━━━ ꧁ད ✶ ཌ꧂ ━━━

CHAPTER 11

━━━ ꧁ད ✶ ཌ꧂ ━━━

I held my breath in my lungs. Even his way of speaking was majestic and natural, so much so that for a moment I almost believed him.

"There's something I want to understand," I confessed. "Why does the medallion stay with me?"

"I still don't know how it works. I explained that things got out of control just before I could learn all their secrets. For reasons, I still don't understand, it returns to you when I should be the successor. It's as if it chose you."

His hypothesis terrified me.

"I don't want to be the heir to your circus."

He waited in silence, and I took the opportunity to brush off my clothes and stop the itching. Then he said, "Come with me."

"Where to?"

"May I?" he asked. And without knowing why, I agreed.

His hand on my waist sent shivers down my spine, and as if it were an elegant dance, he walked around me until he stopped at my side. Then, with simplicity, he pulled me close to his side so that our hips remained together, subjecting me once again to his icy temperature.

"You will experience your world from my perspective. Besides, to be honest, I would like to avoid another unpleasant encounter with that exhibitionist scarecrow if possible."

So, there was also the possibility that the puppets and their puppeteer could have escaped, just like us. I didn't have to go far to assume that they also had that possibility. I mean, I had seen them move without strings. It made more sense that the boy I hit in the groin wouldn't have flinched if he turned out to be one of those dolls.

"Isn't it normal to see semi-naked people in circuses?" I contemplated his profile.

"I can't deny it, except that the presentation involves more elegance. We don't run shirtless off the stage," he remarked sarcastically.

Suddenly, the fantasy of Ashton with bare feet, a bare torso, and loose pants overwhelmed me. It was an attractive image, but it wasn't the right time to delve into it further.

"You've never been to one?"

"To one... What?" I inquired, lost.

"To a circus."

"Today was my first time."

As I searched for the ground to hide the unexpected embarrassment that engulfed me from fantasizing about inappropriate things, I realized that we had moved away from it.

The fairground was beneath our feet, and I didn't know when it happened, but I hugged his neck for fear of falling.

I heard his husky laughter and the rush of the wind, but my concern about how we would rescue my family from that place also grew.

"How is it possible that you can do this?" I exclaimed with horror.

We were flying, and I still couldn't believe it.

"It's not the medallion's doing," he hastened to say.

"Oh, really?"

"No. It's my doing. Because of what I am now."

Fear made me ignore the question of why he spoke with such certainty.

"I'm glad it wasn't your first time at a circus," he stated, and I couldn't understand the reason. "Do you have a fear of heights?" He changed the subject for the second time.

I might have been mistaken, but for the first time, Ashton seemed nervous.

"If that were the case, I think I would have passed out by now. What I'm afraid of is falling from such a height," I replied, avoiding mentioning my dependence on him and the possibility of him letting go without warning. But I wasn't going to tell him that.

He turned to look at me, and our gazes met. Only a few centimeters separated my face from his. For a moment, I wished his greenish-yellow eyes could speak because, when exposed to everyone's view, they might hold secrets that I would have liked to be a part of.

"I will hold onto you, Zara. I promise."

I assumed that I couldn't be more attached. I was squeezing him with all my strength, and I wondered why he hadn't complained yet.

"Why can I touch you?" I asked him.

"I was surprised too, but I'll attribute it to the medallion again." The heavy metal seemed capable of things we couldn't fully comprehend. Ashton returned his gaze. As for me, I had no intention of taking mine off his face. "I have a good feeling that if I find the other two medallions, everything will return to how it was before. It must work, I'm convinced. I can't think of another way."

So, there were two other medallions, and they were the key to solving the problem. Thomas's story wasn't entirely false.

I remained silent as I delved into his theory. If it were true, for me, it meant regaining my family, having the shadows disappear, and perhaps never seeing Ashton again.

"So, have you been searching for the medallions all this time?" I inferred.

"And what a surprise I had when I found the one you had." Once again, he was observing me, and for some reason, I couldn't tell him that I wasn't the one who obtained it until the day we met. "Take a look," he said, looking downward.

I dared to do so, and instead of feeling fear, I was rather impressed by the views.

All of Port Fallen expanded from the height. It was a fishing village with damaged streets and small blocks illuminated by scarce lampposts. What benefited it was the church with Gothic walls and the small park in front of it. On the side of the village, the lake that connected us to the other four ports had such black water that the sky reflected all its stars. I couldn't find words to describe the enchantment it had on me.

"Fascinating," he said, still looking at me.

"Indeed..." I elongated my response and dared to gaze further, to the old train station, which seemed to be our destination.

We descended slowly on level ground, next to one of the many railways deteriorated by time and bad weather.

I didn't recognize the place. Due to my apprehension, I never ventured beyond a few meters from the entrance.

"What are we doing here?" I adjusted the coat that still protected me from the cold night, as if it could also shield me from the darkness.

"You'll see," he said, gesturing for me to walk ahead. And I moved forward until, in front of me, a wall made of green canvas prevented me from continuing.

"Are they building something on the other side?" I asked curiously, trying to tiptoe and see, but for the first time, I wasn't as tall as I would have liked.

"They keep something on the other side. But don't worry, you can go through." His voice sounded distant.

I glanced around until I found him next to a pile of debris. I didn't know how, but he had moved very quickly.

I approached his side and observed the horizontal cut in the ground over the canvas. With a little effort, I managed to enter through it.

"Incredible!" I exclaimed with astonishment, but it didn't make me happy either, not with the bitter feeling that weighed on me since the moment we left the fair.

"It is," he echoed from behind me.

I crossed the rails, being careful not to trip, and stopped to examine the railroad closely. Despite the dust and weeds showing their age, I was impressed to see it still standing.

After approaching the first container, I noticed that all the ones in the row were white with red trim. In the corners, there were stars that must have been hand-drawn, although due to senility, they could hardly be seen anymore.

I hurriedly wiped the dust off the first container with my palm and found a very realistic portrait painted in the middle.

Assuming he was a member of the circus, I discovered his elegant red tailcoat. The design was almost identical to the one Ashton wore. His hands held a top hat, and above it, his name was written in cursive.

"My father. We have the same name," he clarified before I could ask. "He was the master of ceremonies."

As I cleaned the place where his face was, I understood why Thomas said women were fascinated when they saw him. He was quite handsome, and that was another accurate detail in his story.

I focused on his relaxed expression and couldn't imagine how terrible it must have been to die in a fire.

"Does it still work?" I asked.

"It has been about half a century since it last ran." He didn't sound very enthusiastic, but rather distant. He had moved several meters away again. Apparently, he had the ability to appear and disappear anywhere.

Ashton pretended to sit on the container while caressing the roof, as if carrying countless nostalgic memories. The image was able to move me so much that I jumped when the door beneath his feet opened with an annoying squeak.

"By a possessed jumper, who's there?"

I froze when I saw the man, but I wasn't the only one surprised. His expression of anger changed completely when he saw me. However, I started to step back when tears rolled down his cheeks.

He must have been a drugged-up vagabond, as he also had a shabby appearance. The curtain of brown, gray, and disheveled hair fell over his eyes, so I couldn't see them, but I felt his penetrating gaze on me.

"E... El... El..." the man stammered as he limped towards me, then he stretched out the arm holding a lit oil lamp.

"You shouldn't be here," Ashton grumbled behind me, taking me by surprise. "We have to go."

It seemed like a great idea, so I ran all the way back to the green canvas.

"Who was he?" I asked after stumbling into Ashton. I felt like my heart was about to leap out of my chest. Fortunately, the man from the railway hadn't followed me. If he was indeed a member of the circus, in the end, I speculated that he was still alive because he was surrounded by light, and he probably lived in that place for many years.

"Reidar," he replied curtly. "Let's go. I'll accompany you back home."

When I entered, I waited for him to do the same, but Ashton remained leaning on his cane with both hands and leaned forward to take a look inside.

"I have something to take care of first."

It was possible that he was going back to the station, although he didn't want to admit it.

"I want to help you. I need to get my family back."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "for involving you in all of this. I think it would have been better if you hadn't been the one to find the medallion," he sighed resignedly. "I'll see you in a moment. Don't forget to turn on the light."

He turned his back to me and walked towards the street. The lamppost on the sidewalk flickered, and when it came back on, he was no longer there.

It bothered me that he just brushed me off like that. I thought we would do everything together.

I closed the door behind me, leaned my back against it, and turned on the light in the room. When I sighed, silence answered me. It was true solitude.

No matter what, I was willing to do whatever it took to bring everyone back. Despite any differences, they were my family.

I hurried up the stairs and stopped when someone knocked on the door.

I trotted back with the hope that Ashton had returned. To be honest, I didn't want to be alone, but I hesitated when I remembered that I couldn't touch objects from the world of the living.

I calmed my breathing, but I could still hear it as I turned the lock.

I peeked out, but I was met with the same empty view as a few minutes ago.

I checked both sides of the street, but there was no one there either.

Just as I was about to close the door, I spotted the striking gift on the welcome mat. The wrapping resembled a closed lotus petal, with alternating shades of red and white, similar to a sweet lollipop. On top of it, an exaggerated golden bow brought it to life, adding grace and keeping the package closed. But there was also a small card.

After nudging it with my foot and confirming that it wasn't a trap, I bent down to pick it up from the floor. But it was when I read the sender's name on the small piece of paper that a cold shiver ran down my spine.

Written with ink that seemed metallic and excellent penmanship, the name "Stjerne Circus" was right in the center.

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