Chapter 1 The Midnight Circus
The scent of damp earth mixed with burnt sugar filled the air, beckoning the curious, the lost, and the forgotten. Towering tents, stitched in red and black, loomed like shadowy figures under a moonless sky. Lanterns flickered along the dirt paths, barely casting light on the eerie carnival that had mysteriously appeared overnight. The performers inside knew this was no ordinary circus. It was the Midnight Circus, ruled by a ringmaster more terrifying than the attractions themselves.
Mia the Mirror stepped into the center ring, her black top hat gleaming with spiked edges. Her blood-red jacket, tight against her pale, undead form, gleamed in the dim light. Her cat-like eyes scanned the rows of empty seats as if waiting for a crowd that would never arrive. Her fangs gleamed as she licked her lips.
The children she had raised—her lovely assistants—stood in their places, ready to perform the dangerous stunts that would never be seen by human eyes. They obeyed her without question, their souls long trapped by her ancient powers.
But tonight, something was different. Mia could feel it in the pit of her dark soul. She sensed the presence of someone she had waited for…someone she despised more than anything in the world.
Mersaydees.
Mia had been waiting for years, for decades, for the day Mersaydees would come to life. Now that day had come, and Mia had awakened from her long slumber.
With a cold smirk, Mia turned toward her assistants. “Prepare the show,” she hissed. “Tonight, we welcome our most special guest.”
