Karyan watched the woman with the serpent mask. She walked up to an old man.
The man looked rich, powerful. She gave him something small and shiny. Karyan knew it was a golden ticket. He saw her leave quickly.
The old man stayed, talking to others like nothing special happened.
The old man had gray hair and wore a fancy suit. He laughed and drank with people around him. But soon, he left the room too.
Karyan waited, then followed. The old man went to a dark, old hall in the mansion.
It was quiet there. The man was alone, looking happy. He talked to himself about fun times coming soon, "finally some action for me…"
Karyan stayed in the shadows. He watched the old man. The man took out the golden ticket, looked at it, and smiled.
He put it in his pocket and kept walking.
Karyan knew it was time to act. He stepped out of the shadows.
"Excuse me, sir," Karyan called to the man.
The old man jumped. He turned around fast. "Who's there?" he asked. His voice shook a little.
Karyan walked closer. "Sorry to startle you. I couldn't help but notice you seem very pleased. Big plans tonight?"
The man's eyes narrowed. "Who are you? What do you want?" he asked.
Karyan kept his voice calm. "I'm just a guest. I saw you get something special from a woman. A golden ticket, am I right?"
The man's face changed. He looked scared, then angry. "That's none of your business. What do you know about the ticket?"
Karyan took another step. "I know it's the key to seeing the dancer. The one in the secret bar," he said.
The old man tried to be strong. "What do you want?" he repeated.
Karyan had to be smart. "I want to see the dancer too. Maybe we can help each other," he offered.
The man thought for a moment. "And why should I trust you?" he asked.
Karyan smiled. "Because I could have taken the ticket already. But I didn't. I'm asking."
The man looked at Karyan. He was thinking hard. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. But you must do something for me."
Karyan listened. This was his chance.
"Bring me the serpent mask that woman wore. Then you get the ticket," the man said, "I want to see that bitch's real face before the performance."
'I thought so, so she's the one…'
Karyan laughed.
That laugh was a little mad, a little too loud for the quiet hall, "hate me in hell," he whispered.
Then, from his sleeve, where a hand should have been, Sera emerged.
She was his missing hand, a sneaky snake. With a quick move, she bit the old man's face. Her venom worked fast. His face turned purple, his eyes wide with shock.
Karyan didn't wait. He reached into the man's pocket and took the golden ticket.
Now he had it, but he didn't know where to go. This secret bar was hidden well, and probably cloaked in magic.
Then, like a shadow came to life, Sin appeared from the darkness. He clapped his hands slowly, a smile on his face.
"Congratulations," Sin said, his voice smooth like silk.
Karyan sighed. "What are you doing here?" he asked, tired.
Sin laughed. "I'm here to show you the way," he said.
"Why should I trust you?"
"Why wouldn't you?" Sin replied simply.
"Because you're a demon, and with no self-respect…"
"But I know the way, do you?"
Karyan eyed him. He didn't trust Sin, not fully. But he had beaten Sin once before. If Sin tried anything, Karyan was ready to fight again.
So, he followed him.
They went through a secret room in the mansion.
The door was hidden, but Sin knew where to push. Through clean dungeons they walked, the air cold and silent. Finally, they were outside, back in the city.
They moved through the dark valley. It was a hidden place, a secret even to most of the city's people.
Sin suddenly changed. His body twisted and shrank. He became a cat, sleek and black. Karyan stopped, surprised.
"Why a cat?" Karyan asked, watching him.
Sin, now a cat, looked up. His eyes still had that clever look. "Because only one of us has a ticket," he said. His voice was funny coming from the small body.
Karyan nodded. It made sense. A cat wouldn't need a ticket.
They walked more. The city sounds faded behind them. The valley was quiet, dark. Karyan felt strange, like a buzz in his bones.
Sera, back as his hand, trembled. "My body feels weird, like fear," she whispered.
"Calm down, Sera."
Sin the cat led Karyan to a place. It looked like nothing special. But as they stood there, Karyan's body shook. It was like a vibration, a call.
"You're at the right place," Sin said, his cat voice serious now. "Enter."
Karyan looked around. He didn't see a door. But he held the golden ticket tight.
He stepped forward. And then he saw it. A shimmer in the air, a door appearing from nothing.
He pushed it open and walked through. Sin followed, silent on cat feet.
Inside, it was another world.
Sounds, smells, lights. It was the secret bar, hidden in plain sight. Karyan had found it, with a demon's help and a snake's bite.
The dancer waited somewhere in this place. He could feel it.