The Circus Praestigiae travels through the night, slipping silently between shadows, carrying with it the souls of the lost and the creatures of the dark. It arrives without warning, its presence marked only by the looming silhouette of its colossal, weathered tent-stripped wine reds and soiled whites that draw the gaze of any unsuspecting passerby. Beneath those tattered stripes lie horrors whispered only in nightmares, and beings plucked from the deepest, most ancient corners of the earth.
The low, flickering red and yellow lights call to the curious like moths to flame, a slow, pulsing glow that draws them in, helpless, as if in a trance. The carnival music-discordant, haunting-wraps itself around their minds, its hypnotic rhythm dulling their senses until the world outside fades to nothing. The show will end, but not before the spirits of the audience are laid bare.
Every act is a jolt of adrenaline, a heart-stopping thrill that pulses through the veins of those who dare to watch. For the weary and the worn, it is a feast of terror-a rare gift of fear, a taste of something more, something unknown. The performers, each more enigmatic than the last, awaken desires, fears, and wonder in the hearts of those who have forgotten what it means to be alive.
Born from the fevered dream of a dead man, the Praestigiae defies the old adage-dead men tell tales. This tale unfolds in its newest destination, the strange and secluded town of Beacon Hills-a place teeming with unnatural presences and secrets buried beneath the surface. A town steeped in whispers, where the very ground hums with the energy of the unknown. It is, without a doubt, the perfect place for the Circus to call home.
Welcome to the Circus Praestigiae!
The mystery under the stripes...
A show worth dying for.
Y/N, a simple woman, joins the deadly games to pay off debts after her mother's death. Young-Il, a heartless soul, controls the games, watching everything from afar while sipping on his glass of whisky.
But this year is different. When he spots Y/N, number 160, during the game of "Red Light, Green Light," he can't help but grow more obsessed with her.
The first game ends, and Young-Il decides it's time to join the games himself, meet her, and make her his forever. Not that he will allow anyone else to even look at her
But will Y/N really trust him?