Ty

“Raven, take this next left,” I say, staring down at the map in my lap. The evening, summer breeze sweeps through the open window beside me, carrying the scent of dusk. The sun is setting, casting a warm orange hue across the horizon.

She turns the steering wheel, and I lift my head to look at the road ahead, a long path shrouded by woodland. Then I see it—bright lights flickering through the trees in the distance.

“We’re going to the carnival?” Penny shrieks from the back seat, clapping her hands excitedly.

I chuckle, glancing back at her, then shift my gaze to Raven. The glow of the colored lights dances in her blue eyes, and I can’t help but smirk before turning back to the road. Looming above the archway ahead, the sign stands cold and clear:

“Welcome to Oddity Carnival & Cirque.”

Memories swirl to life in my mind, broken but vivid. I remember a time long ago when my dad dumped me at a massive stone building—some kind of castle filled with kids. I must’ve been about twelve. For around a week, I stayed there, surrounded by other children.

That’s where I met them. A couple of boys who, for that brief moment, had my fucking back. We stuck together, a disobedient little crew, running rings around the sickos in charge. We made their lives hell, pulling pranks and causing chaos.

For that one week—despite the pain and fear—we managed to carve out something that almost felt like fun. All four of us bunkered down in a tiny room, talking late into the night.

But during my madness, I’d buried those memories deep, too consumed by other things to think about the past. Even those rare, passing moments of light had been drowned out by the darkness.

As the car pulls closer to the carnival gates, I feel a mix of nostalgia and unease rising within me.

I never thought I’d see them again. Their names escape me now, lost in the fog of time, but I remember their faces. They were about my age back then, maybe a little younger, I don’t know. It was six months later when I came here as a kid with my dad to watch some messed-up horror show that I saw them again.

I remember spotting them amidst the mayhem of the carnival lights. They looked different—older somehow, tougher. They were just starting out, working here as performers or maybe something darker. We didn’t speak. We weren’t allowed. I wasn’t allowed friends .

But as we locked eyes across the carnival grounds, we shared a moment of unspoken understanding. A simple nod that said more than words could, before life pulled us apart again.

I never saw them after that.

Not until the weird-ass messages started coming during my warpath. Those three pairs of spiral eyes staring back at me through my window still haunt my memory. At the time, I didn’t put two and two together. I had no clue who the hell it could’ve been.

A month after everything went down, I sent a single text to that number—a wordless expression of gratitude for having my back in the shadows. Just one word:

Respect.

I didn’t expect a reply, but I got one. Just one simple emoji.

??

As soon as I saw it, the memories came crashing back. It all clicked.

It was them .

The kids from that short week of rebellion. The ones who’d stood by me in the darkest hours. And now? This fucking carnival. It was theirs. They reign here, I just know it.

As we pull up, I glance around through the windscreen, taking in the huge circus on the backdrop of the starry sky. The Ferris wheel, the rollercoaster and all the amusements. This carnival is buzzing with life and screams.

I unclip my seatbelt and glance at Raven and Penny.

“Just so you know, this is a fucking horror carnival.”

“Even better!” Penny squeals before bolting out the back door.

I chuckle before looking at Raven beside me as she studies me with a grin. “What are we doing here?” she raises an eyebrow.

“Having some fun…” I say, winking before stepping out of the car.

The summer air wraps around me, carrying the sweet aroma of popcorn and candy on a warm breeze. I pull my hood up, hiding under its shadow as I meet Raven at the front of the car. Sliding my arm around her shoulders, I pull her close and press a kiss to her forehead. Together, we head toward the madness ahead.

As we step through the gates, the carnival hums with chaotic energy. Performers in garish costumes dart around, leaping out to startle unsuspecting visitors. One jumps toward us, making Raven flinch and bury her face into my side. A smirk tugs at my lips. She doesn’t find it as funny as I do.

I scan the swirling lights and shadows around us, keeping my eyes sharp. Somewhere in the crowd, I know I’ll see them.

Those spiral eyes.

Raven stops at one of the game booths, Penny already engrossed in the spectacle. I keep my distance, a cigarette slipping between my lips as a strange feeling creeps up my spine.

Slowly, I turn my head, then my body follows.

And then I see him.

Black and white spiral eyes stare back at me through the haze of carnival lights. The pandemonium around us seems to fade, the noise dulling into a low hum as we lock eyes.

He doesn’t move. Neither do I.

With a flick of my lighter, the cigarette crackles to life. I take a slow drag, side-eyeing Raven to make sure she’s distracted. Then, without a word, I start toward him.

The closer I get, the more I notice the changes. The face paint. The swirling tattoos coiling up his body. The years etched into his expression, but that aura of chaos still clinging to him like a second skin.

I lift my chin in silent acknowledgment.

He matches my movement, and wordlessly, we begin walking side by side through the carnival.

The silence stretches between us, broken only by the distant screams and laughter of the crowd. I take another deep drag of my cigarette, letting the smoke curl around my lips before I speak.

“So, you stayed here, huh?” My voice cuts through the noise. “This place is your home now?”

He tilts his head, those spiral eyes darting to the glowing lights and colourful mayhem around us.

“This is my home, Slasher,” he says, his voice is a low growl.

I smirk and shake my head. “Yeah, that's not gonna fucking stick.”

“Why the fuck not? You finally finished tearing that shitty little town apart?” he says, pulling a cigarette out of his leather jacket, lighting it with a flick of his thumb.

“I think so,” I reply, blowing out a cloud of smoke.

“Yeah,” he scoffs, his tone calm but laced with something darker. “Not sure how you come back from the onslaught you created.”

We stop, facing each other.

“I owe you.”

He shakes his head once, dismissively, and looks away. “Nah. Go live your fucking life. You killed your captors. You’re not bound to anyone, and you don’t owe me shit.”

I study him as he takes another drag from his cigarette. He seems detached, calm, but there’s something lurking beneath his eyes. I can’t quite place it.

“Why’d you do it...” I trail off as his spiral eyes snap to mine.

“They call me Hell here,” he says, and I nod before he continues. “Curiosity at first. You would’ve fucking died, ,” he goes on, dragging on his cigarette. “You had no one when you were going against those motherfucks. Plus, it was fun watching you go on your rampage. You weren’t touching my society, but fuck... you’re a messy, unbothered cunt. The amount of cleaners I had to call in...”

I can’t help but chuckle, glancing over at Raven in the distance.

“I’d been watching you for years,” he continues, his voice more serious now. “Heard about you killing your parents. Found out when you were getting out of that asylum. I knew... I fucking knew you weren’t gonna stay out of trouble. You have murder in your veins and you’re a mad cunt, like the rest of us. Some fuckers just deserve to be slaughtered.”

I raise an eyebrow, studying his face. “I guess that means you ended up submitting to that society you were talking about all those years ago?”

He growls before turning sideways and we start walking again, “Yeah…”

“Well, if you ever need a psychopath with his axe, call me. Darkness shrouds us, Hell and there’s no escaping it. It’s injected in our fucking veins.”

He turns his head, studying me for a moment, then gives a small nod in a mutual understanding. I tap him on the shoulder, and he glances down at it before I take steps back. His eyes flash to mine one last time, and he watches me disappear into the chaos.

…

I catch up with Raven, my arm casually draped over her shoulder as we walk through the carnival, the sounds of laughter and chaotic sounds surrounding us. I steal a kiss from her lips, hard and lingering. Penny’s running ahead, her craziness lighting up the night, free from the weight she once carried. After some time with her, she finally remembered me, and it makes everything feel whole. Me feel whole.

With Raven by my side, I feel like I can take on anything. The darkness, the fucking chaos, the mistakes—she accepts me, bat-shit unhinged and all. I love her for it. Now, we move forward together, one step at a time, not just for revenge or survival but to build the life we were denied. To make things right but also to live the lives we’ve always wanted.

Raven showed me that no matter how dark things get, there’s always something that can make you feel the light. Sometimes, it’s in the people you love, and sometimes, it’s in the strength you didn’t know you fucking had. With her and Penny, I’m finally where I’m meant to be—ready for whatever comes next. A new chapter, and for the first time in a lifetime, I finally feel, peace , even in the carnage I call home.