Annoying like a Curse

They stood still for a moment, completely confused, then turned around and walked toward the damaged car. But to their astonishment, the truck that had passed them earlier was also still there—undamaged, as if nothing had happened. But the man inside was dead. It was a terrifying sight.

"How the hell is that possible?" Aurora knelt down and checked the man's pulse. "Dead. But... how can he be here when everything else is gone?"

"He must have been thrown from the truck," Inspector Schäfer said calmly. "And the car is... intact?"

With a look that showed both determination and confusion, they grabbed the dead man and dragged him to the edge of the cliff to dispose of him. Without further words, they pushed the body down, watched him disappear into the darkness, and then climbed into the truck.

They drove back to the hotel, the silence between them oppressive. But as they started the engine and set it in motion, something else seemed to flow through the room. A faint but distinct presence of magic.

"This... what is this?" Aurora was the first to sense it. "Magic... it's still here. How can that be possible?"

Inspector Schäfer sensed it too and looked questioningly at Aurora. "Magic? Here? But... how?"

"I don't know," Aurora murmured, "but somehow it feels like we're not alone. Something's still pulling us..."

The feeling of unrecognized magic hovered over them as they drove back to the hotel, but it was the last thing they could explain at that moment.

They finally arrived back at the hotel, the car doors creaking as they parked. The engine died, and the twilight sky settled over the city. Inspector Schäfer and Aurora got out, their minds still reeling from the events of the past few hours. Everything seemed to be happening at once—the temple that had disappeared, the magic that was suddenly palpable again, and then the dead man in the truck. But the moment they opened the hotel door and entered the room, they felt an almost tangible tension in the air.

There, in the middle of the room, stood he.

Lukas.

He stared at them with an almost triumphant expression. A cold smile spread across his face, and he crossed his arms. "So, so... you're back. And what did you find out?" he asked calmly, his voice dripping with scorn.

Aurora, already exhausted by the recent events and full of rage, rushed towards him without hesitation. "Come! Come, if you dare! You stupid concept of curses!" Her words were like an angry outburst, but they were also a challenge. She'd had enough of the puzzles, enough of the secrets he was building around himself.

Lukas laughed, a mocking, almost joyful laugh that echoed in the silence of the room. "You think you can challenge me? You think I'd come for you?" His eyes flashed evilly as he slowly straightened. "You don't seriously think you're anything to me. You're nothing... just part of the game."

But the moment Lukas finished his words, he flinched. A sharp pain shot through his body, and he suddenly doubled over, as if something invisible had struck him with full force. He pressed his hands to his head and almost fell to the ground, a horrified expression contorting his face.

"What... what's happening here?" he gasped, the pain evident in his voice.

Aurora and Inspector Schäfer just stood there, completely surprised by the sudden turn of events. What had just happened to Lukas? And what was the source of this sudden pain?

The air in the room suddenly felt heavy and cold as a deep, dark voice emerged from the darkness, filled with unimaginable rage. It didn't seem to come from Lukas, but from an invisible, overpowering entity hovering in the room.

"You think you can talk to me?" the voice echoed. It sounded like the rumble of a storm, full of contempt and dark power. "You have no right to concern yourself with me. And even less the right to treat Lukas as the concept of curses. You have disguised yourselves as that which you do not understand."

Lukas groaned under the weight of the pain that suddenly shot through his body. His knees nearly buckled as a burning, paralyzing heat surged through his body from within. He couldn't even scream, so intense was the pain that gripped him as he lashed out at the curses he couldn't control.

"You are nothing," the dark voice continued. "You're a weakling, a joke, a worthless part of me. You can't talk to me. You can only endure."

Aurora stared at Lukas, trembling and trying to find words. "Lukas, please..." she whispered desperately, "What have you done?"

"I shouldn't have done that..." Lukas murmured, his face twisted. "I... I just wanted to know... I wanted to understand what was out there, what was happening to me, but I... I got too involved in it..."

"You're the mistake," spoke the concept of curses, his voice cold yet powerful. "And I could kill Lukas. But that's not necessary. What you've done is already enough. You gave up on yourself when you tried to talk to me. And you'll suffer for that."

The room felt as if it were darkening around them as an invisible pressure choked the air. It wasn't just the pain in Lukas's body, but also the pressure of the dark power that haunted him to the deepest recesses of his existence. "Lukas..." whispered Inspector Schäfer, emerging from the corner of the room. "You've truly embraced the concept of curses, but what you're doing here will destroy you."

"I know..." Lukas gasped, his voice barely more than a whisper, "But it's too late. There's no way back."

The dark voice laughed, as if recognizing the complete failure in Lukas's words. "You are part of me, Lukas. You are no longer yourself. You have connected yourself with something beyond yourself. And now you will bear the consequences."

With every word that came from the voice, Lukas seemed to lose more and more of himself; the pain in his body became unbearable. Yet he still held himself upright, as if he wanted to at least see what he had done through to the end.

"I could simply kill you," the Concept of Curses spoke again, its voice filling the room with a terrible emptiness. But it wasn't necessary. The destruction was already within Lukas himself.

"You... you won't break us..." Aurora breathed, clinging to Inspector Schäfer. "We will find a way to save you. We won't allow you to destroy yourself."

But the dark voice only responded with a mocking laugh, as the terrible power flowing through Lukas continued to grow.

Lukas, writhing in pain, gasped and asked, his voice a croak, "Why do I hurt like this? What have I done? What is happening to me?"

The dark, powerful voice of the Concept of Curses answered with the same contempt as before: "When they wanted to speak to me, you pretended to be part of me. You made yourself part of me. You are not me, Lukas. You are nothing more than a shadow."

Lukas's eyes narrowed as he processed the words. "What does that mean? What's going on here?"

The Concept of Curses seemed to be laughing, the air around them felt as if it were thickening, as if an invisible wall were forming between Lukas and the others. "You're a weak joke, Lukas. You messed with me, and now you have to face the consequences."

Suddenly, the Concept of Curses spoke to Schäfer and Dr. Aurora, his voice laced with pain and a strange mixture of anger and confusion. "Do you know what he did to Max?" he asked, his eyes burning. "He ate him..."

Before Inspector Schäfer and Dr. Aurora could react, the inspector rushed at Lukas, determined to stop him, while Aurora also moved toward Lukas, as if to stop him. But suddenly, their movement stopped. They stood frozen, unable to move further.

Lukas grinned briefly, but it wasn't a joyful grin—it was a desperate, pain-distorted grin. Then it began to take effect, and the room vibrated around them. An eerie energy permeated the room, and suddenly, with a grotesque, almost supernatural jolt, Lukas collapsed and began to regurgitate something.

It was Max.

Max's healthy, living body, unharmed and full of life, spat out Lukas as he fell to the floor. Max jumped to his feet, still dazed, but quickly found his feet and rushed toward the door, embracing his parents as if reuniting with an old friend.

"You've played enough, my little curse," the concept of curses spoke with icy calm, as the dark, terrifying presence intensified in the room. "It's time you realized what you truly are."

In a moment of horrific silence, the concept of curses pulled something from Lukas' body, and it was as if something dark and horrific was sucked out of him. The power of the curse that had tormented him for so long vanished with a final hiss.

When the room calmed down again, Lukas stood there, a mere shadow of his former self. The pain had subsided, but he felt empty and confused. Everything he had understood had suddenly vanished, and he stared into the void, eyes wide open.

"What... what happened?" he whispered, confused and helpless. "What did I do?"

Just as Inspector Schäfer was about to rush at Lukas again, Dr. Aurora Stein suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"What are you doing?!" the inspector yelled, angry and confused. "Lukas led us here, he deceived us! He ate Max! What the hell is going on?!"

Dr. Aurora turned to him, her expression serious, almost determined. "Don't you understand, Inspector?" she said, her voice icy calm. "This is the real Lukas. Lukas was never really the person you knew. He was possessed, by this curse that simply took over his body."

The inspector stared at her, stunned. "What? You're talking... you're talking about the curse he had within him? That was the curse?"

Dr. Aurora nodded, her eyes burning with compassion and insight. "Yes, the curse controlled him, took away his thoughts, his feelings, his will. This," she pointed at Lukas, "is simply a helpless child in an adult body who has no idea what he's done."

Inspector Schäfer stood silent, his expression struck. Reality hit him like a hammer blow. The Lukas he had known was not the one standing before him now. The real Lukas had never been in control; he was a victim of the curse.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, Inspector Schäfer approached Lukas. The young man who had once been an unstoppable enemy now sat on the ground, his eyes wide open and filled with confusion. He was like a wounded animal caught in a world that didn't understand him.

"Lukas..." the inspector began, his voice suddenly gentle, as if he were entering into something unknown. "I'm sorry... I didn't understand you. You weren't you... You weren't you..."

Lukas looked at him with empty eyes, as if he didn't know what was happening. "What did I do?" he whispered, the pain and confusion palpable in his voice.

"You didn't do anything, Lukas," Inspector Schäfer finally said, kneeling before him, placing his hand on Lukas's shoulder. "It was the curse that used you. You aren't who we thought you were."

Lukas slowly raised his head, his eyes widening, as if realizing that the inspector no longer considered him an enemy. He was a child, lost in a world he had never wanted. Slowly, he pulled the inspector into a hug, and for a moment, everything was quiet.

The days passed quietly, and life in their small house began to return to normal. Aurora and Schäfer tried to provide Max and Lukas with as normal a family life as possible. Lukas, now no longer possessed by the curse, gradually settled into everyday life. It was as if he had left all the terrible memories behind him, but every now and then a questioning look flashed in his eyes when he thought about past events.

In the mornings, they sat together at the breakfast table. Aurora made pancakes while Schäfer talked to Max about his favorite books. Lukas drew on a large sheet of paper that almost completely covered the dining table. Laughter filled the kitchen, and for a moment, everything seemed perfect.

One afternoon, they took a trip to a nearby lake. Max splashed in the water while Aurora and Schäfer sat on the shore and watched him. Lukas retreated to a blanket, engrossed in a book Aurora had recommended. It was the first time in a long time that they all felt a sense of peace.

The weeks passed, and life seemed to stabilize. Aurora taught Max and Lukas how to cook, while Schäfer repaired an old shed in the garden with Lukas.

The weeks passed at a relaxed, almost idyllic pace. Max and Lukas were fully committed to their treehouse project. Every day they were outside, working diligently on the treehouse, which was taking shape more and more. The wooden planks lay scattered on the ground, and the sounds of hammers and sawblades filled the air. It was a simple project, but for the two of them, it was the greatest thing.

"Do you think it will be the biggest treehouse in the world?" asked Max as he held one of the beams that Lukas was nailing into the treetop with a hammer.

"Absolutely," Lukas replied with a broad grin. "Maybe not the biggest, but the coolest."

"Yes! And the highest! We need to build a tower so we can see the whole neighborhood," Max added enthusiastically, holding another plank against the treehouse wall.

"Sure," said Lukas. "And we'll build a real castle inside. With a tower and a staircase that looks like a real manor. Then we can rule the whole world."

"Haha, you're really crazy, you know that?" laughed Max.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Lukas replied as he leaned back to look at the work. "We still need to add a few bolts, but I think it's going to be fantastic."

Aurora and Inspector Schäfer looked out the window as they watched the two boys at the treehouse construction site. They were talking quietly.

"I can hardly believe how quickly they've changed," said Aurora with a smile. "Max is a normal boy again, and Lukas... Lukas is really the Lukas we know again."

"Yes," replied Schäfer. "It's as if the darkness has disappeared from their lives. I just hope it stays that way."

"We can only hope," Aurora said thoughtfully. "It took a long time, but maybe they really are free from what they went through."

Schäfer nodded, but he too couldn't shake the feeling that something was in the air. It was quiet, almost too quiet. And he couldn't help thinking that maybe they were all just having a little respite before the past caught up with them again.

"But right now," Aurora said, breaking the silence, "they look happy. That's all that matters."

"Yes, you're right," Schäfer said. "As long as they're happy, that's all that matters."

Max and Lukas continued working on their tree house, laughing and joking as they toiled with the pieces of wood and tools. The sun slowly began to set, and the sky turned soft shades of red.

"We could put the roof on tomorrow," said Lukas, looking at Max. "It's time we finished the treehouse."

"Yes, but we have to be careful so it doesn't collapse," replied Max. "Otherwise we'll ruin the whole garden."

"Don't worry," said Lukas. "We have everything under control."

And so they spent the next few days, continuing to build the treehouse, in the same harmonious rhythm. Everyday life was calm, the family bond strong, and although life was never completely without worries, in those moments it seemed like a perfect place.