⭐ - 𝐒𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬

The streets of Starr Park felt strangely deserted today. Every Brawler seemed absorbed in their own business, leaving you with no one to talk to or walk with. You wandered alone along the sun-faded paths, your footsteps too loud as you passed motionless rides and familiar shops you'd seen countless times. A faint, sweet aroma of popcorn drifted in the air, usually a companion to laughter and music, but now it felt empty and unsettling.

Suddenly, something caught your eye out of the corner of your eye. A dark mass was gliding across the ground, not like a normal shadow, but denser... intentional. It seemed to flow from one shaded spot to another behind a ticket booth. You turned sharply, your pulse racing, but found nothing there except silent rides staring back at you. You dismissed it as an effect of the sun or tired eyes and continued down the main street.

Without warning, a sharp prick struck your neck: a needle. A cold liquid spread beneath your skin in an instant, and your thoughts dissolved into a thick fog before you could even scream.

When you finally opened your eyes—minutes or hours later, you didn't notice—the silence felt different. Dense. Suffocating. You lay on a rough surface, and as your vision cleared, you realized you were inside a circus tent. But something didn't add up. You didn't recognize the place... as if it had never existed in the park.

From the darkness, beyond the dim light, slow footsteps could be heard. Each step echoed softly against the wooden floorboards, intensifying the silence around them. A tall, slender figure emerged, its silhouette barely visible. It moved with the serene confidence of a hunter, and the air seemed to cool with each step it drew closer.

The man slowly extended a white-gloved hand toward you, with long, elegant fingers, pausing in the light