Chapter 1 The Poster
"Never enter a circus, because
you're curious… The circus feeds on curiosity"
The town wasn't known for much.
A bakery that sold the best cinnamon rolls before sunrise, an old clock tower that ran three minutes late every day, and streets so quiet that everyone knew everyone else's business before dinner.
Life rarely surprises anyone.
That was probably why the bright crimson poster caught her attention.It hung crookedly on the notice board outside the grocery store.Its edges fluttered gently in the breeze.
WELCOME TO ASTORIA CIRCUS
Three Nights Only
"Where every dream finds its stage."
She frowned."I don't remember seeing this yesterday."An elderly woman arranging flowers beside the board looked up."It was put up this morning."
"So they're setting up already?"The woman smiled.
"Oh, sweetheart... they arrived before dawn."
Before dawn? She glanced toward the empty field beyond the town square.From where she stood, she could just make out the tip of a striped tent rising above the trees.
Strange.
That field had been empty for years — Hadn't it?
"Are you going?" the florist asked.She shrugged."Maybe."
"Everyone's going."
Everyone.?
The word lingered in her mind longer than it should have.The café buzzed with excitement that afternoon.Children argued over which performance would be the best.Teenagers took pictures of the posters.Someone claimed the circus had performers from all over the world.
Someone else insisted the Ringmaster was famous.She stirred her drink absentmindedly."You look like you're solving a murder," her friend joked as he dropped into the seat across from her.
She laughed."I'm just wondering why everyone suddenly cares so much about a circus."
"Because nothing exciting ever happens here."He wasn't wrong.He leaned back in his chair."I'm going tonight."
"So am I."
"You just said you weren't interested."
"I changed my mind."He grinned."I knew curiosity would win."
As evening settled over the town, warm golden lights appeared in the distance.Even from several streets away, she could hear faint music drifting through the air.. Not loud.. Not cheerful.
Just enough to make people follow it. Families walked toward the field together. The couples laughed.Children skipped ahead with balloons clutched tightly in their hands. It looked... normal.
Comforting, even.
The circus entrance glowed beneath hundreds of tiny lights.A faded wooden sign read WELCOME. The gold paint had chipped away with age , yet somehow the words looked freshly polished. Crimson curtains swayed gently even though there wasn't a breeze . A woman in an elegant red uniform handed out glossy tickets with a practiced smile.
"Welcome."Her voice was soft.Almost rehearsed.She accepted the ticket.It felt surprisingly heavy for a piece of paper.She turned it over.The back was blank. Probably nothing.
"You coming?" her friend called from the gate.
She slipped the ticket into her pocket.One last glance at the town behind her.One step forward.Then another.As she crossed beneath the enormous striped tent—
The music stopped.
Only for a second. Just long enough for her to notice.
Then it began again.
She looked around.No one else seemed to have heard the silence.She told herself she was imagining it.
And with that—
She stepped into the circus tent.
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