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The Lost

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It has been only two years since I moved from my hometown and opened my own private investigation agency. I’ve solved several cases for a number of clients and have built a reputation so good that one of them recommended me to a middle-aged couple who had been searching for their lost child for twenty-five years. The backstory was tragic. Their son, Javier, was only five years old at the time. He had been playing in the park when a man had abducted him. An investigation was launched immediately, but the abductor had covered his tracks. The criminal’s car was found abandoned in the woods, and there was no useful camera footage or other evidence that provided any clues to his identity. The police ran into multiple dead-ends for over a year before giving up on the case. The trail went cold, and they were running in circles. When this case was brought to me, I was uncertain whether I could solve it. It was far more complicated compared to my previous cases. I still accepted the case becaus...
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Guardian Through Time

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When I was very young, I had a friend who lived in my closet. Her name was Alesia, and I was the only one who could see her. Mom once saw me talking to Alesia and asked me what I was doing. When I said I was talking to my friend, she just smiled and told us to have fun. I was four years old at the time. However, when I was still talking to Alesia at the age of seven, Mom became concerned. One night, I overheard her talking to Dad about Alesia. “She’s still talking to her ‘imaginary friend’. This can’t be normal.” “Do you think this has something to do with your mother?” Dad asked. “I’m not sure… She took precautions, but—” She noticed me listening to their conversation from the doorway and got up from her seat. “Olivia? You should be in bed.” I tried questioning her about their secrets in the days that followed, but Mom never revealed anything to me. “Maybe when you’re older, honey. We’ll see.” When I spoke to Alesia about the matter, she reassured me. “Adults don’t understand, but you...
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Eternal Curse

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As a child, I would frequent the town’s museum since my father was its curator. I learned something new every time I visited the establishment; Dad had a wealth of knowledge that never ceased to surprise me. When I grew up, he took me under his wing, as I studied to take his place when he was ready to retire. A week after taking Dad’s place as the curator, I experienced a strange encounter that left me frozen. After examining one of the latest skeletal remains discovered in West Asia till late, I went home and dozed off on my sofa while watching TV. However, I was woken up at 03:00 a.m. by my doorbell. Who stood before me in the rain was a middle-aged woman who seemed scared and confused. “Who are you?” I asked. “Ankha,” she replied. “I was to rule Ur, but the throne was usurped.” I first thought she required medical attention, but she began to explain things from that period, and information on recent findings that we were yet to uncover. I was as confused as I was intrigued. Ankha to...
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The Afterglows

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Every Friday night, I would visit the same pub after work. I loved the atmosphere of the establishment; there were never any arguments or fights, and every face I saw was a regular. I found it odd that the exact same crowd gathered there each time I went there, but I figured everyone enjoyed the experience there. Zana, the owner of the establishment, who was also its bartender, was a kind woman who made sure that I went home safely every night. She’d ask me to leave my keys on the counter and take a taxi home. I agreed without question. However, I didn’t realise anything strange about the pub until I invited a friend from work, Gen, to have drinks there. When we arrived at the pub, Gen asked me if I was joking. Confused, I asked what she meant. Gen then said that the pub was closed a decade ago following a fire that killed everyone inside, including the bartender. Turning my gaze from her to the building, after hearing those words, left me frozen. The pub I saw was not the same one I v...
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The Looming Shadow

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Strange presences and energies were common phenomena I came across as a child. Once, I stumbled upon an area near our home garden that felt so eerie that I had my parents dig up the site, only to find two skeletons in a shallow grave. The police were immediately called to the scene, and the site was revealed to be a mass grave. The years passed by and similar experiences became a common occurrence around me, so much so that people started calling me a witch. This led us to move a couple of times before we found a relatively friendlier neighbourhood. When I was 11, I wandered off into the woods near my school, feeling a strange presence calling out to me. I stumbled upon a cave and ventured deep into it until, suddenly, I felt everything around me dissolve into shadows. I woke up hours later and found a smoky humanoid figure standing before me, almost as if they were a being of dark energy. “It’s not safe for you here; you must leave at once,” the figure said. “Who are you?” I asked. “A...
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Lingering Curse

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Since I was small, I had this lingering sense that something was missing, or rather, suppressed. I couldn’t understand what it was, or even why I felt that way, and whenever I brought it up with my parents, they were quick to talk about anything else. As the years passed, however, I began to notice things others didn’t: patterns that no one else but me could see. Whenever I was happy, I saw that everyone around me was peaceful and content, but whenever I was sad or angry, only misfortune seemed to encircle the people I cared about. My parents had fights, my siblings failed their classes, and even my grandfather fell ill. When I reached my teens, things became worse. My parents’ marriage was strained to the point where they were considering a divorce, and both my siblings were slowly isolating themselves and sinking deeper into depression. I asked my parents’ advice and saw a therapist, but even though I saw better progress over time, it seemed like my family’s mental health was yet to ...
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A Deal of Death

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My father was a heavy gambler, and he seemed to have luck on his side for the longest time before one day, he began to lose again and again. Mom pleaded with him to stop, but he ignored her and continued to spiral down that rabbit hole. Eventually, she filed for a divorce, and he was barred from seeing us. Dad once told me that his late mother was a witch, and that she had a grimoire that he would use from time to time. He said it granted him luck. I wondered if whatever spell he used had backfired at some point, or if it simply had run its course. As I grew older and reconnected with Dad, I learned that he had indeed stopped using the grimoire around the same time his winning streak ended. He said the spell he used consumed a portion of his soul at a time, shortening his lifespan. He didn’t want to continue that spell, but he couldn’t let go of gambling either. I pitied him. I asked Dad if I could borrow Grandma’s grimoire to boost my research. Dad agreed, but he warned me not to make...
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