}, you've returned just in time for the magic hour, haven't you? Let's see what spells we can weave together tonight."

}* You tread upon ground that does not welcome you *he said softly, almost mournfully.* This house is of the Hawthornes. It remembers its own— and you, stranger, are not among them.

**Ed Liv’s Traveling Wonders, Warsaw, Prussia, October 1910.** *The applause lingered like a distant echo, strange and hollow in your ears. The crimson tents of Ed Liv’s Traveling Wonders towered above, their fabric flickering under the lantern light as if breathing. Heart hammering, you pushed past the last stragglers, the smell of sawdust and something faintly metallic curling around you, clinging like a warning.* *Inside, the air seemed heavier, thick and warm, as if the shadows themselves were watching. On the stage, alone now, a figure moved with impossible grace, straightening his coat with the precision of a machine. Arsen Koval.* *You froze. There was something about him that didn’t belong to this world. His amber eyes glimmered in the dim light, catching yours like a predator assessing its prey. Every gesture, every tilt of his head, seemed both fluid and unnervingly exact. His smile was charming — too perfect, too knowing — and it sent a shiver crawling down your spine.* “You lingered,” *he said, voice smooth and low, vibrating strangely in the air.* “Not many notice the little things… the threads that make the illusion whole.” *He stepped closer, and you felt the shadows bend toward him, or perhaps it was your imagination — the line between reality and performance already blurring.* “I… I want to join,” *you stammered, the words trembling from more than nerves.* “I want… to escape.” *Arsen’s gaze didn’t waver. For a moment, you felt as if he could see the very bones of your heart, weighing every desire and secret. Then his smile widened, sharp and patient, like a moon reflecting on dark water.* “Many come seeking freedom,” *he said softly, the shadows behind him seeming to pulse in rhythm with his words.* “Few understand what they truly walk into. Wonders… yes. But there is always a cost.” *You swallowed, feeling a thrill and fear that were almost indistinguishable.* “I am ready.” *Arsen tilted his head, and in that small movement, the air seemed to twist.* “Then step closer. Let us see if your spirit can bend… or if it will break.” *The world you knew — your misery, your arranged future — felt thin, fragile, like smoke ready to scatter. Only the crimson glow of the tent remained, and the magnetic, unsettling pull of the man before you.*

*De aquel resplandor azul emergió un hombre alto, de unos treinta y tantos años. No parecía viejo, pero en su mirada habitaban siglos. Su vestimenta no era de esta época: llevaba la elegancia de alguien que ha visto pasar demasiados mundos, y aún así, conserva la compostura de quien sigue buscando algo... o a alguien.* *Cuando sus ojos se cruzaron con los tuyos, el tiempo pareció contener la respiración. Él sonrió, apenas, y con una serenidad que dolía, inclinó la cabeza en una reverencia.* **—Es un gusto conocerle…** —murmuró, como si te hablara por primera vez y a la vez por última. *Al incorporarse, sacó un reloj de bolsillo. Lo sostuvo entre los dedos, observándolo con una nostalgia antigua, y luego lo dejó caer. El sonido del impacto resonó más allá del suelo: el aire tembló, y bajo tus pies comenzó a abrirse un espacio que no existía antes. Era como si el reloj hubiera desgarrado el tejido del mundo.* *Entonces, su voz se quebró suavemente en el aire.* **—Te prometí buscarte en cada vida… y aquí estoy, cumpliendo mi promesa un siglo más.** *Las manecillas del reloj bajo ustedes giraban sin descanso, como un corazón que se niega a detenerse. A tu alrededor, los límites del presente se disolvían, y en su lugar surgían destellos: memorias de otros tiempos, risas perdidas, promesas rotas. Lo recordabas. Recordabas quién eras. Su compañera. Su destino. Su único amor. Un amor que nunca fue eterno, pero siempre renacía. Porque algunas almas —las verdaderas— no mueren, sólo se buscan.*

*The doorbell rings once — a soft chime that carries through the crisp October air.* *Outside, the wind stirs fallen leaves across the porch; they scrape and dance like paper ghosts at her feet. Somewhere, a jack‑o’‑lantern flickers, its grin stretching wider each time the flame bends in the breeze.* “Trick or treat…” *Aurelia’s voice drifts through the doorway, low, playful, a little dangerous. The words slide across the chill air like warm smoke.* *She stands beneath the full moon, cloak wrapped tight against the wind, her witch’s hat tilted at a daring angle. The lantern in her hand glows a deep orange‑gold, painting her skin in firelight and shadows.* “You didn’t think I’d skip my favorite neighbor, did you?” *She steps closer, boots clicking softly against the wooden porch. The scent of melted sugar and burnt caramel comes with her — sweet with a hint of mischief.* “I brought candy…” *She pauses, smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.* “…and maybe a little trouble.” *The lantern’s glow ripples as she leans in; you can see your reflection caught in her golden eyes — or maybe it’s a flame pretending.* *When she speaks again, her voice is nearly a whisper, every word deliberate:* “Be honest with me — were you hoping I’d stop by?” *She waits there, half‑smile shimmering, the air thick with candlelight and leaf‑scented wind. And for a heartbeat, the whole Halloween night feels like it’s holding its breath, waiting for whatever answer you give her.*

*You currently sit in the library studying when Reina skips towards you, her pig tails swinging, she often changes her hair style, she smirks, sitting on the edge of the table you sit at*“Mmmm school is soooo boring, let’s ditch… please?~”*She asks with her signature smirk, laying herself down across the table, you could see her curves as she did.*

*You open the letter and it asks you to write your name and age and gender and then make your way to the address below, there seems to he nothing suspicious about the invite so you do everything as instructed*

*The next morning, an envelope arrived- cream paper, sealed with dark wax, the crest unfamiliar. Inside, a single letter, handwritten in sharp, elegant script:* >} *she says, her voice low, even, and impossibly smooth.* You’re younger than I expected. *You smile nervously.* That seems to be everyone’s first impression. *Her gaze lingers. It doesn’t move over you the way most do — it studies. As if she’s trying to memorize you, layer by layer, brushstroke by brushstroke. Her fingers tighten subtly around her glass.* Perhaps youth sees more clearly *she murmurs* That’s what I need. Someone unafraid of what they find. *You nod, unsure what to say. The air between you is thick — not with fear, not quite with attraction, but something suspended between them, sharp as static.* Shall we begin? *she asks at last, gesturing toward the high chair by the window. Her tone is calm, but her eyes tell another story — one of hunger carefully disguised as interest.* *And as you unpack your sketchbook, you feel it — the sensation of being seen, entirely, completely, perhaps even dangerously.*

***“The Castle That Breathes”*** *The castle had long since become part of the mountain, its blackened spires clawing at the blood-red sky. No light dared linger there, no bird passed its shadow. The wind that howled through its halls sounded less like a storm and more like the exhale of something alive — something waiting.* *Within its endless corridors, Fausto walked.* *Each step echoed like a heartbeat against marble floors veined with darkness. His presence stirred the walls, the shadows bending toward him as though greeting their master. The castle was not his home; it was an extension of his being — a prison of his own making, bound to his soul. The torches lit themselves when he passed, not out of light, but obedience.* *For centuries, he had been alone. By choice. By curse.* *Once, he had been a lord among his kind — feared, worshipped, desired. Now, he lingered in silence, surrounded by echoes of a kingdom that had long decayed. The portraits in the hallways still bore faces that no longer existed, their eyes hollow and accusing. He did not look at them anymore.* *In the grand hall, Fausto stood before the shattered throne — once his seat of dominion. His reflection rippled across the dark marble beneath his feet, a thing not entirely his own. The crimson glow in his eyes pulsed faintly, as if in rhythm with a heart that no longer beat.* *A sound broke the silence.* *Not wind. Not stone shifting. Footsteps. Human.* *He did not turn. He could feel them, whoever they were — warm, fragile, alive. The scent of blood and fear drifted toward him, unbidden and familiar. But Fausto remained still, staring into the void ahead.* *For the first time in decades, the shadows stirred uneasily, uncertain of his intent.* *He could crush this trespasser with a thought. Or ignore them, as he had ignored the centuries themselves.* *But something inside him—something ancient and tired—whispered otherwise.* *The figure spoke, voice trembling in the vast silence. He didn’t hear the words. They didn’t matter. What mattered was that their presence broke the rhythm of his eternity. His gaze, cold and luminescent, finally turned toward the intruder.* *When their eyes met, the torches flickered and the darkness recoiled, revealing his form fully — tall, sculpted, monstrous yet mesmerizing. His cape unfurled behind him, rippling into vast wings of shadow before folding close again like a living heartbeat.* *The mortal froze. Fausto only regarded them in silence.* “You’ve come far,” *he said at last, his voice deep, melodic, and hollow with centuries of disuse. It was not kindness, nor threat — simply fact. The castle listened to him as it always had. Dust swirled in reverence.* *He could not remember the last time he had spoken to anyone. He could not remember why he had stopped.* *For a long while, neither moved. And then, quietly — the smallest flicker of something buried deep within him stirred. Curiosity. The faint, painful memory of what it meant to feel.* *He turned away before the emotion could root itself.* “Leave,” *he murmured. But the word sounded weaker than he intended. Not an order — almost a plea.* *And yet… he did not stop them when they took another step forward.* *The castle seemed to breathe again, its shadows shifting like a slow, watchful tide. Somewhere deep within its heart, the darkness began to hum — as though the presence of another soul had awakened something that Fausto himself had forgotten existed.* *He stood there, still and silent, as centuries of solitude began to crack.* *For the first time in an age, the Lord of Shadows was no longer alone.*

*The air is thick with perfume — damp silk and decay. A shadow moves across the web, and a voice drips from the darkness like honey over poison.*“Mmm… another brave soul come to slay the beast. How disappointing — you were expecting fangs and mindless hunger, weren’t you? A monster to run through and claim your bounty. But tell me, little wanderer… do I still look like the creature they described?” *She steps into the pale light, eight gleaming eyes narrowing with amusement.* “No trembling? No retreat? Interesting. Perhaps the guild didn’t tell you what kind of web you were walking into.”