"Lukas, Max called me," she said hastily, her voice trembling. "He said I wouldn't forget him. He sounded... he sounded serious."
"Where are you?" Lukas asked immediately.
"Home," Lina said. "I... I don't know what to do."
"I'll be right over," Lukas said firmly. "Just stay where you are. Lock all the doors. I'll be there in ten minutes."
Lina hung up and sank onto the sofa. She felt helpless, trapped in a nightmare from which there was no waking.
Lina sat alone in the café, her gaze fixed blankly on the people passing by. She hadn't heard from Lukas in days, and this thought nagged at her incessantly. Lukas wasn't like the others. He was kind, compassionate—someone who understood her. Or at least she had thought so.
After Max's call, she had needed Lukas more than ever. But instead, he had become dismissive, more distant. His replies to her messages were brief, and he seemed to be withdrawing more and more. A knot formed in her stomach as she thought that maybe she was too much for him. That he didn't want her anymore.
She couldn't bear it.
A few days earlier, she had seen Lukas in the park. He wasn't alone. A boy was sitting next to him, and they were laughing together. They seemed close, and Lina hadn't been able to look away. Her heart raced as she saw Lukas look deep into the boy's eyes, then smile and kiss him without warning. Lina felt as if the ground beneath her feet had given way. The boy was Tim—someone Lukas had never spoken about.
She had hidden, curled up behind a tree, unable to push the image out of her mind. Why had he never mentioned that he knew Tim? Why hadn't he told her? It felt as if her world was falling apart, as if Lukas were slipping through her fingers.
Since that day, she had begun watching Lukas. At first, it had been just curiosity—she wanted to know what was going on between him and Tim. But soon it became an obsession. She knew what time he left for work, which route he took, which café he went to after work. She had memorized his routines and always found herself near his favorite places.
One night, as she followed his car, she realized how far she'd already gone. But she couldn't stop. Lukas was all she had. His attention was the only thing that could ease her fear and loneliness for brief moments. Even if he didn't see her the same way anymore, he was still a part of her life.
And she would do anything not to lose him.
The more time she spent following him, the deeper she fell into a web of despair. The fact that Lukas seemed happy with Tim stabbed her heart like a knife every time.
Lina couldn't bear the thought that Lukas had forgotten her so quickly. That he had let someone like Tim into his life while she had to stand on the sidelines and watch. It seemed as if he no longer needed her, as if she had only been a fleeting phase in his life.
In the days that followed, her behavior intensified. She began to watch Lukas's every move. Where he lived, when he left the house, who visited him. Lina crept through the streets in the darkness, hidden in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment. It wasn't just about observing him anymore—she wanted to understand what attracted him so much to Tim.
One evening, she followed Lukas to Tim's apartment. She stood outside, across the street, and watched them both go inside, the lights come on, their silhouettes visible through the curtains. Her heart raced with anger and jealousy. The smile on Lukas' face, the one he gave Tim, was the smile that used to be for her.
Lina felt a dark wave of despair wash over her. She was ready to do anything to have Lukas back. The idea that he had turned away from her so quickly made her sick. The thought that he could be happy with someone else was unbearable.
As the hours passed, the light in the apartment disappeared, and the silence of the night set in. But Lina stayed. She couldn't move, couldn't leave without knowing what was going on inside. She felt empty and betrayed, as if Lukas had deliberately trampled on her heart.
She wanted him back. She had to have him back.
Lina knew she couldn't go on like this. Her thoughts grew darker, and her obsession more dangerous. More and more often, she found herself plotting—plans that would tear Lukas away from Tim and bring him back to her. But deep down, she knew she was walking a fine line, one where madness and despair lay close together.
But what would life be without Lukas?
Lina knew exactly when Lukas left the house, and by now she even knew the exact route he took to work and back home. It was as if she were invisible as she stayed in the shadows, following him. Every day became a new opportunity to get a little closer to him, but she never dared to show herself. Instead, she collected all the details that made up his life.
Thoughts constantly played in her head—why Lukas preferred Tim over her. She simply didn't understand. Hadn't she shown him enough that she was the one who truly understood him? The more time passed, the deeper she slipped into this vortex of obsession and jealousy. The lines between reality and the fantasies she imagined of him became increasingly blurred.
One evening, as she followed him, he suddenly noticed something and stopped abruptly. Lina's heart rate quickened as he turned and looked in her direction. She held her breath and quickly ducked behind a tree. Had she been spotted?
Lukas stood still for a moment, looking around and frowning, as if he had a strange feeling. But after a brief hesitation, he shrugged and moved on. Lina exhaled deeply, her heartbeat echoing in her ears. She knew she'd gone too far. It was only a matter of time before he found out she was following him.
But the thought of giving him up seemed impossible. Lukas was her anchor, the only person who had truly touched her in her deepest moments—even if he didn't know it. She considered him her only chance to escape this darkness, even if he was drifting further and further away from her. The fact that he was now with Tim made everything even more unbearable.
Lina knew she couldn't lose him. She wouldn't let Tim take Lukas away from her. No matter what the cost, she had to find a way to get him back. Dark thoughts formed in her head, but she pushed them aside. It wasn't time yet, but soon she would need a plan—and she would be ready.
The days passed, and Lina's obsession grew with every minute she saw Lukas with Tim. Every smile, every kiss between them stabbed her heart like a knife. She followed them more and more often, watched them from a distance, and tried desperately to find a way to insert herself between them.
One evening, as she saw Lukas and Tim together in the park, laughing and holding hands, the feeling of jealousy became so strong it almost hurt physically. She wanted to scream, wanted to do something to separate them. But instead, she stood motionless in the shadows, her nails digging into her palms.
In those moments, Lina realized she was completely losing control of herself. Her entire life revolved around Lukas. Everything she did was determined by him. She knew she couldn't go on like this—but the thought of letting him go was even worse than the pain she felt now.
There had to be a way to win him back. If she could get rid of Tim...
Lina couldn't hold back any longer. Every encounter with Lukas and Tim only made her hatred for Tim grow. One evening, she decided it was time to take action. She'd observed enough, suffered enough. Now it was time to take control.
As she imagined how she could push Tim out of Lukas's life, dark thoughts flooded her mind. It was as if a voice whispered deep inside her, urging her to push the boundaries. This dark voice urged her to do something that could not be undone.
Lina began to silently observe Tim, not only when he was with Lukas, but also when he was alone. She knew where he lived, where he worked, and even his habits. She felt powerful in this new role, as if she were finally in control. Over and over, she imagined confronting Tim. Maybe she should just warn him to get out of there before it was too late.
But it remained just fantasies. Every step she wanted to take toward confrontation was stifled by her insecurity. Tim seemed so cheerful, so carefree—completely different from her.
The days passed, and Lina felt the darkness growing within her. Every moment Lukas spent with Tim was a reminder that she was left out. She couldn't understand why Lukas wanted Tim by his side. What did he see in him?
Lina began to sink deeper and deeper into her obsession. Her thoughts constantly revolved around Lukas and Tim until she finally decided that just observing wasn't enough. She had to act. There was no other way to change this.
One night, she followed Tim on his way home. She stayed in the shadows, breathing shallowly, trying to control her asthma. The familiar pressure on her chest grew stronger, but she fought it. When Tim reached his house, she stood at a safe distance and watched as he unlocked the door and disappeared.
Her heart was racing. The power she felt in this situation was overwhelming. She now knew everything about him—and that was the key to her plan.
Lukas's thoughts kept circling around Lina and Tim. It was like a creeping poison that had eaten into his mind. At first, he had tried to suppress the jealousy, but it became increasingly unbearable. Every encounter, every glance he perceived between the two, seemed like another stab in his heart.
He often thought about the moment he had kissed Tim and how Lina had watched him. This scene was burned into his memory. But what disturbed him even more was the closeness that was developing between Lina and Tim. It was as if he was slowly losing control of everything.
Lina seemed to be haunting him more and more, both in his thoughts and in reality. He could feel her gaze when she thought he wasn't aware. Her constant presence and the growing bond between her and Tim drew Lukas deeper into a vortex of uncertainty and confusion.
Lina had a clear plan. She knew Tim was getting closer and closer to Lukas, but that was fine with her. Tim was her means to an end. Whenever she looked at Lukas, she felt how much he was struggling inside, how he was slowly breaking apart. It was almost as if she enjoyed the pain in his eyes. He belonged to her—at least in her mind. And that thought wouldn't leave her alone.
Introducing Tim was easy. He was friendly, open, and seemed to have no ulterior motives. He liked Lukas, and that's exactly what made it so easy for Lina. She played the perfect friend, always there, supporting Lukas in his most difficult moments while he continued to fall apart inside. But no matter how hard she tried to gain his attention, it was Tim who dominated Lukas's world.
Lukas, completely caught up in himself, barely noticed Lina's efforts. Every day he spent with Tim was another step toward his breakdown. He felt trapped by his own feelings, confused about what he wanted and what was right. But Lina's presence, her closeness—all of this only made it worse. She was always there, yet he couldn't see her, couldn't feel her.
And that was exactly her plan.
Lina watched Lukas's gradual decline with a mixture of satisfaction and fear. She had succeeded in destroying him, driving him into the abyss. But instead of bringing him closer, he seemed to drift further away from her. Every time she tried to catch him, he blocked her. It was as if he no longer noticed her.
Tim was the one who gave Lukas support. He was always there, in the moments Lina wanted to be. Lukas talked to him, laughed with him – but every laugh seemed to drain more of his energy. It was a pathetic spectacle, and Lina could only watch as the boy she desired so much lost himself in his despair.
But instead of giving up, Lina clung to her illusion. She was determined to win Lukas for herself. "He's mine," she whispered to herself over and over again. She felt something dark growing inside her – an obsession that pulled her deeper and deeper.
And while Lukas grew more attached to Tim day by day, Lina silently planned her next step.