One night, as she lay in her room, sadness overcame her again. She stared at the ceiling and thought about everything that had happened. The memories of the good times she had spent with Lukas mingled with the terrible memories of Max.
Suddenly, she noticed a sound coming through her window. It was a soft whisper calling her name. Lina sat up and listened. Her heart beat faster as she wondered if it was her imagination or if Max was actually out there.
"Lina..." she heard the whisper again.
Fear overcame her, and she jumped out of bed to close the window. But the whisper didn't stop. It seemed to come from the darkness, from a place she couldn't see. It was as if the shadows around her came alive and crushed her.
"Come to me, Lina..."
The voice was quiet but urgent. Lina felt like she was suffocating. She had to do something. She had to free herself from these thoughts, from the darkness that threatened to consume her.
With trembling hands, she reached for her phone and sent Lukas a message: "I need help. Please, come over.
Lina waited impatiently as the seconds passed like hours. Her mind raced. What if Max was really nearby? What if the darkness she always feared finally found her? She shook her head to clear these frightening thoughts. She couldn't let the fear overwhelm her.
Just when she thought the silence would crush her, she heard a knock at the door. Her heart leapt with joy and relief. It had to be Lukas. With a quick breath, she went to the door and opened it.
"Lina!" Lukas looked worried, his eyes wide open. "Are you okay? I saw your message and came right away."
"I... I don't know. I thought I heard Max," Lina stammered, stepping aside to let him in. "I had a feeling he was here."
Lukas entered and closed the door behind him. "Max can't hurt you anymore. He's in prison. You're safe." He placed his hands reassuringly on her shoulders. "Let's talk about it. What happened?"
Lina took a deep breath and tried to organize her thoughts. "It felt like I could hear him. It was like he was calling me. It reminded me so much of the terrible things he did."
"It's normal for thoughts like that to come back, especially after everything you've been through," Lukas said gently. "But you're not alone. I'm here."
A sense of security flooded through Lina, and she slumped onto the edge of the bed. "I'm so scared, Lukas. I don't want him to come back into my life."
"He won't," Lukas assured her, sitting down next to her. "You're stronger than you think. And I'll do everything I can to make sure you're protected."
Lina looked at him, his eyes radiating compassion. In that moment, she felt that he was her light, the spark of hope she so desperately needed. "Thank you for coming. You make it a little easier."
"That's what friends do," Lukas replied, smiling. "And you're more than just a friend to me, Lina. I want you to be happy."
The moment the words came out of his mouth, Lina felt a warm feeling in her chest. Her thoughts wandered back to her painful memories, but she couldn't deny that she felt the same way for Lukas. It was a feeling she couldn't quite understand—a mixture of admiration and desire.
"I... I don't know what I would do without you," she confessed. "I feel so lost sometimes."
"You just have to give yourself time," Lukas said, his voice firm. "Healing is a process, and it's okay not to always be strong. Let's just take the small steps together."
Lina nodded, letting his confidence infect her. "Maybe you're right. I'll try to think more positively."
The two continued talking, and it felt good to share their thoughts and fears. But as they grew closer, Max's dark cloud continued to hover over her. It was as if the shadows kept reminding her that the past wasn't so easy to forget.
In the days that followed, Lina tried to focus on the things she discussed with Lukas. She went for walks, met up with friends, and tried to savor small moments of happiness. But the memory of Max wouldn't leave her alone. It was as if he was lurking in every corner, waiting for her to give in.
One evening, when she was alone in her room, she received a message on her phone. It was from Max. Her heart raced as she read the words: "I'm not far away, Lina. You'd better hide."
A shiver ran down her spine as the reality of her situation hit her. Max was still there, and despite the security Lukas had given her, she felt trapped by her fear again.
"Lukas," she whispered, startling and raising her head. She had to tell him about this news. He would help her, she knew it. But as she clutched her phone, she was overcome by a panicky fear that Max still had a way to reach her.
With trembling hands, she sent Lukas a message: "Come quickly. I have something important to say."
The minutes passed agonizingly slowly while Lina waited for Lukas. Her thoughts swirled wildly. Was it really safe to tell him about Max? Would Lukas take the situation seriously, or would he think she was exaggerating? But the message burned like a fire in her mind. Max wasn't far away. The feeling of threat trapped her like a trapped animal.
Finally, she heard the sound of footsteps outside her door. She jumped up and threw the door open. Lukas was standing there, his expression serious and worried. "What's wrong, Lina? You look pale."
"Max texted me," she whispered, closing the door behind him. "He says he's not far away."
Lukas's face hardened. "What did he say?"
"That I should hide better," she replied, unable to hide the fear in her voice. "He's back, and I don't feel safe."
Lukas stepped closer, his eyes sparkling with determination. "We have to go to the police. This can't be ignored."
"No!" Lina cried, placing a hand on his chest to stop him. "I don't want people to think I'm crazy. They won't believe me anyway."
"Lina, you're not crazy. You haven't done anything wrong. You have the right to feel safe," Lukas countered. "We can't let Max continue to threaten you."
Lina lowered her head and looked at the ground. "I know, but I'm afraid they won't be able to help. What if they don't find him?"
"We'll get through this together," Lukas said gently, lifting her chin so she could look into his eyes. "You're not alone, Lina. I'll be with you, no matter what happens. We'll find a way to deal with this."
At that moment, Lina felt a flicker of hope in her heart, which she had kept closed for so long. "Thank you for being here, Lukas. I... I don't know what I would do without you."
"That's what friends do," he said, smiling. But the concern in his eyes was unmistakable. "But we really have to do something. Let's contact the police and tell them everything. They'll do something."
Lina hesitated, but the seriousness in Lukas's voice slowly convinced her. "Okay, let's try," she finally said. "But I'm scared."
"That's fine," he replied, taking her hand. "We'll do this together. Step by step."
She reached for her cell phone and looked up the number of the local police station. The thought of telling them about Max made her hands tremble. But when she looked into Lukas's eyes, she realized she wasn't alone. Together, they would get through this.
Lina dialed the number and took a deep breath while she waited for someone to answer. When the voice on the other end of the line came through, she began to speak. "Hello, my name is Lina... I have a problem..."
The minutes that followed were a whirlwind of questions and answers. The police assured her that they were taking the situation seriously and would dispatch someone immediately. Lina felt as if she had taken a small step toward safety.
When she ended the call, she turned to Lukas. "They're coming to help me."
"Well done, Lina," he said, smiling proudly. "That's the first step. You're really brave."
"I don't know if I am," she replied, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "I'm just afraid it won't help."
"It will help. Believe me," Lukas assured her, pulling her into a hug. "We're on the right track."
Time passed as they waited together in the room. Their minds wandered, and Lina couldn't help but worry. What if Max had followed them? What if he heard all this and turned to her?
The door opened, and a police officer entered. He was dressed in uniform, and his expression was serious. "Good evening, I'm Officer Müller. We heard about your call. Can you please tell me more about the situation?"
Lina felt her throat tighten. It was time to tell everything. She took a deep breath and began: "It's about Max. He's an old acquaintance... and I'm afraid he's following me.
Officer Müller listened attentively as Lina told him everything—from the messages Max had sent her to the threats. Lukas sat next to her, his hand tightly wrapped around hers as she spoke. It felt good to let it all out, but at the same time, she felt vulnerable putting her fears into words.
"I understand," Officer Müller said when Lina finished. "It sounds like this Max is a serious threat. We'll follow his lead and make sure you're protected. Is there anything else you can tell me about him?"
Lina thought for a moment. "He's manipulative," she said quietly. "He knows how to make people believe him, no matter how crazy his words sound. And he's extremely clever. That's what scares me the most."
"And he's caused trouble before?" the officer continued.
"Yes, he's been to prison," Lukas interjected. "But he was released. Lina didn't hear from him until these messages came in."
"We will take this matter very seriously," assured Officer Müller. "For now, I advise you to stay safe. If you feel threatened, call immediately. We will assign someone to monitor you."
Lina nodded silently. It still felt surreal that all this was really happening. Max was a real threat, and the fear she'd felt inside for days was growing with every second.
"Thank you, Officer Müller," she finally said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I hope this will help."
"We're doing our best," he replied, turning to the door. "Stay strong. We'll find Max."
After the police officer left, an oppressive silence descended on the apartment. Lina stared at the floor, her thoughts circling on Max and the darkness he'd brought into her life. She couldn't believe he still had such power over her, even though he wasn't physically present.
"Lina," Lukas said gently, interrupting her thoughts. "You did the right thing. They'll find him."
"I don't know if I really believe that," she whispered. "Max isn't like other people. He has... he has a way of always slipping away. What if they don't find him?"
Lukas put a hand on her shoulder. "Then we'll make sure you're safe anyway. I won't leave you alone, okay?"
Lina looked into his eyes and, for the first time, felt a small wave of confidence. "Thank you, Lukas. You really are the only one I can rely on."
Lukas smiled weakly, but pity shone in his eyes. Lina could see it, even if he didn't say it. She was important to him, but not in the way she had hoped. Yet in that moment, that was all that mattered—someone who was with her.
The next few days passed slowly. The police still hadn't tracked down Max, and there were no messages from him. But Lina couldn't shake the feeling of fear that wrapped itself around her like an invisible cloak. She knew it was only a matter of time before he would reappear.
One evening, scrolling through the news, she came across an article about Max. He was officially wanted. The headline read: "Wanted Criminal on the Loose – Max Müller Escaped Again." A picture of him was emblazoned above the text. It seemed as if he were closer than Lina thought.
The nights were restless. Lina tossed and turned, her thoughts constantly on Max and the threat he posed. Every noise outside made her jump, every flickering light made her heart race. It was as if he was watching her from somewhere—and she knew that at some point, she would be confronted directly by him again.
One morning, just as the sun had risen, her cell phone suddenly rang. Lina's heart skipped a beat as she looked at the screen. An unknown number. With trembling fingers, she answered the call.
"Hello?" she said cautiously.
"Lina," came the voice from the other end of the line, a whisper but unmistakable.
Max.
"Max..." she whispered, unable to sort out her feelings. Fear, anger, and confusion fought for the upper hand within her. "What do you want?"
"You betrayed me, Lina," Max said calmly, but there was a threatening edge to his voice. "And I'll never forgive you for that."
Lina struggled to find her voice. "I didn't betray you. You're the one stalking me. You're the one making my life hell!"
Max laughed softly. "This is all in your head. You know I only want to help you. But now... now you've really taken it too far."
"What do you mean?" Her voice trembled with fear.
"I won't tell you what I'm planning," he said, "but I promise you won't forget me. Never."
The connection cut out, and Lina stared at her phone, unable to move. Panic surged through her body, and she could no longer control the trembling. Max was dangerously close—and she knew he meant it.
Lina jumped out of bed and grabbed her phone. She immediately called Lukas. He answered on the second ring.