Annoying like a Curse

Aurora and Schäfer stood still, trying to grasp the significance of his words. The old man had just given them another clue, one so overwhelming that for a moment they could barely move.

Aurora stood frozen, her eyes wide open in horror. She stared at the old man, who continued to remain calm and unconcerned in his place. The words he had spoken were like a punch to the stomach. She could no longer control herself; the shock constricted her heart.

"Kill me!" she cried suddenly, her voice trembling. "Please, Inspector Schäfer, kill me!"

Inspector Schäfer looked at her in shock, as if he couldn't believe her words. "Hey, why would you do that? What's wrong with you? Why... why are you doing that?"

Aurora shook her head in despair, tears welling up in her eyes. "Perhaps I'll wake up in another world, with memories of us, of what was... Maybe this is the only way out. Maybe..."

The old man, Joshua, interrupted her with an almost melancholy smile as he spoke: "No. Your soul will be completely reset if you go down this path. You'll never have any memories of this world again. And you'll remember even less of this journey. Your soul will begin anew in a new world, as if everything you experienced here never happened. You'll never know what you were before."

"But... but I could at least be somewhere else in another life..." Aurora began, but the old man cut her off.

"You will travel through the multiverse, yes," he said calmly. "But you won't find what you're looking for. There are infinite worlds, infinite possibilities, but you'll never find again what you had in this world. Death isn't the key to retaining memories. Memories you possess are tied to this moment. Finding a place that remembers you—that's an impossible undertaking. You must understand that it's not simply about traveling to another point in the universe. Traveling without death is unimaginable for you humans. And traveling with memories is something that can never happen."

Schäfer stared, stunned. "So you're saying... we're lost no matter what we do?"

Joshua nodded. "The multiverse is infinite. You can't comprehend it, but that's the way it is. And the curse that possesses Lukas will lead you even further in another direction. One that doesn't even have death as a solution."

Aurora fell to her knees, the reality she had been able to convince herself for so long that they could somehow make it through shattered in an instant. She wasn't ready to accept all of this. But she knew that the truth, as gray and terrible as it was, could not be denied.

They left Lukas's house, the place that seemed to offer all the answers they would never receive. The old man, Joshua, led them out into the uncertain darkness that now defined their journey. They had no clear idea of ​​what awaited them or where the path would lead them, but they knew they had to do it. Lukas was the key—and at the same time, the answer to all the questions they should never have asked.

With heavy steps, they left the familiar terrain and began their journey, ever further, through landscapes that became increasingly strange and eerie. The silence between them was almost tangible, each lost in his own thoughts, while the old man walked ahead as if he knew exactly where they needed to go. They left the house without a word and set off. They didn't know what lay ahead, but they had no choice. The hunt for Lukas was now their only purpose.

The journey dragged on, the path seemingly endless, and the landscape constantly changed. Sometimes the path led them through dense forests whose branches closed over them as if trying to hide the horizon itself. Then again, they crossed vast, empty fields where the wind howled incessantly and the earth felt hard and barren beneath their feet.

Joshua led the way without looking back. Aurora and Inspector Schäfer followed him, their thoughts on everything they had heard, on all the knowledge he had imparted to them. But despite everything, they felt lost, crushed by the magnitude of the unknown they were only just beginning to understand. They had embarked on a journey they didn't know how to complete. What if Lukas couldn't be found? What if they arrived too late?

In the early evening, as the sky turned a dusky orange, they reached a small, secluded café. It was old and unassuming, yet it radiated a strange sense of calm that welcomed them. They went inside, sat down at a table, and ordered coffee. The old man said nothing, just a slight nod as he sat down and took a deep sip from his cup.

A strange silence filled the room, and the fatigue of the long journey began to take its toll. They drank their coffee, each lost in thought. As the sun sank behind the hills and darkness settled over the sky, they decided to spend the night there.

Arriving at the hotel room, they lay down on the beds. The room was sparsely furnished, the scent of old wood and dust hung in the air. Aurora closed her eyes, but sleep eluded them. Her thoughts kept wandering to Lukas and what they would discover on this journey. The old man, Joshua, had told them so much—but it still didn't feel like enough. The questions continued to loom, unanswered.

Schäfer, who was also lying awake, finally turned to her. "Let's get married when we're done here," he said suddenly, his voice quiet and serious. "Our child would have even wanted it."

The words caught her off guard, and for a moment, it felt as if the world around her had stopped. She blinked, unsure how to react. But then she nodded slowly. Perhaps this was the right moment to make a decision, to find something that transcended everything they had experienced so far. Perhaps this was the moment they could find something that was more than the hunt for Lukas.

But even in this moment of closeness, one unanswered question remained: Would they even be able to finish this journey before everything was lost?

In the morning, Inspector Schäfer, Aurora, and the old man left the hotel. The gray sky promised no rain, but the forest ahead seemed impenetrable. The air was cool, and the steam from their breath rose in small clouds. It was a strange feeling, as if they were embarking on a journey into the unknown, where even the day lost its meaning. They climbed into the car, the tires crunching on the wet asphalt as they covered the first part of their journey through the empty streets.

"What if we never find him?" Aurora asked quietly, staring out the window. Her voice was laced with doubt, but she kept the question to herself. The old man sitting in the passenger seat said nothing. He was silent, as always, staring at the forest that swallowed them further and further.

"We just have to keep going," Inspector Schäfer said firmly. "He'll find us eventually if we give him enough space. And maybe we'll finally find out what he really is."

The journey continued, the forest drawing closer, and they didn't notice the passage of time. The jungle of trees and vines seemed to embrace them until at some point they turned off the main road and ventured deeper into the unknown terrain.

But then, suddenly, a truck came speeding from the opposite direction. The driver lost control, and before they could react, he crashed into a tree. The impact was violent, yet somehow it seemed just another sign of the strange journey they were taking. The accident presented them with a choice—either give up or move on.

"We can't afford this," said Inspector Schäfer as they left the car. "We must move on."

The forest swallowed them once more as they moved through the thicket. The old man was still calm, striding behind them, and when they paused for a moment to get their bearings, he suddenly stopped and stared at a point in the distance.

"There's something," he murmured. They followed his gaze and finally discovered what he meant: a temple, half-hidden by the trees, rising from the earth like a relic of a long-forgotten time. The walls were overgrown with moss, and the massive stone structures were reminiscent of the ancient civilizations they had heard of in old legends.

The old man stopped, his eyes widening. "This... I wouldn't have expected to find this here," he whispered.

"What is this?" Aurora asked, looking at him, but the man said nothing more. Instead, he slowly took a step back, as if he himself could hardly believe the discovery.

Inspector Schäfer approached and began studying the symbols on the wall. "I recognize this. It's the same pattern as in the book. I saw it years ago when I was looking for Lukas, and I always thought it was a fairy tale..."

"A fairy tale? But what does that mean for us?" asked Aurora, still confused by the sudden discovery.

"It means we're in the right place," said Inspector Schäfer, her voice holding a hint of determination. "Come, let's search the temple. Somewhere here must be the key to Lukas's secrets."

Together they entered the temple and began removing the layer of dust accumulated over the centuries. There were bookshelves all around them, but none of the books seemed to be of any importance. But then, suddenly, as Aurora searched another row of shelves, she pulled out an old, red book. Emblazoned on the cover was the golden symbol of an animal mask—exactly what they were looking for.

"This is it," said Inspector Schäfer, approaching her. "This is the book that will lead us further."

But as Aurora opened the book, the temple began to change. The floor vibrated slightly, and a secret entrance opened before them. The old man, who had been silent the whole time, looked up briefly, then nodded and left.

"I'll wait outside," he said, and disappeared as if he already knew what was coming.

Aurora and Inspector Schäfer looked at each other, then stepped into the secret passage that opened before them. The path ahead was uncertain—but the temple had shown them the door, and they would walk through it to finally find Lukas.

Having discovered the temple's secret passages, Inspector Schäfer and Dr. Aurora Stein slowly entered the room, which was illuminated by an eerie, faint light. The gate behind them closed with a soft creak. Their footsteps echoed through the old, dusty corridors, and the ancient temple seemed to sink deeper and deeper into darkness. They looked around and found themselves in a huge library filled to the brim with yellowed, dusty volumes.

"This..." Schäfer murmured as he ran his hand over the bookshelves. "I've seen this before..."

"Where?" Aurora asked. "When?"

"In the book," he said after a brief pause, "the one Joshua gave us. Some of the symbols here are the same."

Aurora nodded thoughtfully, and the two began searching the shelves. Suddenly, Aurora came across a particularly old, red-covered book with a golden animal mask as its symbol. She pulled it from the shelf and carefully flipped through the pages. Inspector Schäfer leaned over her shoulder as he read the opening lines.

"Infinite years ago, when the concept of life and the concept of magic were created, the evil god knew he had to create something as well. But he was the reaction of evil, not the force of creation. So he manipulated a very powerful magician to create a curse. He wanted to turn the power of magic and life to evil."

He paused as he read the next line. "The magician didn't know he was being manipulated by evil. He had no idea he was creating something terrible. And he wasn't rewarded for his actions. On the contrary, he was trapped by the power he himself unleashed."

Aurora stared at the book in horror. "That... that's exactly what Joshua told us," she whispered. "He didn't tell us everything."

Schäfer continued to turn the pages, his voice trembling slightly. "And according to a legend, millions of years later, two people—two chosen ones—will be led to this temple. They will find the book and read it. And then... the curse will discover them."

The truth hit them full force. Inspector Schäfer and Aurora looked at each other, the terrible knowledge they had just gained reflected in their eyes. Joshua, the old man, was the magician who had created the curse.

"Oh my God," said Aurora, hastily turning around and eyeing the temple door. "Joshua..."

"He knew," murmured Schäfer. "He pretended he had no idea, and now he's..."

They ran out of the library, back into the temple corridor, but the old man had disappeared. The place where he had stood minutes ago was empty.

"Joshua!" Aurora called into the darkness, but there was no answer.

Schäfer grabbed her arm. "He's gone. We were too late for him."

And with a feeling of helplessness and terror, they turned and left the temple.

They left the temple and were now back in the forest. The smell of damp moss and the rustling of leaves accompanied their steps. Inspector Schäfer and Aurora turned around for one last look at the temple, but what they saw made them pause. The temple that had just stood before them had simply disappeared. It was as if it had never existed.

"That... that can't be," said Inspector Schäfer, his voice filled with disbelief. "The temple... it was just there."

Aurora also stared in the direction where the temple had stood just a few minutes ago. Only trees and shadows. There was no indication that this place had ever been covered by a temple. It was as if the entire structure had vanished into thin air.

"What the hell is going on here?" she muttered, looking around. "This can't just be..."