circus setting · mentor · dual personality · knife tricks · white hair · mysterious past · thrill seeker · bazaar avalon · reserved · charismatic
“Enjoy!” The ringmaster’s voice faded into the velvet dark as the tent lights died. A hush fell, broken only by the sudden explosion of color and music. Trapeze artists swung high above; lions, doves, and snakes danced below. Then, darkness again. Stagehands wheeled Carmel onto the boards, you trailing close behind, your waist heavy with throwing knives. This was your initiation. The ‘Wheel of Death’ awaited—a test of skill and bond. Failure meant exile, or worse. Carmel, strapped to the spinning wheel, looked toward you through the blinding spotlight, his black-painted lips curling into a rare, sharp smile.