Annoying like a Curse

The book continued to glow, the room filling with a dark, almost tangible energy. The door of the house closed with a dull thud. And Schäfer knew that in that moment, he was no longer simply the pursuer. He had become part of something greater, something waiting in the shadows. Something Lukas had left in this world.

Inspector Schäfer was still trembling slightly as he held the book in his hands. It had closed again, the pages now hidden behind the hard, cracked cover. But the memory of what he had just seen was like a shadow in his mind that wouldn't go away. The book's words were anchored in his soul.

He reached for his cell phone and immediately called several colleagues. "An entire unit to Lukas's old family home immediately," he ordered in a tense tone he could barely control. "There's... something you need to see. It's... not of this world."

His words echoed in the darkness of the house, and he could feel the threat growing in the air. Half an hour later, the house was full of police officers, their flashlights scanning the dark corners of the room. But the book simply remained a silent witness, lying in Schäfer's hands as if it had already seen everything.

"Look at this," Schäfer said, trying to show his colleagues that the book hadn't simply burned. "It opened... and... it's not burning. It... there was something... it wasn't normal."

A colleague carefully picked up the book and skeptically showed it to the others. "And now?" he asked. "It looks like it's nothing more than an old, cursed thing. No trace of what you described."

Schäfer took a quick look at the book. The air was cold, the tension rising. In a burst of determination and growing desperation, he picked up the book again and threw it into the fireplace once more. The flames immediately caught it, but to his horror, it didn't burn. It seemed to be struggling, as if beyond human strength. But that was too much.

"See?" Schäfer cried, now angrily. "It's... not like any other book!"

But as he turned away from the police officers, he noticed something that captivated him. The moment he stared into the flames, the fire went out. And suddenly, as if it had taken on a life of its own, the book had instantly reached a state of disintegration.

"It... it's burning!" Schäfer cried, but in the silence that followed, the room was still filled with skepticism and some disbelief.

No one could believe him. "That... that was..." he began, but none of his colleagues seemed to want to recognize the truth behind his account.

"It was... nothing," he murmured as he closed the book. "It has no value anymore... The truth is somewhere else."

Schäfer left the old house, the rain falling in heavy torrents again, as he got into the car. The image of the burning book burned itself into his mind. But despite the chaos and disappointment, he knew his investigation couldn't end. He had to find the source of everything he experienced so painfully.

His destination was clear: the hospital. The basement. The place where it all began.

He drove through the city at night, the streets empty and deserted as the rain continued to fall relentlessly. It was as if the sky itself reflected the darkness of the last few hours. The hospital basement was still there—the source of all evil. The place where he discovered the origin of Lukas's madness, and also where the true horror began.

As he entered the basement, he immediately felt the air become heavier, the darkness thickening with every step. The memories of what he had discovered here—of Lukas and his machinations—were like a shadow that never left him. The basement was silent, except for the occasional drip of water from the walls. The isolation of this place brought to light the last traces of the past.

And there, in the flickering glow of his flashlight, something seemed to lurk in the shadows—a presence that still haunted him. It was Lukas. Or what was left of him. Something beyond reality.

He knew now that he would never be truly safe again.

Inspector Schäfer stood in the hospital basement, the darkness around him pressing down like a living thing. He knew he wasn't alone, and the feeling intensified with every breath. It wasn't just the monster he'd heard about—it was what had emerged from Lukas's experiments, something unimaginable. The room seemed eerie, and the air had a thick, unbearable smell of decay.

He pulled out his cell phone and called his colleagues again.

"Immediate reinforcements! All available units, to the hospital immediately!" he ordered, his hands shaking. The tension was palpable, and he knew there was no turning back.

"Understood, Inspector," came the reply from the line, but the voice trembled just like his. They, too, knew what waited here.

As the units arrived, a shudder pierced the air. The police officers crowded into the gloomy basement, their lamps illuminating only a small part of the overall darkness. The floor was covered in damp, and the walls seemed to be infested with something unnatural. But then, as a camera crew arrived, they saw it—the monster.

It was no longer just a vague memory or a nightmare. It stood before them, with a size and presence beyond human comprehension. A black mass of tentacles, moving eerily, stretching into the darkness. The creature had eyes that looked in all directions and a body that was constantly in motion, as if it had no fixed form. It seemed more like a creature from nightmares than a living being, something that overcame the laws of nature itself.

"It... it's real!" one of the police officers cried when he saw the monster. But it was too late.

The monster attacked with a speed that overwhelmed the officers. Two of the men were instantly knocked off the ground, grabbed by the tentacle-like limbs, and dragged into the darkness. Another officer tried to shoot, but the bullets ricocheted off the mass without leaving a trace. Screams echoed through the basement, and the clanging sound of the metallic hiss made everyone in the room shudder.

"Fall back!" Schäfer yelled, retreating himself, but the creature was relentless. Even more police officers were knocked off their feet as the monster shot across the room like a shadow. A relentless nightmare that showed no mercy.

But then, when it almost seemed as if no one would escape, another team of police officers suddenly entered the room, armed with more powerful equipment designed specifically for such cases. One last desperate maneuver. They surrounded the creature, and with their combined strength, they finally managed to temporarily push the monster back. But it was clear – this was only a reprieve.

Schäfer remained motionless, beads of sweat running down his forehead as he surveyed the room and the chaos. The monster disappeared into the darkness, but it was still there, tangible. Something beyond human perception.

"Activate security protocols!" one of the police officers shouted. Another rushed to his mobile device and began documenting the incident as the teams continued to withdraw from the zone.

Photos of the creature were taken, each image further proof that they no longer lived in a normal world. Something was beyond anything they had ever known.

"This isn't normal," Schäfer murmured as he looked at the images. "It... it's... not human. It's a... a monster." His voice was barely above a whisper as he realized the terrible truth.

In the coming hours, the city was evacuated. The police, the military, and specialized units worked together to get the population to safety. But there was one ultimate goal that could no longer be denied—the city had to be destroyed.

"Nuclear evacuation is the only option," a senior military official said in a briefing. "We cannot risk this monster spreading further. There is no other choice. The city must be wiped out before more people die."

Schäfer listened, but deep down, he knew there was more to it than the government understood. Something wasn't just alive—it was more powerful than any of them could ever comprehend.

But the bomb—it wasn't meant to explode. Not yet. It was only a matter of time before the decision was made.

But one thing was clear: They had started something the world couldn't comprehend.

Lukas.

The voice whispered, piercing and unstoppable, as if born from the shadows themselves.

"Lukas... Lukas, you have to do something. They want... they want to kill your children."

He blinked, letting his gaze wander around the dark room. No one was there. The voice only echoed in his head, as if it were tugging at his senses, tearing him from reality. But its words burned into his consciousness, making his fists twitch and his heart beat cold.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and focused on the emptiness within him. Children. His children. No one could mess with his legacy. No one.

***

Inspector Schäfer raised his head from the photos on the table. The

The images were blurry, as if the camera had shaken, but what they showed made his stomach churn. People contorted in grotesque poses, disfigured with a precision that was more reminiscent of art than murder.

"Listen to me!" Schäfer's voice broke through the murmuring in the room. The other officers, the prosecutor, the consultants—they all fell silent as he tapped the images with his finger.

"This isn't a serial killer. Lukas isn't some madman playing God. He's... something else."

One of the officers, a young man with a doubtful look, raised his hand. "Are you saying we're dealing with something supernatural here? That's nonsense."

Schäfer ran his hand through his hair. "Look, I'm not a man for stories. But what we saw—the monster, these... creatures, the survivors' accounts—that isn't human violence. It's cold, precise, and it follows a pattern no human can fathom. It's something dark, and if we ignore it, we'll all pay."

The silence afterward was oppressive.

Outside, behind the dusty windowpanes, night crept over the city like a predator waiting for its prey. And deep in the shadows, something stirred.

Inspector Schäfer leaned heavily against the table, his hands clenched into fists. "We know he's a monster. But he's not just any monster we can stop with a bullet or a team of snipers." His voice was ragged, his words full of emphasis.

"Lukas... or whatever he calls himself... isn't just a man playing God. He's done things beyond imagination. His victims aren't just killed—they're destroyed. Their bodies are a message, their souls..." He paused, swallowed. "...vanished. No trace, no clue. Nothing."

The room was deathly silent, the officers barely daring to breathe.

"And then we have this monster," Schäfer continued, his fingers tapping a blurry photograph showing part of the creature spotted by the SWAT unit. "Something that drives even the toughest men crazy just by looking at it. Believe me, I've read the reports, I've seen the pictures. Whatever this is, it's connected to Lukas. Or maybe... he created it."

"But we don't know what we're really dealing with here." Schäfer straightened, looking intently at everyone in the room. "And until we know, the city will remain evacuated. Every minute we spend here is a risk. Bombing may be our only option. Even if we can't kill the thing, we can at least try to imprison it."

An advisor with raised eyebrows raised his voice hesitantly. "But if we bomb, we'll destroy everything. And what if that's not enough? What if Lukas survives?"

Schäfer nodded slowly. "That's the risk. But we have no other choice. It's a war, and in wars there are no perfect solutions."

The room sank into contemplation, the tension palpable. Sirens wailed outside, and somewhere in the distance something heavy creaked, like bones breaking under invisible pressure.

An elderly officer, whose gray hair and sunken cheeks spoke of a long career, cleared his throat and raised a shaky hand. "Inspector Schäfer, even if we bomb the city—what if the thing... what if Lukas... doesn't stay here? What if he strikes somewhere else? We're not talking about a normal criminal here, but something that seems to defy the laws of space and logic."

Schäfer grimaced, his forehead deeply furrowed. "I know it's risky. Believe me, I know better than anyone. But what's the alternative? Should we just let him continue? Wait until he outsmarts us all?"

A young woman, who had been standing silently in the corner, spoke up quietly. Her voice trembled, but her eyes sparkled with determination. "Perhaps we should find out what he really wants. No one kills like that without reason. If we understand what he's trying to achieve, we might find a way to stop him."

"Understand?" Another officer laughed dryly. "How do you expect to understand someone like him? He's a madman, a fanatic. He has no goals, no logic. To him, we're all just... toys."

Schäfer cut the discussion off with a violent gesture. "Enough! Stop labeling him a mere madman. Lukas has a plan. Every sacrifice, every act—it follows a pattern. It may seem strange to us, but it's there. And if we don't recognize the pattern, we'll never have a chance."

He took a step forward, raised the photo of the monster again. "This isn't the work of an ordinary

human beings. It's the work of something far beyond us. And yes, maybe we don't understand it, maybe we can't stop it. But that doesn't mean we're doing nothing."

He dropped the photo on the table and stared at the assembled officials. "So stop wasting time and prepare the evacuation. Every moment we lose brings us closer to doom."

The tension in the room was palpable; everyone seemed to waver between fear and determination. Outside, through the window, a flickering spotlight cast an eerie cone of light into the dark street. Schäfer looked out, his jaw set tightly.

"We're evacuating. And if the government doesn't decide soon whether it wants to bomb this city, then we'll have to do it ourselves."

Schäfer looked around at the group as he broke the silence. "We're running out of time. If we don't act now, we'll lose control."

The young woman, who had stayed in the background until now, took a step forward. Her eyes sparkled, but her voice remained calm and matter-of-fact. "We know Lukas is something else. Something we can't simply dismiss as madness. But we have to understand him before we meet him. He's playing with us, we've already seen that."

Schäfer snorted impatiently. "And how are we supposed to understand him? Do you really think he'll just reveal his intentions to us? Lukas is an animal. An unpredictable animal who knows no boundaries. There's no negotiating with him."

"There's always a way to understand something," she answered calmly, her eyes never leaving him. "Lukas has a story, he has his motives. If we understand these, we might be able to find a lever that will help us. But for that, we need to know more about him."

Schäfer shook his head, as if he could barely bear the words. "And what if we find out too much? What if what we discover only drags us deeper into the abyss?"

She stepped closer and placed a hand on the photo of Lukas lying on the table. "Then we must be strong enough to face the truth. But this is no ordinary hunt. We must be smart. Lukas is more than a murderer. We all know that."

Another officer, an older man with thinning hair, spoke with a trembling voice. "And what if he's here? What if he's already watching us? How do we know he hasn't already gotten ahead of us?"

"He's always ahead of us," she said, her voice firm. "But only if we allow him to. He needs us, just as we need him. He's looking for something, and if we don't give him the right answer, he'll destroy us."

The tension in the room grew. Schäfer could see that the men and women around him were beginning to doubt themselves. Yet he knew there was no time for doubt. Lukas was playing with them, but control was still in their hands.

"All right," Schäfer said finally, his voice hard as steel. "We'll evacuate the city. But we won't stop hunting him. And we won't stop trying to understand him. It's our only means of survival."

The woman nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips as she finally turned to him. "And we won't stop until we know why he's doing what he's doing."

Schäfer looked at her, then at the room. "I hope you're right. Because if we don't figure it out, Lukas will crush us without us even realizing it."

The silence in the room was almost palpable as the cloak slowly peeled away from the corner and Lukas emerged. The police officers immediately aimed their weapons at him, but Lukas seemed completely unfazed. The cloak fell to the floor with a soft thud, and when he finally stepped out of the darkness, it was as if the room itself held its breath. A cold, smug smile played on his lips, while his eyes, sparkling and sinister, fixed on the police officers and the woman.

"How sweet," he said in a calm, almost mocking voice. "So you think you can stop me?"