The police car drove down the dirt road leading to one of the city's farthest neighborhoods. Dr. Joana Albuquerque kept her eyes on the landscape through the window while Chief Roberto reviewed notes on his phone.
— This is it — he said, pointing to a modest but well-kept house, with a low gate and a small front yard.
An elderly woman with gray hair opened the door before they could even knock. Her red, puffy eyes betrayed her despair.
— Mrs. Maria? — Roberto asked gently.
She nodded and, without saying much, led them inside. The furniture looked old but clean and organized. The smell of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the tension in the air.
— My boys… my sons… — she murmured, guiding them down a narrow hallway.
In front of a half-open bedroom door, she stopped.
— They're eighteen. Twins. So full of life. They brought home some kind of game their school friends introduced them to. Like an RPG, they said… but the board looked weird, like one of those spirit boards. Like ouija.
Joana exchanged a serious glance with Roberto.
— Please, go on, Mrs. Maria.
— They spent hours in there. I thought it was just a silly game, but after three hours without hearing a sound, I went to check on them… — her voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes. — And when I opened the door… they were gone.
Joana stepped cautiously into the room. The air was heavy, cold.
On the floor, two circles drawn in white chalk, side by side. On the walls, strange symbols, scrawled with charcoal. In the center of the room, a dark board with golden markings, old letters, and geometric shapes. On top of it, two small cracked glass figurines, human-like, with hollow faces.
Next to them, two extinguished candles, wax pooled at their bases.
Roberto shivered and ran his hand down his arms.
— Did you feel that? A chill.
Joana nodded. The air felt colder there than anywhere else in the house.
While the other officers comforted Mrs. Maria and promised to do everything they could to find her sons, Roberto approached Joana and spoke in a low voice:
— That board… it's shown up before. In nearly every location where someone's gone missing.
Joana frowned.
— A coincidence?
— Maybe not. There's an old legend in this town. People say the city's founders… — he paused — …were obsessed with board games. But not normal games. Ones that involved rituals, witchcraft, dark stuff.
— And no one ever took it seriously?
— Until now, it was just folklore. But it's getting harder to ignore.
Joana took a deep breath.
— We need to investigate this game further. Someone's using it for something dangerous.
Roberto nodded silently, and the two returned to the car.
Meanwhile, in a quieter part of the city, the doorbell rang.
Marina ran down the stairs, heart racing. She wore a loose T-shirt and comfy shorts, her hair tied up casually — but effortlessly beautiful.
— It's him! — she whispered to herself with a smile.
She opened the door with excitement, but her face quickly shifted when she saw Felipinho standing there, still dirty and looking embarrassed.
— Hi… — he said awkwardly.
— Hi! What happened to you?
— Long story… includes a dumpster and some jerks.
She tried not to laugh and pulled him inside.
— Come on, you can shower here. You can borrow some clothes from my brother. He's doing an exchange program in the U.S., he won't even notice.
— You sure?
— Totally. Go ahead, it's the bathroom down the hall. Towels are in the cabinet.
Felipe thanked her and made his way to the bathroom. He carefully removed his clothes, stepped into the shower, and let the water wash over him. Finally, he could breathe. The grime, both physical and emotional, started to wash away.
From outside the door, Marina's voice came playfully:
— Missing anything in there?
— Actually… the shampoo. You can leave it by the door, I'll grab it!
Felipe closed his eyes and lathered soap on his face. As he reached out blindly for the shampoo, he heard the shower door open slightly.
Before he could react, he felt soft hands touch his back.
And then, warm lips kissed his neck.
His heart raced.
He turned slowly. And there she was — Marina, her eyes intense, hair slightly loose, lips parted.
— Marina… — he whispered.
— Shhh…
She pulled him closer.
Felipe looked deep into her honey-colored eyes. A second stretched into eternity.
And then, their lips met.
The kiss happened.
Time stood still.