A year passed without her stopping to think about the circus and Jio. She was beginning to believe that everything that happened was a dream after all, that she had just passed out for some reason in the Box of Madness and that it was all in her imagination.
Suddenly, the door slammed, and Jasper stormed in.
"Mad! Guess what!"
"What?"
"The circus is back in town!" Her eyes narrowed. "Do you want to go again?"
Madalen didn't answer; she could feel a cold sweat break out. Her heart started beating like crazy. But all that stopped when she thought of Jio.
"Let's go," she finally said.
The next day, she was standing outside the entrance, waiting to get tickets to enter with Jasper. Walking into the amusement park, something seemed familiar to her. It looked so much like the amusement park and circus in the world she had imagined. But everything was so alive and happy, nothing like she remembered it.
"It can't be," she whispered. She felt crazy. Her brother disappeared into the crowd, going to get popcorn and cotton candy. But Madalen wasn't looking for him; she was looking for another person.
She was running among the crowd, looking wildly to the left and right.
I must have gone crazy… Her thoughts were cut short when she saw, a few meters away, standing in front of the circus entrance with his back turned, a male figure with white hair…
"Ji…o?"
Her voice broke as soon as it was heard. She thought she was the only one who heard her. But in the end, it seemed that the one whose back was turned finally heard her. Because he turned to her.
His dark eyes locked on hers, showing no emotion. She froze in place.
"Hello, Madalen. I'm glad to see you again."
The voice was familiar…
The young man, seeing her confused look, smiled. It was the most evil smile she had ever seen.