The clearing felt suffocating under the oppressive tension. Thiago stepped forward, the dim light casting eerie shadows across his sharp features. His smirk was as cold and calculating as ever, and the way he carried himself—head high, movements smooth and deliberate—reeked of someone who knew they held all the cards.
“Well,” Thiago began, his voice silky, almost teasing. “I suppose it’s only fair to give you a glimpse into what’s coming. After all, it wouldn’t be fun if you didn’t have something to dread.”
The group remained silent, their collective unease palpable. Even Riggs, usually brimming with sarcastic remarks, stood tense, his usual flippancy subdued by the gravity of the moment.
Thiago gestured to the others behind him—Maverick, leaning against a tree, idly toying with his revolver, and Callico, standing silent yet exuding a menacing energy. “The Ringmaster has plans, you see. Big ones. Plans that require every piece on the board to be exactly where it belongs.” He paused, locking eyes with Onyx. “And you, little shadow, are one of those pieces.”
Onyx clenched his fists, his stomach twisting at the ominous words.
“But it’s not just you,” Thiago continued, his tone almost sing-song. “All of you are tangled in this little web, whether you like it or not. The trials, the chaos, the circus... it’s all leading somewhere. And when the curtain rises on the grand finale, let’s just say—” his smile turned feral, “—you won’t like the ending.”
Tixo stepped forward, his tail lashing behind him, fury radiating off him in waves. “Ambrose,” he spat the name like poison, refusing to call him Thiago. “What the hell are you talking about? What are you even doing with these people?”
Thiago turned to Tixo, his smirk faltering for a moment, replaced by something colder. “Ambrose is dead, Tixo. He died a long time ago, along with any childish fantasies of who I was supposed to be.”
“You’re wrong,” Tixo growled, his claws twitching at his sides. “You’re still him. Somewhere in there, you’re still my brother.”
Thiago’s laugh was hollow, a sharp sound that cut through the air like a blade. “Your brother? The political son who thought he could save the world by stealing crumbs from the rich to toss at the poor? No, Tixo. That man was a fool. The Ringmaster showed me the truth. He showed me power.”
Tixo’s ears flattened, his voice shaking with equal parts rage and pain. “You don’t even see what you’ve become. Look at yourself. You’re nothing more than a puppet!”
Thiago’s smile returned, cruel and mocking. “And what are you, Tixo? Still clinging to some romanticized idea of family? Pathetic.”
The group exchanged uneasy glances, the tension between the brothers like a storm ready to explode.
“What’s the point of all this?” Ryuji finally demanded, his voice sharp. “Why us? Why go through all these games and trials?”
“The point,” Thiago said, turning his gaze to Ryuji, “is to break you. To test you. To mold you into what the Ringmaster needs you to be—or to destroy you if you refuse. Either way, you’ll serve your purpose.”
Tixo took another step forward, his claws fully extended now. “I don’t care what plans you or your puppet master have. You’re not taking any of us without a fight.”
YOU ARE READING
Darkwood: Circus Inferno
FantastiqueA young teen who helps his family run a mortuary in the small town of Darkwood finds out that every town has secrets. A year after Gerald's death, Onyx and the group all adjust to the new atmosphere and the newly rebuilt town. As a new circus attrac...
