He transformed into a mighty eagle, his wings brushing against the wind as he cut through the vast sky. Gradually, he descended, landing softly in the backyard of his home. Just seconds later, he returned to the form of a weary man, his eyes carrying the weight of years he still couldn't understand.
He stepped forward cautiously toward the house. The doors were shut, yet his memory was wide open before him… He slipped inside quietly, as though the place was still familiar despite the strange emptiness lodged in his chest.
Silently, he climbed the stairs, his hands trembling, and gently opened the door to his daughter's room. The little girl was lying on the bed, her golden hair fanned out like a halo around her head. He dropped to his knees, reaching out for her with tear-filled eyes, smiling cautiously—afraid the moment might shatter if he breathed too loud.
She smiled at him… and that small smile was enough to ignite a light in his dark heart. She reached out, climbed down from the bed, and slowly walked toward him.
Before she could reach him, a voice shattered the quiet:
Adam (careful, tense): Don't go near him… He'll hit you, like he hit Mom.
Yousef froze, the words striking him straight through the heart. He shook his head, voice unsteady:
Yousef: No, sweetheart… I won't.
Adam (with suppressed anger): You really don't remember?
Yousef (eyes brimming with tears): I'm sorry… Can you help me remember?
Adam (eyes burning with resentment): How am I supposed to help you?!
Yousef (trying to compose himself): Is… is your mother home?
Eva: No.
Yousef: Alright… Is there a place I can put my things?
Adam: Yeah, the bedroom… and the office.
Yousef: Can you take me to the office?
Adam nodded silently and led the way.
⸻
Yousef entered the dark office, scanning the room like a man digging through a buried past. He sat at the laptop, searching through files, photos, and videos. Every discovery weighed heavier on his chest. Terrifying truths surfaced one after another: he hadn't only been involved in money laundering—he had been a ruthless killer. In every picture with his wife, Sarah looked imprisoned, sorrowful, broken. Even in their wedding video… she was crying, and he was laughing.
Then he heard the sound of the front door opening downstairs.
Sarah (quiet, pale): Hello, my children…
Adam: Mom, Dad's in the office.
Yousef froze, cold sweat running down his temples. He rushed to shut the door—but it was too late.
Sarah burst into the office with a gun in her hand. Without hesitation, she fired toward the door, then flung it open. Yousef flinched, dropped to his knees, and raised his hands high.
Yousef: Let's talk…
But she didn't listen. She fired again—missed—and in a blink, he was gone.
He had turned into a small mouse, darting under the desk. She shot at him several times, but he leapt up and morphed into a cat. She cried out, fired again beside him… and then he jumped once more, transforming into a massive tiger standing face-to-face with the barrel of her gun.
Her hands trembled. She pulled the trigger—nothing. The bullets were gone.
She swallowed hard, stepping back… and back again… until her spine hit the wall. The tiger's silent roar burned in the air as he advanced like a wounded beast.
Then came the voice:
Adam: Dad… stop!
The tiger turned toward them, his eyes blazing with fury.
Sarah (voice shaking): They're your children… stop!
He stepped closer… until Eva jumped on him and hugged him.
Eva (innocently): Mom! Look! Daddy's a tiger!
Something inside him faltered. His steps froze… then, with a pained roar, he gently pushed the little girl aside, leapt through the window, and landed in the garden.
He collapsed onto the grass, shifting back into a man. Lying on his back, he stared at the sky.
His breathing was ragged, one hand pressed to his chest, his eyes lost.
Yousef (whispering): Who am I?… What happened that night?… Has this curse always been inside me?