Darkwood: Circus Inferno

Classroom Conundrum

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Onyx sat at his desk, staring out the window, trying to keep his mind from wandering too far from the lesson at hand. The teacher droned on about something related to world history, but Onyx could barely focus. His thoughts kept drifting back to the circus poster he’d seen that morning.

Darkwood had barely recovered from the chaos of last year. Another event—especially one as bizarre as a circus—seemed too soon, too dangerous. He shifted in his seat, tapping his pencil lightly on the desk as he fought to stay focused.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced down, debating whether or not to check it. The teacher was notoriously strict, and getting caught with a phone out was never worth the trouble. Still, the curiosity got the better of him, and he discreetly pulled it out, keeping it under the desk.

His eyes widened when he saw the notification:

Riggs changed the group chat name to “Reaper’s Concubines 😫😮‍💨💀”

Onyx stifled a groan, fighting the urge to burst out laughing. He quickly tapped the screen to open the chat, and sure enough, everyone had already started reacting.

Ren: What. The. Hell.

Tixo: I love it.

Wei: Please no.

Greyson: Really?

Ryuji: Wow, subtle.

Onyx: Riggs, why?

Riggs: I felt inspired.

Before Onyx could respond, a sharp voice broke through his thoughts.

“Mr. Voss.”

Onyx’s head snapped up to see his teacher, Mrs. Callahan, staring at him with her arms crossed. Her stern gaze seemed to pierce through him, and the entire class fell silent, waiting for what was coming next.

“Do you have something more important going on than this lesson?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

Onyx’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly shoved his phone back into his pocket. “No, ma’am,” he muttered.

Mrs. Callahan’s eyes narrowed. “Then perhaps you’d like to share with the class what’s so urgent that you felt the need to check your phone during my lecture.”

He could feel the stares of his classmates burning into him, some snickering quietly. Onyx shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to think of a response, but before he could come up with anything, his phone buzzed again.

He glanced down at his pocket, horrified.

Mrs. Callahan’s eyes followed the motion. “Hand it over, Mr. Voss,” she said, holding out her hand.

Onyx bit his lip and reluctantly pulled out his phone, placing it in her hand. She looked at the screen, and for a moment, her stern expression faltered—just slightly.

Her gaze flicked back to Onyx, and she gave him a tired sigh. “Reaper’s Concubines,” she said, reading the name of the group chat out loud. The entire class erupted into laughter, and Onyx wanted to melt into his chair.

Mrs. Callahan, however, didn’t seem amused. She turned off the screen and placed the phone on her desk. “You can have this back at the end of the day,” she said firmly. “And I suggest you tell your friends to come up with something a little more appropriate next time.”

Onyx groaned internally as he sank lower into his seat. The rest of the class continued, but his mind was somewhere else entirely. Not only did he have to deal with the circus poster, but now Riggs had just gotten him into trouble. He knew this would be a long day.

As the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, Onyx rushed up to the front to retrieve his phone, offering a sheepish apology to Mrs. Callahan, who waved him off with a tired look. He quickly left the room, pulling his phone out to check the group chat once more.

Onyx: Thanks, Riggs. I got my phone confiscated.

Riggs: Worth it.

Tixo: RIP, Onyx.

Wei: 😬

Greyson: I suppose we should change it back.

Onyx rolled his eyes, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Despite the embarrassment, he couldn’t help but be grateful for his chaotic group of friends. Even after everything they’d been through, they still managed to find humor in the strangest of times.

As he walked down the hallway, his mind wandered back to the circus. Something about it still didn’t sit right with him, and he had a feeling that whatever was coming, it was only the beginning.