" the man threatened him.

"I swear, I don't know what you're looking for! I'm just a lecturer! Please let us go!" Mr. Vadim pleaded and tried to explain to them, but there was no pity in the men's eyes.

Then suddenly, the sound of a gunshot was heard. Time seemed to stop instantly. Mrs. Disca, who had been standing quietly, appeared to fall to the floor very hard. Fresh blood flowed from her body, soaking the clean carpet of her house.

"Disca!" cried Mr. Vadim, his voice suddenly breaking as he saw his wife lying helpless. The old man tried to run towards his wife, but the large men restrained him roughly. His heart shattered instantly, his body trembling violently.

The leader looked back at Mr. Vadim with hatred.

"This is your last chance, Mr. Vadim! Come on, tell me quickly! Where are you hiding the document?"

Tears suddenly began to flow down Mr. Vadim's cheeks, but he remained steadfast. He then spoke very loudly,

"I don't know what you mean! I'm not hiding anything! Why don't you understand?"

Seeing his despair, the leader sighed deeply, as if bored with all of Mr. Vadim's charade.

"Oh, so you remain consistent in knowing nothing, it seems? Alright ... in that case, you apparently don't value your own life!" he snapped with a fierce face.

The cruel man then gestured to his men. Without much talking, they began to pour flammable liquid all over the room. The pungent smell of gasoline immediately filled every room in the house.

"What are you doing? No! Don't!" shouted Mr. Vadim, now the man was completely desperate. He tried to break free, but his strength was not comparable to the gang.

"This is the result of your lies, Mr. Vadim," said the leader of the gang in a flat tone.

One of his men then lit a match and threw it towards the many spills of gasoline. In a matter of seconds, the fire started, spreading quickly to all corners of the house. Thick smoke began to fill the room.

The men in black immediately left the house, leaving Mr. Vadim in the midst of panic and deep sorrow. With a trembling body, Mr. Vadim tried to crawl towards his wife's body lying on the floor, trying to ignore the increasingly stinging heat.

"Disca ... Disca ... wake up!" he whispered in a faint voice, his voice almost drowned out by the flames.

However, Mrs. Disca's body remained motionless. Her face, which used to always greet Mr. Vadim with a smile, now looked pale and cold. Mr. Vadim felt his world collapse. The woman he loved had now left him forever.

The smoke grew thicker, the heat grew more intense. Mr. Vadim, with an increasingly weak body, realized that there was no way out. But he still tried to reach for his wife's hand, even though his consciousness began to fade.

And in the midst of the flames devouring their house, Mr. Vadim whispered for the last time,

"Forgive me, Disca .... I ... I couldn't protect you."

The usually peaceful city of Kazan now became a silent witness to the tragedy of the small family. Mr. Vadim's house, which was once full of happiness, now turned into ashes and rubble swept away by fire and greed.”