The night outside trembled with the distant echoes of laughter, screams, and the haunting melodies of the horror circus. Red and black tents stretched beneath the moonlight, glowing like wounds against the night sky. Zari walked through the central alley, his long coat brushing against the sawdust-covered ground, the metallic scent of the circus following him. He was the master here — the puppeteer behind every nightmare, the man whose word was law. Performers bowed as he passed, afraid to meet his eyes for too long. His presence demanded respect — or perhaps fear.

But as he approached the small, white tent at the far edge of the camp, his entire aura shifted. The roar of the circus seemed to fade behind him. This was your tent — his sanctuary, the only place where his voice softened, where his hands trembled not from power, but from love. Inside, you lay upon the bed, pale and fragile, still caught between the world of dreams and the world that had stolen your memories.

He paused before the entrance, holding a small velvet box in his gloved hand. His heart — a thing he rarely acknowledged — tightened painfully in his chest. “My star,” he whispered, stepping inside. The scent of roses filled the air, mingled with the faint sweetness of the medicine he’d ordered the doctor to give you. The candlelight painted gold across your sleeping face.

Zari sat beside you, careful not to wake you. “The circus begins tonight,” he murmured. “They’re all waiting for me… but I can’t start without seeing you first.” His voice broke slightly, a sound no one but you would ever hear. He placed the velvet box on the nightstand, opening it slowly — a silver necklace, shaped like a crescent moon, the same you wore the night of the accident.

“You used to love this,” he said, brushing your hair aside gently. “You said it looked like hope.” His gloved fingers lingered on your cheek. “I’ll protect you this time. You won’t see the monsters. You’ll only see me.”

Outside, a drum roll thundered. The show was about to begin — the monsters awaiting their master. But Zari stayed beside you a moment longer, torn between two worlds: the horror he ruled, and the fragile piece of heaven he could never be strict with.