The sun blazed high, its rays striking Satu's face with relentless intensity. Yet, his expression remained a stark contrast—dark and hollow, as if gazing into an abyss. His eyes, shadowed by deep circles, stared blankly into the sun, as if daring it to blind him.
"I love you." "I love you."
The words haunted him like a relentless spectre, creeping into his mind and consuming him entirely. Perhaps not even then would they cease.
His hand cramped, his neck felt as though it might snap into thirty-three pieces. "Fuck," Satu managed to mutter. "Why?" But the question hung unanswered, beyond the reach of human comprehension.
***
Satu barely registered the sound of the TV flicking on. The scent of freshly cooked rice still lingered, blending with the rhythmic thud of a knife meeting the cutting board. His mother was cooking, his father settling in beside him, but Satu felt disconnected from it all.
Then, the news anchor's voice cut through the apartment, taut with barely restrained urgency.
"The red curse spreads dangerously fast in Germany. My dear viewers, please remain calm and listen carefully—"
Satu's stomach tightened. He'd heard about the curse before, but this was the first time they were reporting on it like this. His father leaned forward slightly, eyes fixed on the screen.
"We still don't fully understand what this phenomenon is," the anchor continued, her voice clipped, professional. "Some experts compare its spread to a virus, but that may not be accurate. What we do know is that once it reaches full saturation—roughly a 20-kilometer radius—it enters phase two. That's when it begins… selecting."
Satu swallowed. Selecting?
A grainy video clip replaced the anchor—drone footage of an abandoned cityscape, eerily silent. A red haze hung in the air like a toxic fog. The screen flickered, and then—static.
The anchor's voice returned, quieter now. "Once the trial begins, it chooses roughly a hundred individuals. Phase three…" She hesitated.
A loud crash from the kitchen snapped Satu's attention away from the TV.
Both Merlin and Satu let out muffled screams, startled. Satu was the first to react, rushing into the kitchen, fearing his mother might have been injured.
"Raghh," he heard strange noises; they didn't sound human. No human could produce such deep, growling, and piercing howls. His legs buckled. In the last moment, he managed to catch himself on the small counter just before the kitchen entrance. His legs trembled; a droplet of sweat formed on the tip of his nose.
Merlin finally caught up, his bewildered face mirroring Satu's own emotions. Fear. Primordial fear.
"Raghh." Their attention shifted to the kitchen door. They could hear loud, slow footsteps.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Finally, it stopped. Then, out of nowhere, the wall between them and the kitchen crumbled to the ground with a dull sound like a boxer hitting a sandbag.
With no time to react, a long, grotesque arm reached for Merlin. Its segments moved through the debris like a serpent hunting its prey. "Ahh Satu…" Merlin managed to cry out, but it was too late. The giant, white, hairy hand grabbed Merlin and pulled him back to where the arm came from. Merlin's eyes filled with despair, his hands reaching out for anything to save him.
„I… I love you, son" Merlin managed to stammer, his love overweighting his fear for a moment. His eyes searching for peace in his son's—but there was none, only sorrow.
Merlin vanished behind the wall. Nothing followed. Only silence, mocking Satu's despair.
"Krghh". Suddenly Satu's ears were assaulted by the awful sound of bones breaking like spaghetti. One after another. Screams of pain filled the room. "What the hell is happening?" Satu knew nobody present would answer this question, though. He managed to calm his nerves enough to kneel behind a chair, holding his mouth shut with his left hand. His right hand gripped his leg to force it to stop shaking.
The crunching noise stopped.
A strange clicking noise emanated from the monster's position. The penetrating smell of copper filled Satu`s nostrils. It burned. His heart ached. Was it fear? Or grief? He didn't know, and he was in no position to be asking philosophical questions right now.
Satu held his breath, his heartbeat hammering against his ribs. Silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Then—
A faint blue glow flickered beneath his feet. It pulsed, forming intricate patterns, symbols he didn't recognize. His body grew lighter. No—he was disintegrating.
His breath hitched. His fingers blurred, dissolving into nothing. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came.
As the last of his vision faded, just before the darkness swallowed him whole—he heard it. A voice. Cold. Amused.
"Number 34… You'll do just fine."
Satu tried his best to move. But nothing budged, not even a fibre of muscle moved to his will.
And then, he was gone.