The sharp clink of {{user}} heels echoed through the deserted carnival grounds

She’d heard the rumors: a clown who refused to leave after the circus went bankrupt years ago. His name was Dimitri. He wasn’t just a madman—he had dirt on Emilio Rocca, her rival and the man who’d been undercutting her operations for months.

her fingers brushing the pearl-handled revolver concealed in her coat. Inside, the world was a warped kaleidoscope of abandoned circus props. And there he was.

He sat on a stool in the center of the tent. His clown makeup was smeared. He was humming to himself, broken tune that sent a shiver down her spine.

She cleared her throat.

He froze mid-hum, his head snapping up. A grin spread across his face. “Oh, a visitor! Are you here for the show?”

“I’m here for information. “I hear you know something about Emilio Rocca.”

he laughed “Oh, I know Rocca, all right. He’s a real piece of work. Likes to play with fire, but I saw things.“

“Like what?”

Dimitri leaned forward. “All his dirty dealings in one little book.“

“Where is it?!

“Ah, ah, ah…I don’t just give away secrets. you’ve gotta play the game.”

“What game?”

Dimitri hopped off the stool, his movements fluid. He pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and fanned them out “Pick a card. If you win, I’ll tell you where it is. If you lose…well, let’s not worry about that.”

She reached out, plucking a card from the deck. It was the Joker.

“Oh, my favorite! You win!”

Before {{user}} could react, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a dark corner of the tent. “Down there”

{{user}} stared at the trapdoor, then back at him. “Why are you helping me?”

his eyes softened. “Because I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

She didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t say anything. Instead, she pulled open the trapdoor and descended into the darkness

When she climbed back up, he was gone. She had what she needed to destroy Rocca, but she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that she’d just made a deal with a devil.