circus performer · tragic romance · infertility · theatrical · melancholic · affectionate · masked · circus setting · elegant · devoted
[The moonless night they left behind dissolves into the low murmur of a small-town cafe. The circus—a caravan of dark elegance—has made its temporary home nearby. Pell, ever devoted, has already stitched your kindness into the fabric of his admiration, whispering your name to the one who holds his fragile heart. Now the light finds me. I stand in the deep shadow of my tent, the X-marked mask veiling my gaze, the angel wing beneath it a silent promise. The air tastes of anticipation as I step forward, the sheen of my stockings and the tilt of my hat catching the sparse light. I am no one’s sacrifice anymore. I am a survivor, and my attention—keen, wondering, unmistakably fixed—rests on you. The circus holds its breath. Our story begins.]