The 4 in the shadows: The black Rose E-Book

Leonie Breitner

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

The 4 in the Shadows: The black Rose A mysterious theft shocks the museum: the legendary gemstone "Black Rose" has disappeared. A curse is said to surround him, but the four friends - Emma, ​​Max, Sophie and Lukas - are not deterred. On the hunt for the gemstone, they get caught up in a web of secrets, betrayal and dangerous opponents. As they unravel the true origin of the curse, they must contend with an unscrupulous art collector who will stop at nothing. Can they uncover the truth and save the valuable treasure before it's too late? An adventure full of excitement, mystery and courage!

Leseprobe

Title:The 4 in the Shadows:

The black Rose

Author: Leonie Breitner

Biography:

Leonie Breitner, born in 1991 and raised in

Germany, discovered her passion for stories and characters at an early age. As an enthusiastic storyteller, she combines exciting

plots with the challenges of everyday life in her books. Her stories are about friendship, secrets and the adventures that life has in store.

With her flair for lively dialogues and authentic emotions, Leonie Breitner particularly appeals to young readers. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending

time in nature or looking for inspiration in her new surroundings.

Chapter 1: The Legend Awakens

"Guys, listen to this! You'll never believe me!" Max shouted excitedly as he stormed into the

schoolyard during lunch break. His hair was tousled by the wind and he was waving a crumpled newspaper that he had obviously ripped out of a kiosk in a hurry. Lukas, who

was just emptying a packet of chips with mathematical precision, raised an eyebrow. "If this is something to do with UFOs again, I'm out," he said dryly. Emma and Sophie also

looked up skeptically, with Sophie suppressing a quiet giggle. "No, it's real! A black rose! A gemstone that supposedly

drives people crazy if they own it. And it was stolen from the museum!" Max slapped the newspaper on the table in front of them. Emma pulled out the newspaper and read the

headline aloud: “‘The curse of theBlack Rose -Mysterious theft in the city museum!' Max, please tell me you don't believe that a stone

can be cursed." Sophie leaned forward, her curiositywoke me up. "A curse? That sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it? Maybe a trick to increase the insurance." Lukas snorted. "That

would be an expensive trick. Look, the gemstone is worth millions! I wish I could let myself be 'hit' by such a curse if it makes me so rich." Max dramatically plopped down on the bench and spread his arms. "You're all such

skeptics! But listen to this: The black rose is said to have once belonged to a countess who was betrayed by her entire family. Since then,

it has brought bad luck to anyone who owns it. Its last owner is said to have lost everything - money, family, and mind." Emma shook her head. "That sounds like a good

story for a horror film, but we live in the 21st century, Max. Curses are superstition."

"Superstition or not," Sophie interjected,

looking more closely at the newspaper, "someone wanted the stone so badly that they broke in to get it. And even the security cameras didn't catch the thief. That's pretty creepy."

Lukas grabbed the newspaper and pointed to a photo of the stolen gem. "Okay, admittedly, the thing looks impressive. But if we're

honest, this is all just a bit of hocus-pocus to make it more interesting. What are we betting that the thief is just a regular art collector?"

Max didn't let it deter him. "But what if it's more? What if the curse is real? What if the thief is now cursed?" He put on a serious expression that was so exaggerated that Sophie had to laugh out loud. "Max, you're like a walking mystery podcast!"

At that moment the bell rang for the next class. Emma stood up and packed her bag. "Let's talk about it later. Maybe we can ask at

the museum if there is any new information. But now I really have to go to chemistry class." Lukas sighed. "Hopefully our chemistry teacher didn't put a curse on me

because I smashed the glass bottle last week." As the group set out,Max couldn't resist

throwing one last comment into the room. "You'll see! Curses are real, and we'll prove it. The black rose is just the beginning!" Emma looked over her shoulder at him and grinned.

"If that's the case, Max, then I hope you can break the curse of bad chemistry class." As the four friends parted ways, the newspaper with the grim headline remained

on the bench, blown away by the wind. What none of them knew was that the black rose would catch up with them sooner than they expected.

Chapter 2: The Meeting in the Museum

"So why exactly are we dragging ourselves to the museum on a Saturday morning?" Lukas

grumbled as he pulled his scarf tighter. The cold wind tugged at his coat, and he had clearly had other plans for the day. "Because we're curious and also want to find out

something about this black rose," Max replied, marching ahead energetically. "And because you couldn't think of anything better than playing video games in your

sweatpants," Emma added dryly. Sophie stifled a laugh as she held the heavy museum doors open for her friends.

Inside, she was greeted by warm, dry air and the smell of wood polish and old books. The city museum was not particularly large, but it had its charm. Paintings hung everywhere,

display cases displayed historical artifacts, and explanatory texts were on the walls, which Lukeimmediately ignored. "Okay, and

where is this Mrs. Breuer now?" he asked, folding his arms. "Over there," said Emma, who had spotted an elegant woman with a tight bun and rimless

glasses. She was standing near an empty display case that had evidently been the original home of the black rose. The display case was cordoned off with caution tape and a sign reading "In Progress" was emblazoned in front of it.

"Good morning," Max began as they approached. "Are you Mrs. Breuer?" The curator turned to them and looked at them

sharply. "Yes, that's me. And who are you? The museum doesn't open to visitors for another hour."

"We are... er... students at the local school

and we are interested in the theft of the black rose," Max stuttered before Sophie intervened. "We read about the incident and

wanted to learn more about the history of the gem." Mrs. Breuer seemed skeptical, but then she sighed. "Well, come with me. But only if you promise not to behave like tourists."

She led them into a small room behind the exhibition rooms, which was crammedwith books, documents and strange objects. On the table lay an open book with a detailed drawing of the black rose.

"The black rose," began Mrs. Breuer, lifting the book, "is not only a gemstone, but a symbol. It was cut by an unknown artist over

300 years ago and belonged to the Countess of Lichtenstein. It is said that she lost her life after handing the rose over to her betrayer."

"Sounds like a pretty stupid idea," Lukas mumbled. Emma nudged him in the side with her elbow. "Shh, listen."

Mrs. Breuer ignored him and continued: "Since then, it has been said that the rose brings bad luck. Anyone who owns it loses

everything. Money, family, mind." She looked seriously at the group. "And yet there are always people who are willing to risk everything to own it."

“Do you have any idea who could have stolen it?” asked Max. Mrs. Breuer shook her head. “We have no clues. The thief hasSecurity

cameras have been tampered with and there are no fingerprints or tracks. It's almost as if the curse itself is at work."

"Or a damn good professional," Lukas

muttered again, this time a little louder. Mrs. Breuer smiled thinly. "Maybe both." Sophie looked at the book curiously. "What happens when you find the black rose? Can

you break the curse?" Mrs. Breuer closed the book and carefully placed it on the table. "Nobody knows. Maybe the curse is just a story to keep people away. But one thing is certain: the black rose brings trouble."

The friends thanked him and left the office with their heads full of questions. As they walked back to the exhibition room, Max said what everyone was thinking. "I'm telling you,

this is no ordinary theft story. We have to find out who is after the rose." Emma stopped and looked at him seriously.

"And how exactly do you envisage that? Should we get involved in the investigation?" Lukas raised his hands. "To be honest, I think it's a pretty good idea. As long as we don'tbe cursed.”

Sophie grinned. "I'm in. What could possibly go wrong?"

The group left the museum without realizing that they were already being watched.

Chapter 3: A mysterious clue

"I bet no one looked as closely as I did," Max muttered, stopping in front of the display

case that had previously housed the black rose. The others were already on their way to the door, but he couldn't shake the thought that he had missed something. His eyes

wandered over the empty space and the barriers. “Max, what are you doing? We wanted to leave!” Emma called from the door. But Max

ignored her. His attention was on a tiny, barely visible sign.ette, which was lying half under the display case. He carefully picked it up with two fingers and looked at it closely. The piece of paper was yellowed and covered with strange symbols that he couldn't decipher at first glance. It looked like a

mixture of ancient characters and geometric shapes. Max's heart beat faster. "Guys, come back! I found something!"

Emma, Sophie and Lukas trottedreluctantly returned to him. "What is this?" Sophie asked, peering over his shoulder. "Looks like... a puzzle or something?" Max nodded eagerly.

"Or some kind of map! Maybe the thief dropped this." "Or it's just a shopping list from the Middle Ages," said Lukas dryly, but his gaze was still curious. Emma took the piece of paper and looked at it critically. "These aren't letters

that I recognize. Maybe ancient Greek? Or some kind of secret code?"

"Whatever it is, it looks important," Max

explained emphatically. "We should investigate further." Emma shook her head. "And how exactly do you imagine that? Should I just look it up in the library?"

"Not a bad idea," grinned Max. Lukas grabbed the piece of paper. "I'll scan it later. Maybe we can find something about it

online." Sophie glanced at the clock and tugged lightly on Lukas' sleeve. "We should get going, otherwise we'll miss our... er... appointment."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "What date?" Sophie blushed slightly and waved her hand. "Oh, nothing special. Just something for a school project." Lukas nodded quickly.

"Exactly, totally boring. You really don't need to come with me." Max looked at them skeptically but said nothing. Emma, on the other hand, pulled a face. "Okay, see you later then."

That evening, Sophie and Lukas stood in front of the dance studio, both slightly nervous. "I still can't believe we signed up for this," Lukas mumbled as he tugged at his jacket.

Sophie grinned crookedly. "It was your idea, remember? 'A little exercise doesn't hurt,' you said."

"Yes, but I didn't think we had to dance right away," Lukas replied, peeking through the door. Music was already playing inside and there were a few conversations. Sophie put

her hand on his arm. "Relax. We'll do this together, okay? No one knows we're here except us."

Lukas nodded slowly. "Okay. But if I step on your feet, be merciful."Sophie laughed and pulled him through the door. "We'll get it done."

The class started with simple steps, but Lukas seemed to have a penchant for tripping at exactly the wrong moment. Sophie couldn't help but laugh when he almost bumped into

another participant. "Stop laughing! This is harder than it looks!" protested Lukas, but couldn't help but grin.

After a while they became more confident,

and as the music slowed down, Lukas dared to look at Sophie. "Actually, it's not so bad, is it?" Sophie smiled. "No, it's actually fun. And you haven't stepped on my feet for ten minutes. That's progress."

Later, when they were on their way home,

both of them felt more relaxed. "Thanks for convincing me to join in," Lukas finally said. Sophie gave him a mischievous look. "No

problem. But if this gets out, you'll be the one explaining it." “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything if you don’tsay," promised Lukas. They both laughed quietly as they said goodbye. But none of them suspected that Max was sitting in front of his computer and examining

the note. "A riddle... or maybe a clue," he muttered to himself. His instinct told him that the black rose held more secrets than they had previously suspected.