"The Sixth Watch" by Sergei Lukyanenko, summary Automatic translate

The novel was written in 2014. This book is the finale of the famous Twilight mage series, bringing to a close the long-running story of the light mage Anton Gorodetsky. The work unites old enemies in the face of a threat capable of destroying life itself on the planet. The author brings together all the disparate plotlines of the previous installments.

The first signs of a threat and an attack on a school

A series of strange attacks rock the streets of Moscow. An unknown vampire bites random passersby, drinks a little blood, and leaves them alive. One of the victims is fifteen-year-old schoolgirl Olya Yalova. She is saved by a random police officer, Dmitry Pastukhov. Highest Light Mage Anton Gorodetsky begins an investigation. He speaks with Olya in the Dozor hospital, erases her memory, and removes the cowardly boy from her memories. The mage quickly deciphers the code left behind. The first letters of the bitten people’s names form a terrifying message: "Anton Gorodetsky, I’ve come for you." Anton immediately turns to the ancient Dozor archives, where he meets archivist Helen Killoran.

In the morning, danger looms large. The mutilated corpse of the Inquisitor is found near the school of Anton’s fourteen-year-old daughter, the Absolute Sorceress Nadezhda. The girl’s protective amulets activate a mass sleep spell, putting everyone in the building to sleep. Anton and his wife, Svetlana, rush to the crime scene. In the school hallway, a monstrous fact is revealed: the Light Mage Denis and the Dark Mage Alexei, who were guarding the girl, have completely lost their minds. The men attack Nadya’s parents with powerful elemental spells.

The couple is losing a tough battle. Even their ordinary magical shields are no match for the traitors’ attacks. Suddenly, the same unknown vampire intervenes in the fight. The undead creature saves the family from certain death, breaks Denis’s neck, impales Alexei with a piece of metal pipe, and vanishes without a trace. The heads of the Moscow Watches, Gesar and Zavulon, appear. The Great Ones report deeply disturbing news. Absolutely all of Earth’s prophets have simultaneously issued the same warning of the apocalypse.

The Twilight Prophecy and the Appearance of the Tiger

The words of the prophecy ring like a death sentence. The text states plainly: "The Sixth Watch is dead." Twilight has allotted five days for the Others and six days for humans. Only the restoration of the mysterious Sixth Watch can save the planet. Meanwhile, Anton uncovers the identity of his savior. Gesar deduces that the archivist Helen Killoran has long since left the country, and that a vampire, using powerful amnesia magic, was hiding behind her guise. Soon, a visitor in the form of a giant bat flies straight to Gorodetsky’s home. It is the thousand-year-old vampire Lilith.

The guest demands blood for answers. Nadya’s friend, the young prophet Innokenty Tolkov, voluntarily offers his life and pays the vampire. Lilith has little time to say. The Two-In-One — the god of vampires and an ancient spawn of the Twilight — has returned to destroy the mages who broke the pact. Suddenly, the Tiger materializes in the apartment’s kitchen. The Guardian of the Twilight instantly incinerates Lilith to conceal the secrets of the universe.

Having destroyed the undead, Tiger carefully collects the ashes with a regular household vacuum cleaner. The Guardian refuses to give direct answers. The Mage is forced to search for the data himself. Later, Arina reveals a strange historical detail. Back in 1914, the Higher Ones voluntarily erased their memory of the Sixth Watch. They wanted to conduct a social experiment on humanity, ignoring the ancient treaty, by orchestrating the First World War and the Russian Revolution.

The Search for Allies and the Battle of St. Petersburg

Anton goes to Paris to find Yegor Martynov. The former teenager has grown up, works as an illusionist, and remains an uninitiated potential Mirror. Gorodetsky persuades him to return to Moscow, confessing to his guilt over the boy’s broken childhood. Meanwhile, the vampires gather for an emergency meeting in New York. They want to choose a Master of Masters to join the Watch. The candidate is the ancient Neanderthal Peter. Suddenly, the false Killoran appears, kills the human servants, and seizes power. It soon becomes clear that the resurrected Kostya Saushkin was hiding behind the guise of numerous ancient vampires. Twilight himself raised him from the ashes to participate in the council.

The witches gather for their Sabbath in an Austrian hotel. They are attempting to elect a new head of the Conclave. Nadya Gorodetskaya attempts to assume the title, but the ancient artifact, a wooden phallus, fails to bloom in her hands. Anton and Tigr are forced to enter the Sarcophagus of Time. They free the former Great-Grandmother, Arina. The old witch is ready to join the ranks of the world’s defenders.

Svetlana and Nadya take refuge in a secret safe house in St. Petersburg. The security proves illusory. The Two-In-One attacks the safe house with a heavy construction crane. The couple, along with their daughter, try to escape in a car, escaping a rain of gasoline and fire. The Monster corners the fugitives, altering reality and throwing up misunderstandings. A materialized Tiger comes to the rescue.

The Guardian engages in hand-to-hand combat with the Dual One. Two incarnations of the Twilight tear each other apart in the middle of a snowy alley. The Tiger throws back his enemy, but suffers a mortal wound: half his head turns to glass. The witch Arina temporarily stops the monster. Great-grandmother crushes the beast with the treads of a snowcat and stabs it with a magic dagger. The Tiger dies forever in the arms of a weeping Nadezhda, having smoked his last cigarette.

Formation of the Watch and the final denouement

The Sixth Watch is gathering at Zavulon’s Moscow office. Its composition is determined by the laws of ancient magic. Nadya Gorodetskaya represents the Light. Zavulon represents the Darkness, shocking everyone by revealing that Anton Gorodetsky is his own grandson. Arina defends the interests of the Witches’ Conclave. Innokenty Tolkov speaks for the prophets. Kostya Saushkin represents the vampires, and Yegor Martynov represents the Mirror. All participants are inextricably bound by bonds of love, hate, strength, weakness, nobility, and betrayal.

Anton Gorodetsky himself is appointed the central link. His blood, actions, and emotions unite this motley crew. The Dual One bursts into the office, breaking Gesar’s powerful protective spells. The monster transforms into a colossal naked giant, completely consuming Denis and Alexei. The six sentries take turns chanting ritual phrases. Kostya loves Anton as a friend, but hates him as a murderer. Arina harbors unrequited feelings for the mage. Yegor is grateful for his rescue, but remembers his past manipulations. Zavulon adores his descendant, but is enraged by his Light nature. Kesha respects Nadya’s father, but is burdened by his condemnation. Nadya sincerely loves her father, but curses his willingness to sacrifice himself. They officially break the ancient blood pact and declare Anton their sacred sacrifice.

The Dual One silently accepts the terms. He deals a crushing magical blow to Gorodetsky’s back. The Apocalypse is cancelled. The Others retain their lives and magical abilities. The Twilight retreats, satisfied with the pact’s dissolution. The denouement arrives. Anton awakens on the floor of a devastated office. His wife and daughter weep with joy. The monster’s blow did not take Anton’s physical life. The Dual One simply burned away all his magical power. The Supreme Light Mage is forever transformed into an ordinary human.