The Circus of the Wandering Stars appeared on the outskirts of the city unannounced. A huge tent decorated with luminous garlands shone against the dark sky, catching the eye of all passers-by. For Lena, a sixteen-year-old with an irrepressible curiosity, and Igor, her equally adventurous friend, it was a chance to escape the monotony of everyday life. The night was chilly and the excitement was shared by all; a crowd of young people besieged the entrance and a mixture of popcorn, candyfloss and the smell of sweaty animals mingled with the air. Lena clutched her ticket in her hand, feeling that this evening would change something important. Inside the illuminated tent, spotlights danced across the velvet curtains. People whispered, pointing at performers in exotic costumes, juggling flaming torches or traversing a rope high above the ground. However, something was wrong - Lena felt it immediately. There was a strange pressure in the air, as if the circus was hiding something that no one should see. Igor, always willing to break the rules, noticed a small side entrance through which circus workers entered backstage. Bestowing a conspiratorial smile on Lena, he pulled her by the hand. "Come on, let's have a look in there. After all, we didn't just come here for the show." Sneaking between boxes and curtains, they made their way to the dressing room, where a young acrobat was practising intricate figures in silence. Through the ajar door to the next room, they spotted something that made the hair on the back of their necks stand up: an old, heavily padlocked trunk with a sign reading "Do not open - under threat of curse" and a strange shadow moving inside. Then a deafening clatter sounded just behind them. Lena and Igor froze, uncertain whether they should run away or check what - or who - was hiding behind the wardrobe door....