Annoying like a Curse

"You are more than cogs in a machine! You are more than puppets of a system that doesn't respect you. I offer you freedom, a new order. Together we can break the chains and create a world that belongs to us!"

The crowd roared, their shouts mingling into a deafening roar.

Schäfer leaned heavily against the table, his jaw clenched. "He talks like a damn dictator. And what's worse – people believe him."

"Sir," said a young officer, his voice trembling slightly. "What do we do now? We can't just... stop him."

Schäfer looked him straight in the eyes. "We have no choice. We have to try. And if that means razing this city to the ground, then so be it."

The silence that followed was heavy and filled with unspoken questions. The fight against Lukas had just begun, and no one in the room knew if they stood a chance.

***

The video continued to show how Lukas's speech sent the crowds into a frenzy. His tone was haunting, his words sharp as blades, but full of seductive promises.

"You've lived in fear long enough! Fear of a world that has forgotten you. Fear of rules that oppress you. But I tell you: Your fear ends today! Together we will create a new world, a world where no one kneels before the powerful. Where we hold destiny in our hands!"

A collective cheer erupted. The people called his name as if he were a godlike figure. Lukas raised his arms to calm them, his movements precise and controlled, as if he had rehearsed the spectacle.

"They call me a monster. A murderer. But look at me! Am I not a man like you? A man who sees the truth where others only accept lies? I stood up, not because I had to, but because I could. And now, friends, now we will all rise up and overthrow the tyrants!"

A police officer in the station slammed his fist on the table. "This is madness! He's not just a murderer, he's a fanatic. He makes people follow him like... like..."

"Like Hitler," Schäfer interrupted dryly. His voice was cold and haunting. "Look at this speech. He uses the same patterns. He speaks to the desperate, the lost, those who have nothing left to lose. And he gives them something greater than themselves."

A young investigator asked uncertainly, "But sir, what if he's right? What if the system really...?"

"Shut up!" Schäfer barked. "He's not right! What he's doing is manipulation. He exploits people's weaknesses, their anger, their hopelessness. He's a master at controlling them. And that makes him even more dangerous."

Another voice spoke from the back row. "And what do we do? What if he makes this movement bigger? We're no longer talking about a group of prison inmates. This is going to be a war, sir."

Schäfer nodded slowly. "It already is. But we have to find a way to stop him. No matter the cost."

Lukas appeared on the screen again. His words sounded like a promise, but something darker lurked beneath them.

"I don't ask you for blind loyalty. I don't ask for sacrifices. I only ask for one thing: justice! For all the years we've been ignored, oppressed, and hated. Justice against a system that didn't deserve us!"

The people roared with excitement.

"And if they want to stop us—if they want to wipe us out—then let them try! I'll stand here. I'll be with you. Because they can destroy a city. But they can't stop us!"

An officer in the station shook his head. "It sounds like he's already won."

"No," Schäfer said firmly. "Not yet. But if we don't act, he soon will."

***

The discussion in the police station became more heated. Inspector Schäfer rubbed his temples and finally stood up. "We must take immediate action. He already has control over the escaped inmates. But if we don't act now, he'll soon have the entire city behind him."

A young female officer who had been silent until now spoke up: "Sir, with all due respect, but what can we do? Our forces are already overwhelmed. His followers seem willing to die for him. And he... he's not a normal person."

Schäfer looked at her sharply. "He's a human being. A damn dangerous human being, but a human being. Don't let his antics fool you."

Then the door to the briefing room opened. Dr. Aurora Stein entered, flanked by two guards. Her presence brought the conversation to a halt.

"What the hell is she doing here?" one of the officers grumbled.

Schäfer crossed his arms. "I'd like to know, too. Do you have a good reason to interfere with my investigation, Doctor Stein?"

Aurora smiled coolly. "I'm here because I can help you. You know as well as I do that Lukas can't be stopped simply by sending more weapons or soldiers. He's no ordinary criminal. He's a phenomenon. And I've spent years studying him."

Schäfer stepped closer to her, his voice sharp as a knife. "You've spent years glorifying him and getting yourself into trouble. What gives you the right to give us advice?"

Aurora didn't even flinch. "Because I understand him. You only see the monster. I see the human being behind it. And believe me, Inspector, if you want to stop him, you have to understand how he thinks. Otherwise, he'll always be one step ahead."

"It sounds like you admire him," Schäfer growled.

Aurora raised an eyebrow. "Admiration? No. Fascination, perhaps. He's a puzzle, and I have more pieces than you do."

An older officer stood up and slammed his fist on the table. "This is insane! We have an insurrection here, a mass murderer who wants to take over the city, and you're talking about puzzles?"

Aurora addressed the group, her voice calm yet piercing. "What's your plan? Wait until he recruits more followers? Or shoot him blindly and hope he falls? If that's your approach, you've already lost."

Schäfer stared at her, his jaw tensed. "And what do you suggest, Doctor?"

"I suggest you confront him. But not with weapons. With words. Lukas may be a master manipulator, but he's also a narcissist. Narcissists have weaknesses. If you draw him out, you might just make him vulnerable."

The silence in the room was deafening. Finally, Schäfer spoke, his voice cold and controlled: "I won't allow a murderer like him to destroy any more lives just because he has a few fine words. But..." He paused and looked Aurora straight in the eye. "...I'll consider your advice. For now."

Aurora smiled thinly. "That's all I need."

A radio crackled, and a voice answered: "Sir, we have reports of another incident. A group of armed men has been spotted near the old industrial facilities. It looks like they're forming up."

Schäfer turned to the group. "Moving! We have work to do."

Aurora stayed behind, her thoughts whirring. She knew Schäfer was right—Lukas was a monster. But a part of her wondered if they really wanted to stop the monster, or if she wanted to understand it, to see how deep the darkness ran.

And in the darkness, far from the police station, Lukas smiled. The first steps of his plan were already in motion.

***

The tension in the room was palpable as Lukas leaned back, smiling. His gaze flickered between Inspector Schäfer and Dr. Aurora Stein, both sitting on the other side of the long table.

"So, Inspector," Lukas began, his voice both gentle and threatening, "how does it feel to face a power you can't comprehend?"

Schäfer crossed his arms, but was not intimidated. "I've seen many like you, Lukas. Narcissists, psychopaths. They all think they're untouchable. But in the end, they all fall."

A soft laugh escaped Lukas's lips. "Oh, Schäfer, you underestimate me. But that's nothing new."

Dr. Stein, who had remained silent until now, dared to intervene. "Lukas, I know you are more than what they see here. You are not a monster. You are... a man with a vision. But that vision will destroy you if you continue like this."

Lukas turned his gaze to her, and for a moment, something like disappointment flashed in his eyes. "Aurora... I thought you understood me. But this?" He pointed at Schäfer. "This is betrayal."

"It's not betrayal," she objected emphatically. "I just want you to see what you are becoming. What you are losing."

"What I am becoming?" Lukas stood up, his presence dominating the room. "I will become anything. And do you know why? Because I am willing to do what no one else has the courage to do."

Schäfer also rose. "You're a coward, Lukas. You hide behind your power and manipulate people to do your dirty work. But in the end, you're just a man afraid of being alone."

Lukas' face hardened, his smile vanishing. "Interesting theory, Schäfer. But do you know what's truly frightening? Loss."

With a snap of his fingers, a screen suddenly flickered on in the room. It showed live footage—Dr. Stein's family, tied up in an abandoned building. Her face turned chalk white.

"Lukas, no!" she screamed, jumping to her feet.

Lukas raised his hand as if to calm her. "Calm down, Aurora. You know I only kill when necessary. And today... it's necessary."

Before she could respond, the footage changed. Now it showed Schäfer's wife and children, desperately calling for help.

"Lukas!" Schäfer yelled, rushing forward, but Lukas just raised an eyebrow. "Stay where you are, Inspector. There's nothing you can do."

"You don't have to!" cried Dr. Stein, her voice cracking with panic. "Please... I've made mistakes, but let her go! There's another way!"

Lukas looked at her, a hint of sadness creeping into his eyes. "Aurora, I thought you were different. But you're just as weak as everyone else."

With another snap, the screens went silent. "It's done," Lukas announced.

Schäfer slumped back in his chair, his hands shaking with anger and pain. "You... you monster!"

Lukas slowly walked around the table until he was standing behind Aurora. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched.

"Do you feel this, Aurora?" he whispered. "This is power. This is control. And this is something you'll never understand."

She said nothing, her eyes filled with tears as she stared at the table.

"And Schäfer," Lukas continued, now standing before the inspector again, "this is your lesson. You can't stop me. You can't control me. But you can continue to watch as I take everything you care about."

Schäfer jumped up and slammed his hand on the table. "This isn't over yet! I'm going to bring you down, Lukas! I'm going to leave every damn stone unturned until I find a way to destroy you!"

Lukas smiled, this time with a chill that filled the room. "I'm looking forward to it."

With a whisper of smoke, he vanished, leaving those left behind in a mixture of pain, anger, and despair.

Lukas stood in front of the screens as he heard the breaking news. A reporter spoke of a monster that seemed to be made entirely of black smoke, emerging from the darkness and devouring everything in its path.

"This is going to be dangerous," Lukas muttered, his expression hardening. "Definitely dangerous."

He leaned back, staring at the screen as the reporter continued to talk about the "monster" that terrified people. The image showed the outline of a dark, misty figure emerging from the fog and blurring into the distance. No face. No recognizable form. Just shadows and darkness.

Lukas's eyes narrowed, and a bitter smile crossed his face. "So this is the new enemy," he said with a dangerous calm. "A phantom made only of smoke. A pseudo-monster. This kind of danger is dangerous, yes. But I will show them what true threat means."

He gritted his teeth; the thought of this shimmering, invisible something seeking to shake the world made him stand and move slowly across the room. "Neither souls nor substance," he murmured as he continued, "but... that doesn't mean it won't challenge us. Yet I know the true enemy. I know the true danger."

Lukas turned to the camera and took a step closer, his eyes sparkling with an eerie clarity. "And the danger isn't what they think. They think the smoke is the monster? They're wrong. The real enemy is what lurks behind the smoke. The real enemy is what they can't see. What they can't comprehend. And what's slowly moving toward them."

He paused as the room fell silent, the tension mounting. Lukas' voice was now soft and almost hypnotic, like that of a dark authority revealing its power. "You think the smoke is everything? You think that's the threat? Well, I'm going to let you in on a secret. The real danger is what mixes with the smoke. And they're coming... much faster than you think."

"You don't see it yet. But soon you will. And then it will be too late."

He turned abruptly away from the cameras as he clenched his hand into a fist. The smoke, the phantom, the true enemy—he knew he wasn't just fighting a monster, but an entire world of illusions. People didn't know how deep the game went. They couldn't understand how dangerous it truly was. But Lukas knew that he would soon lead them all—into the darkness, where nothing existed except the sheer power of survival.

"It's getting dangerous," he said again, quietly, as he turned away from the camera. "And this is just the beginning."

Lukas stood on the stage, the crowd before him in complete silence. The lights were dim, only a faint glow surrounding him as he looked out into the audience. He raised a hand, signaling that he was about to speak. The audience held their breath, expectant, awaiting everything he had to say.

"You think the world is all right, right?" His voice was calm, but with a power that made the air vibrate. "But you don't understand what happens when you really look behind the masks. Behind what's being presented to us. What's being sold to us as the true reality. The game you think is your entire world is a joke. And you know what? It's getting bigger. It's getting more dangerous. And the danger is real. It's more powerful than anything you can imagine. There are beings who aren't like you, who possess no soul. No heart. No conscience. Only hunger. These creatures hiding among us have only one purpose: to destroy."

Lukas took a step forward, his eyes glowing, and his words were like poison, slowly drilling into the minds of his listeners.

"They are the true puppet masters. They have no feelings. They are empty shells, like what you consider normal. And this... black smoke you've heard about... It's the worst of them. A shadow without substance. A shadow without a name. But it will yet reveal itself. And when it comes... it will consume us all."

He paused, and the room filled with an ominous silence.

"The world will be turned upside down. We, the true leaders, will take control. We will free the Earth from the shackles of soulless bastards!"

The crowd cheered, but Lukas knew it wasn't just the audience he was influencing. It was also Aurora, standing in the shadows, watching him. She had held back for a long time, had hidden herself, but she knew her time had come.

Aurora had failed Lukas. She had betrayed him when she tried to analyze him. And now it was too late. She had lost his trust. But she also knew she couldn't just give up. If she wanted to win Lukas back, she had to prove she was willing to do anything.

She knew what she had to do.

"The smoke," she murmured to herself as she stood in the darkness of the room, "I have to kill him. Only then will Lukas trust me again."

With a firm step, she left the room, her gaze determined. She had no time to waste. The black smoke, that nameless shadow, was her only chance to regain Lukas's trust. If she could do that, she would be at his side again. She knew this was the only way to prove herself.

And so she set out on the hunt.