Annoying like a Curse

Aurora and Schäfer left the cemetery together, the solemn atmosphere of the funeral still heavy in the air. Their footsteps echoed on the gravel path as they approached the playground where they had last seen their children. The wind blew cool, and the sky was now covered with dark clouds, slowly swallowing the sun.

"I still can't believe it," Aurora said quietly, her voice shaky. "Lenny..."

Schäfer nodded, but his eyes were sharp as he scanned the playground.

"Max and Lukas must be around here somewhere," he murmured.

They continued walking, but when they reached the playground, their breath caught in their throats.

"Where are they?" Aurora asked, horrified.

The swing set gently swaying in the breeze, but otherwise the area was deserted. No laughter, no footsteps, only silence.

"They... they couldn't have just left. They were just here," said Schäfer, who began to look around worriedly.

"Lukas!" Aurora cried desperately, but her voice was lost in the empty air.

Schäfer pulled his cell phone from his pocket and quickly typed a message. "I'll call the police," he said as he dialed the number.

But the minutes passed without any action.

"Something's wrong," Schäfer murmured as he scanned the area.

Aurora nodded, her heart pounding. "Why... why aren't they here? What's going on?"

They took a few more steps, the worries in their heads growing with each moment.

"I'll start looking for them," Schäfer said as he walked resolutely in the direction they had come with the children earlier.

Aurora stopped, her gaze falling on the empty seesaws and the swing set swaying in the wind.

"What just happened?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

Schäfer turned and looked at her with a serious expression. "We'll find out soon, Aurora. But now we must act."

They continued walking, their steps firm, but the unrest in their hearts persisted.

Darkness had long since swallowed the cemetery, and the streetlights began to flicker as the police investigation slowly gathered momentum. A mobile command center had now been set up in the cemetery parking lot, and the air was filled with the tense energy of the police officers. The officers were running back and forth, talking frantically on their phones, and the lights of patrol cars flashed everywhere.

Schäfer and Aurora stood on the sidelines, their gazes thoughtful. The inspector had removed his vest and was now reaching into his pockets as he considered the scenario. A few patrol cars drove by, and the hectic commotion had transformed from a peaceful funeral ceremony into a nightmare.

"I'm sorry, Aurora," Schäfer said as he turned to her. "We need to investigate harder. There are too many unanswered questions. But I won't let us lose the children."

Aurora nodded silently, but the look in her eyes betrayed that she was gradually preparing for the worst.

"What do we know?" she asked calmly, her voice cooler than she felt comfortable with.

"The children are missing. No witnesses. Nothing. But one thing is certain: They didn't just leave. Someone took them."

Schäfer nodded toward an investigator approaching her with a laptop. "The first search results are coming in. The area around the cemetery has already been canvassed. No one has seen them. No footage on the security cameras. There's no evidence that they left voluntarily with anyone."

"Where are the next search areas?" Aurora asked as she analyzed the situation. "The area remains closed," the investigator explained, "but the discovery of a car near the edge of the woods... that made us suspicious."

Aurora raised her eyebrows. "And why is that important?"

"Because the car had a red license plate belonging to an unknown vehicle. One guess: It could be the perpetrator's car."

"Do we have any identification yet?" asked Schäfer, creeping closer to the conversation.

"Not yet. We've reviewed all available footage from the areas surrounding the woods. The owner of the car is still unknown. But there is a witness who saw someone in a black suit and wearing a mask disappear near the woods."

"Have we interviewed the witness?" asked Aurora.

"He didn't say much, but we're working on it. He seems to know something."

Schäfer nodded. "That's our next point."

Aurora folded her arms, her expression hard. "And what about the house? The house at the edge of the woods?"

"The investigation is still ongoing. It could be the perpetrator's hideout. We've sent someone there, but the area is difficult to comb. More than 20 houses in the area are abandoned. It will take time to clarify everything."

"Okay," said Aurora, "but we're on the right track. We need to find out more about the perpetrator. What do we know about his motive?"

The investigator hesitated briefly. "Not much yet. But we have clues that the children knew more than they were letting on. Something big is going on, Aurora."

"Let us know what we find out. I don't want to leave any stones undiscovered," she said, patting Schäfer on the shoulder.

He nodded, his expression becoming even more serious. "I'll do everything I can to find them, Aurora. And I won't let that bastard get away with it."

The police began to delve deeper into their investigation. Witnesses were interviewed, leads were analyzed, and every piece of information, no matter how insignificant, was examined by the officers. But despite all their efforts, the result remained the same: the children were gone, and there was no trace leading to a perpetrator.

"Remember not to make any mistakes, Schäfer," Aurora finally said as they slowly moved away from the scene. "Time is against us."

***

Three years had passed since the children disappeared, and the investigation had officially been closed. The case had become an unsolved mystery, a blot on the police files. But neither Schäfer nor Aurora had ever given up. They had quietly continued their investigation, tirelessly, in secret, far from the public eye.

Schäfer was sitting at his desk, his gaze fixed on the countless documents in front of him, when he suddenly heard a soft knock on the door. It was late, darkness had long since filled the room, and only the dim light of the lamp illuminated the files. Aurora stepped to the door and quietly closed it behind her.

"Do you have anything?" she asked quietly, without taking her eyes off the papers.

"Nothing that's getting us anywhere. But I can't shake the feeling we're close to finding something. Something's wrong here, Aurora."

She nodded as she sat down next to him. "I have the same feeling. But... we've checked everything. Nothing. There are no more clues. No evidence."

"There's something we must have missed. Something the perpetrator has eluded us..."

No sooner had he said that than they heard the knocking on the door again, this time louder and more insistent. Schäfer stood up, his hand going to his gun, which he always kept within reach. It was a strange sound—not a harmless knock, but an ominous, aggressive hammering.

"Stay calm," Aurora whispered, reaching for her own bag, which was hidden on the table next to her. Before they could react, the door burst open, and two figures burst into the room. They wore black clothing and masked their faces, only their eyes flashing through the darkness. Without a word, they attacked immediately. One of the attackers lunged at Schäfer, who quickly went on the defensive, while the other focused on Aurora.

A fight broke out, faster than either of them expected. Schäfer grabbed the attacker who was charging at him and slammed him against the table. The fall caused the man to stagger briefly, but the other attacker used the moment to lunge at Aurora.

"Aurora!" Schäfer yelled as he tried to free himself from his opponent.

Aurora reacted lightning fast. She pulled a knife from her pocket and parried the attack with a precision one would not have expected. The attacker gasped and backed away, but then attacked again. "You won't escape," he whispered before charging at her with relentless force.

Schäfer had managed to force his attacker to the ground, but he was quickly back on his feet, and now both fighters were moving. Each blow was an explosion of rage and desperation. Schäfer couldn't quite catch the first man as he tried to knock him off balance with a swift movement.

"We have to get out of here!" Aurora cried. Her eyes flashed with determination as she fended off the attacker once more.

But the two men didn't give in. The room was a chaos of flying furniture, blows, and brutal, quick movements. The breathing of the two fighting men was heavy and panting, sweat pouring from their foreheads.

"What do you want from us?!" Schäfer shouted as he tried to get a grip on his opponent.

But the attacker just grinned coldly. "You'll soon find out what happens."

The two mysterious figures had already drawn their weapons when Schäfer instinctively ducked. Aurora stepped back, her gaze panicked, but her hands grabbed a heavy candlestick from the table.

One of the figures pointed the gun directly at Schäfer, but Schäfer was faster. With one fluid motion, he drew his pistol and fired a shot, striking the attacker in the shoulder. The figure groaned, staggered back, but didn't drop the weapon.

"Aurora, take cover!" Schäfer shouted.

Aurora didn't hesitate. She threw the candlestick with all her might at the second attacker, who narrowly dodged it while she ducked behind the couch. The man who had been hit held his shoulder and snarled, "That was a mistake."

But before he could continue, Schäfer fired again, a precise shot that knocked the man's gun out of his hand. "Who are you?" Schäfer yelled. "What do you want from us?"

The second figure moved silently and quickly, like a shadow, approaching dangerously close to Schäfer. But Aurora had taken advantage of the chaos to grab a second weapon from the cabinet drawer—an old but loaded pistol that Schäfer had always kept there. She pointed it at the attacker, her hands shaking only slightly.

"Not a step closer!" she shouted, her voice trembling, but sounding determined.

The figure paused. A low laugh sounded, deep and threatening. "You'll never win. It's already begun."

Schäfer pointed his weapon at the man with the injured shoulder. "Started what? Who sent you?"

But instead of answering, the wounded man pulled a small bullet from his pocket and threw it to the floor. A thick, dark smoke spread through the room, allowing both attackers to duck for cover.

"Damn it!" Schäfer cursed, coughing and trying to see. When the smoke cleared, the two figures were gone. All that remained was a small metal capsule with a strange symbol on it, resembling a snake biting its tail.

"Aurora, are you okay?" Schäfer asked, panting.

She nodded, but her eyes were still staring at the spot where the intruders had disappeared. "Whoever this was, they didn't just want to attack us. They wanted to warn us."

Schäfer picked up the capsule and looked at it grimly. "That wasn't a warning. That was an announcement."

Schäfer dropped the cartridge case from his hand as he approached the table, breathing heavily. Aurora already had the phone in her hand and began to dial the emergency number. But her gaze suddenly wandered to the television, which was playing silently in the background.

"Schäfer! Quick, turn on the sound!" she cried, her hand freezing in mid-air.

Schäfer turned to the remote control, grabbed it, and pressed the volume button. Immediately, a threatening voice filled the room. The screen showed three masked figures standing in a dim room. The lamp above them flickered ominously as the man in the center stepped forward.

"To the government of this city," he began, his voice icy and calculated. "We'll cut to the chase. You have something that belongs to us. Artifacts that have been stolen. You know exactly what we're talking about. You have 24 hours to return them to us."

Aurora's hand slowly dropped, the phone shaking in her grip. Schäfer stood still, staring at the screen as the terrorist continued:

"If you think we're bluffing, you're mistaken. We've planted bombs all over this city. Their destructive power is irreversible. We will not negotiate. You have exactly 23 hours, 58 minutes, and 46 seconds to meet our demands."

The camera zoomed in on a digital clock, its red numbers ticking mercilessly: 23:58:44. Seconds ticked by with unstoppable precision.

The terrorist in the center continued: "This isn't just a message to the government. The citizens of this city should know to whom they owe their hope or their suffering. Choose wisely—your time is running out."

The camera went dark, and the screen switched to a static image of the ticking clock. Aurora slowly turned to Schäfer, her face pale. "This... this is here. Our city," she whispered.

Schäfer gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and said quietly but with determination: "This is no longer a warning. This is the beginning of something terrible."

The blare of police sirens echoed through the streets as the police vehicles rolled to a stop in front of Aurora and Schäfer's house. Officers in bulletproof vests frantically exited their cars, weapons at the ready. They immediately gained access and began searching the entire building.

Aurora stood on the porch, her gaze fixed on the distance, while Schäfer briefed operations command. "It's a race against time," he muttered, pointing to the television, where the terrorists' countdown continued relentlessly.

Inside, the police officers moved systematically through each room. One of them, however, a young man named Krause, seemed more nervous than the others. He kept looking over his shoulder, as if something were watching him.

Suddenly, Krause left the group. Without telling anyone, he sneaked out of the house and pulled out a cell phone. He dialed a number as he walked away from the others. "This is Agent Krause," he whispered into the phone. "The government must be informed immediately. I have information that the terrorists are operating in this house."

A few minutes later, helicopters could be heard in the sky. Government units, heavily armed and equipped with the latest equipment, stormed the compound. They surrounded the house and ordered the police to withdraw.

"What's going on?" Schäfer shouted angrily. "We're in the middle of an investigation!"

An agent, who clearly knew more than he wanted to reveal, stepped forward. "This is now a matter of national security," he said coolly, holding Schäfer back.

As government units combed the house, hidden rooms and secret passages were discovered. One led to the basement, another seemed to end behind a concealed door. In one of the rooms, they found maps of the city with markers at strategic points. A team reported that explosive remnants had been found in one of the rooms.

The air grew increasingly tense as an agent shouted from the basement, "We've found something!" Everyone rushed downstairs. In the dim basement room, they discovered a surveillance camera pointed directly at the room they were standing in.

"They're watching us," one of the officers whispered, and an uncomfortable silence spread.

Suddenly, a loudspeaker in the corner of the room switched on. The terrorist's voice, ice-cold and calculating, broke the silence: "You're fast. But not fast enough. By the time you're searching this house, the city will already be in our grasp."

At that moment, an explosive device exploded, shaking the house, and parts of the roof collapsed. The government units hastily retreated, while Schäfer and Aurora sought cover outside the door.

"This is a game," said Schäfer, his eyes flashing with determination. "And we're the pawns."

Aurora and Schäfer climbed into the car without a word, the tension between them palpable. The countdown on television was indelible in their minds. Schäfer started the car and drove off, leaving the sirens of the government units behind them.

"What's the point?" Aurora finally asked, staring out the window as the trees of the forest passed by. "The government has all the resources we don't."

Schäfer glanced sideways at her, his hands firmly on the steering wheel. "Resources are useless if they're blind. We know this town better than any of them. If anyone can find these bastards, it's us."

The forest grew thicker, the shadows between the trees deeper. The narrow road wound like a dark ribbon through the undergrowth until it suddenly ended in a clearing. Ahead of them stood an old, eerie house overgrown with moss and ivy.

Aurora frowned. "This... has never been here before. I've been walking through these woods since I was a child. I know every corner."

Schäfer turned off the engine and got out. "Obviously not every one." He drew his weapon and walked slowly toward the building, with Aurora following behind.

The house seemed deserted, the windows dusty and broken, the door half-torn off its hinges. But something about this place felt wrong—a silence that was too complete, a feeling as if they were being watched.

"This looks like it's been abandoned for decades," Aurora murmured, pushing a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"Maybe they want us to believe that," Schäfer replied, gently pushing the door open. It gave way with a loud creak.

Inside, it was dark, the smell of mustiness and dampness hung in the air. The floor creaked beneath their feet as they slowly groped forward. "I don't know, Schäfer," Aurora whispered. "Something's not right here. This feels like a trap."

"Then we'd better be prepared," he replied, shining his flashlight into the darkness. Its beam fell on a staircase leading into the darkness and on old furniture covered with white sheets.

Aurora hesitated. "What if someone lives here? Maybe a family that has nothing to do with the terrorists?"

Schäfer snorted. "Then explain to me why I feel like something is staring at us."

They went deeper into the house, the darkness around them growing thicker, the creaking of the floorboards growing louder. Finally, they stopped in front of a locked door.

"Do you really want to know what's behind it?" Aurora asked, barely concealing the nervousness in her voice.

Schäfer nodded and gave the door a firm shove. It flew open—revealing another surprise that tested her nerves.