"Sometimes They Die" by Natalia Turchaninova, summary Automatic translate

"Sometimes They Die" is a fantasy novel with adventure elements by Elena Bychkova and Natalia Turchaninova. The story takes place in the fictional country of Kailat, based on Nepal and the Himalayan highlands. The protagonist is Ryan, a gemstone dealer from another world who has lived in the mountains for several years among the locals and possesses a rare gift — "third sight" and "the power of the soul."

Life among the mountains

The novel opens in a mountain village: Ryan buys topazes from a local merchant, Muna, but they turn out to be small and cloudy. His neighbor, Ranpur, provides him with several large gold stones — it is for these that Ryan regularly hikes the mountain trails, delivering them to an agent in the jewelry houses of Amstel and Firenze. Late in the evening, the traveler takes refuge in an abandoned farm-nursery. That night, Muna, transformed into a predatory creature by nightfall, tries to sneak in through the window — such is the nature of the Kailatians, who become dangerous at night. Ryan holds her at bay with his blade and drives her away with willpower — an ability that his mentor, Walt, called "the power of the soul."

The next morning, descending toward the village of Namache, Rain encounters the porter Risab and a group of tourists. At the prayer stone, a vision overwhelms him: blood on the Ming La pass, torn backpacks, tattered clothes — no bodies, but no people. He alerts the guide, Raj, who turns the group back under a plausible pretext.

Kira on the trail

Among the tourists is a young woman named Kira from the northern islands — a brave, independent photographer. She is the only one in her group who trusts Rain and decides to go down with him. Along the way, on a narrow mountain path, a porter falls off a cliff, caught by a pack animal. Rain and Tengba, a Kailat man, descend the steep path to the river to retrieve the body of the deceased. Tengba turns out to be a relative of the deceased — his younger brother’s brother-in-law. The body is wrapped in cloth and hoisted up in a basket.

In Namache, Kira checks into the Snow Leopard Hotel. Rain helps negotiate with the owner, Nyima, explaining that it is not customary for foreigners to stay here without a local guide.

Throughout her journey, Kira tries to get closer to Ryan. He frankly explains the reason for his refusal: soul holders attract people against their will and against their own, and this attraction is not a personal choice.

The nature of souls

Leaving Namache, Rhine reflects on the nature of the world he inhabits. In this world, most people lack a soul — the spark that gives birth to genuine feelings, the capacity for love and compassion. Only a few receive souls, and they irresistibly attract "empty" people. In ancient times, such people were hunted in an attempt to extract the "hansa" — the soul that the Kailatians placed in their hearts. Only those with souls are capable of creating true works of art, and so they are prized, but at the same time, imperceptibly driven toward destruction.

A group from Lukula

In the village of Lukula, Ryan meets three people: photographer Jake, his girlfriend Tissa, and trainer Dick. Tissa is an old acquaintance of Ryan’s, an accomplished athlete unaccustomed to altitude. Jake and Dick are skeptical, heedless of warnings about local rules. Ryan leads them on an acclimatization hike up the Muse Khola River, explaining the rules: don’t touch the plants, don’t drink the river water, stay indoors before dark, and don’t display affection in public — the latter of which he justifies with a local legend about a cruel goddess.

Night in the cave

The group finds themselves in a mountain cave at night. A motionless silhouette in blood-stained clothing appears in the darkness near the entrance — clearly a dead man or a creature impersonating him. Stealing footsteps and indistinct whispers are heard outside. Tissa clings to Ryan, Kira on his other side. Ryan stays awake all night, holding a rope across the entrance to keep away the creatures of the night.

At dawn, it turns out that the guide, Raj, has been killed: his body lies nearby, covered in blood, and his head is missing — carried away by animals or birds. Kira is wounded and can barely walk. Tissa and Rhine lead her by the arms. The group slowly descends toward the Ferche Valley — an open, rocky plateau amid the gigantic peaks of Cholaste, Taboche, Pokalda, Gray Old Man, Yu-Choi, and Lonely Maiden.

The world beyond the mountains

Throughout the narrative, Kailat is presented as a place where the diurnal and nocturnal natures of people are diametrically opposed, where the mountains punish transgressors, and where Rhine’s predictions prove accurate time and again. The mundane trade of stones, encounters on the trail, conversations in lodges, and the death of a porter — all of this comes together to create a picture of life where the supernatural is not isolated but exists side by side with the everyday.