Darkwood: Circus Inferno

Cat Curtain Call

The group scoured the circus grounds, their movements frantic and disorganized as the enormity of the situation weighed on them. Greyson led the charge, his scythe drawn, while Ren tried to keep everyone focused, though the fear of losing Wei made it nearly impossible to think clearly.

"We can't lose him!" Greyson growled, his voice taut with urgency. "Check everywhere."

Amid the chaos, Tixo stumbled upon a strange contraption near one of the tents—a large, brass cannon with intricate carvings etched along its barrel. The runes glowed faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat. Tixo squinted, trying to decipher its function when a sudden click sounded behind him.

Before he could react, a mechanical arm shot out and grabbed him by the waist.

"Tixo!" Zephyr yelled, rushing toward him, but it was too late.

With a deafening boom, the cannon fired, propelling Tixo into the air like a comet. The force of the shot sent him tumbling through the sky, wind whipping past his ears as he struggled to orient himself.

"WHAT THE FU—!" Tixo's shout was cut short as he crashed through a shimmery veil of light, his body landing with a loud thud onto a polished marble floor.

Groaning, he pushed himself up, shaking the disorientation from his head. As his vision cleared, his surroundings came into focus—and his blood ran cold.

He was no longer at the circus.

The room around him was eerily familiar, its opulence unmistakable. Gold-framed portraits adorned the walls, depicting regal-looking Tabaxi in luxurious attire. The scent of jasmine and aged wood hung in the air, evoking a sense of nostalgia he didn’t want to feel.

“This can’t be…” Tixo murmured, his tail flicking nervously.

He stood in the grand hall of what looked like his family's estate in Cyndryll. The pristine floors gleamed under the glow of chandeliers, and the ornate furniture was arranged just as he remembered it.

Yet something was wrong.

The silence was oppressive, and the air carried an unnatural chill. Shadows danced in the corners of the room, twisting and shifting as though alive.

Tixo's ears flattened as he took cautious steps forward, his claws unsheathing instinctively. His heartbeat thundered in his chest, each echoing footstep amplifying his unease.

“This is a trick,” he muttered, baring his teeth. “It’s gotta be…”

But as he approached the center of the room, a soft, haunting melody began to play—a lullaby his mother used to sing. The sound froze him in place, and his breathing hitched.

A spotlight suddenly flickered on, illuminating a stage that hadn’t been there a moment ago. It was draped in red velvet curtains, the centerpiece of what now looked like an eerie theater built within the walls of his home.

“Welcome home, little brother.”

Tixo’s fur bristled as the voice echoed through the room, smooth and mocking. From behind the curtains, a figure emerged, their silhouette tall and poised. The moment they stepped into the light, Tixo’s heart sank.