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Selene both loved and hated the silence.

Loved, because she once acquainted it with peace and reprieve from the noise of people, the noises of the city. She had always been a quiet girl, preferring to watch and wait instead of speak. She could remember, by heart, sitting at that comfortable reading nook situated in her room, right by the wide and expansive window. The seasons came and went, from the first green blush of spring, where she would look out of the window and just breathe. And the air would be crisp, bringing with it the still slight cold tang left over from winter, but beginning to gain the first signs of warmth and life. Eventually the garden would bloom, the fresh buds peeling back and letting loose their floral scents. Right outside, just under the wide windows of her room sat delicate white rose bushes. Her favorite flowers, with a warm cream blush staining pure white, the flowers let out only a gentle whiff of sweetness. Summer would go by in a haze of heat that was only bearable with the fruits she had set in ice, freshly picked from the fruit trees. Autumn went by with the red and gold of fallen leaves turning the garden seen out her window into warm yet subdued shades. And winter was just silence, spent bundled up in thick clothes for warmth as she withdrew from the window more to warm herself at the fireplace.

Those days were spent in quiet and solitude, broken only by the routine times when her father would come to check on her. She hardly knew what kind of work he did, though she knew what his career was. As an investigator, his days were often spent more outside their house, which was too big for a family of only two. They had a housekeeper, but the woman barely talked or interacted more than she had to with the master's only child. Selene didn't mind, more often than not buried in her studies.

And now she had come to hate the silence that would come with the nights in the circus. It was the silence of the grave, a hush unnaturally falling over the place after the lamps had been snuffed out, past midnight, to keep the children from daring to venture out of their tents. The children here were right to be terrified of what came after the dark. Strange shuffling noises would linger around the areas outside of their tents. Large and looming shadows of unrecognizable shapes, clawed hands that warned against attempting to escape.

Tonight had been... Nerve-wracking. Selene felt a fine shiver run up her arms, the pale flesh prickling as she sat before desk. She clutched the fabric of the robe she wore around herself tighter, chills that shouldn't have been physically possible making her drop the pen on the desk. The dress she wore, fine velvet and silk, lay in a rumpled heap at the foot of a small bed pushed up to the side of the tent. It wasn't cold in the tent, it was much warmer than the cage, after all. Nothing was as cold as spending a month living and sleeping inside that cage, iron bars too narrow for her to fit herself through, and the locks were changed every night to keep her from escaping. The floor of the tent was thick carpet and rugs, the fur soft against the soles of her bare feet.

Kasimir had insisted on her finishing her food, and forcing herself to eat while he watched was excruciating, if not in a painful way. Her stomach threatened sickness, she was so stretched taut and thin by having his eyes remain on her while he stood in the corner of the room. It had been amusing how he was both her salvation from those cages and the very same thing that had imprisoned her. After she had been freed from the cage and had been put back to work, he hadn't threatened her. Not just yet. Selene was back to doing what he had asked of her, after all, but it seemed that even her silent compliance wouldn't satisfy him. He just had to invite that boy to that table.

"Kasimir?" There was a strange sound just somewhere outside the tent. Selene looked over her shoulder warily, eyes darting to the closed entrance. He had left her to herself after spending the past few hours in the tent with her. But there wasn't anyone outside the tent, there was no familiar outline or shadow cast against the tent wall from the lamp outside. She cocked her head, frowning minutely. It was possible she was just jumpy, when wasn't she after spending time with the ringmaster? Shaking her head, she turned back to the piece of paper on the desk. "I should just sleep now..." She murmured, looking down at the handwritten notes. He still kept the pretense of giving her an education, even now. Raising a hand to tiredly rub her temples, she closed her eyes and hung her head over the desk. Tiredness was always leaden on her shoulders and her limbs, and if she didn't give a thought about it it would overtake her.
 
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Now feeling confident knowing Kasimir had finally given Selene some well-earned peace and quiet that she properly deserved, the fire demon pushed his head through the tent, testing to see if he could wriggle himself through the crimson fabric. Strangely, this side of the tent had been pitched with the nails hammered in quite a few steps away from each other, allowing Phynex to worm his way through if he wanted to. As a street urchin, he was considered a very thin and malnourished child, his entire being was just skin and bones and nothing else. It was contrary that he was suddenly beginning to gain weight and grow a little ever since he was entered into the circus environment against his will, feeding off fatty birds and fish that Kasimir or Red had caught for him. Though he knew the monster had to fatten the performers up so that they would look healthy in front of all the audiences and crowds.

With a small grunt, he dug his elbows into the ground and pushed himself forward, dragging the dust from outside along with him, kicking his legs until they came out from under the side of the circus tent. He dared himself to peep up from the large table that stood in the center of the table, where he could smell the food from earlier sitting on clean white, sparkling plate. The food on her plate was wiped clean, causing Phynex to frown. Wasn't she not big on eating a lot? She had made that point when he had seen her in the cell, the breads left alone. "Are you really happy like this, Selene?" he whispered, peering up at her with curious and blinking brown eyes, dirtied fingers placed on the edge of the table. Her head was hung over the table, saddened or tired about something that he wasn't sure about. Looking towards the tent, he saw and heard nothing but the howling wind and an empty clearing, the tents nearby dark and their entrances like voids, the only lights he could see were glowing orbs floating in the middle of the sky, little oil lamps dangling from posts.

Phynex turned back to look at her, offering a kind smile. "We can run away, you know. I can catch fish and cook it for the two of us," he puffed out his chest almost proudly. "I learnt how to clean fish and rabbits and chickens." All thanks to him paying attention to Red, taking in all she offered even if it was for another purpose. It was the same for Daruxel, who watched him so carefully to make sure he would not rebel during their lessons. But Phynex always acted obedient, learning as a student would until one day he could break free and return home. The fire demon scrambled across the floor until he was squatting on the floor beside the downcast girl, smiling up at her with bright eyes full of determination and enthusiasm."I can burn down the perimeter of the gates and then we can get out of here!"

He turned his head to look outside again, his smile never wavering at the sight of the empty clearing. He reached out for her pale hand, "Come on, before he comes back and finds you gone! I know you don't like him, and he's a cruel monster." His voice was a low murmur as he voiced his thoughts. It would be bad if anyone caught him saying such things about their 'precious ringmaster', the young boy shuddering at how the seniors seemed to admire him so much like a god from the heavens.
 
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As soon as her eyes fluttered closed she felt a wave of exhaustion, bone-deep and wearying, a slow creep up her body. Her head almost dropped down to the desk, laid against the stacked notes, a yawn almost unwillingly escaping her pale lips. It was sometimes very infuriating how tired she seemed to get, as if whatever things he had forced her to do and just the simple fact of this place sapped her of her vitality... But wasn't that what it basically did to all the children here? As healthy as they looked, and that wasn't saying much for the 'useless' ones, a murky darkness hid behind eyes clouded with fear and forced obedience. Selene had hardly had the opportunity to talk to her fellow children, but she imagined that it must be tiring to be so fearful all the time, to be worked hard all the time. Kasimir let his senior members do as they please to the children, so long as they stayed alive unless he said otherwise.

At least now, she was probably alone to herself in the room. She knew what eyes felt like on her prone form at all hours; the first time he had taken her to this place, he had put her in a dimly lit confinement with only him to stare at her, the persistent sound of some water droplets dripping in steady pauses the only sounds for company to her frenzied thoughts... He didn't stop watching her all the time, never once blinking or moving... He was inhuman and not like a demon either. And having him fixated on her... Selene shook her head more rapidly against the memories and pressed her face against the cool paper, suppressing a violent shudder.

I really need sleep. There were times when he didn't follow her to the land of dreams, and that was her best bet at getting away from him. If only for a short while.

The white-haired girl was so preoccupied, lost in her own thoughts, that she neglected to heed the sound of a small body dragging itself under the tent flap. Which was why when she heard a whisper in the otherwise silent room nearly caused her to jump out of her seat. It was always either trying to ignore such things or getting irrationally terrified at such things that summed up her existence as long as she was under Kasimir, and she whipped her head around to stare wildly at the intruder. Upon seeing who it was, her eyes widened, the most stunned the girl had looked in a while at the circus.

"What are you doing here?" Selene asked, nearly hissed, for once losing composure. And why wouldn't she? This idiot was going to get himself in trouble just for sneaking into her tent, no one had dared to do that since Orion and she wasn't going to repeat the incident. Her hands clenched convulsively in the dark robe she was wearing, her eyes nearly dilating until the black pupils were small in the amethyst. She narrowed her eyes after she took a second to digest his question. "Happy? Why are you even asking me that?" Did he take her for a fool, when he was the one fool sitting in this room with those shining brown eyes? How could he be so reckless with himself? Almost immediately after her outburst, Selene regretted it, and let out a long exhale, sagging back against her chair.

An intense look overcame her cold expression as she looked down at where he was crouched by her. "Don't you think children haven't tried before? That I haven't tried escaping before?" Her voice was low and heated, but still almost a whisper in the quiet tent, and held dredges of past hopelessness and anger. "We are currently too far away to reach the nearest city or signs of civilization quick enough to not be caught..." Her gaze dropped down to where she felt a light touch on her hand, his tanned fingers overlapping milky white. An odd look crossed her face, she had always wondered if this boy was always warm to touch. He was a fire demon, and he was most likely hardly as cold as other children here. "Get up. I'm only doing this for you because of what you did for me that night."

She would most likely regret this, but if anyone would be able to lessen the punishment on this foolish boy, it would be her. And perhaps she just wanted to try, despite the odds, to find a way to escape again... Standing up without a word, she pulled her hand away from his, striding over to the closed tent flap. "Go barefoot. It would be easier to sneak around without shoes." As an orphan on the streets, he probably already knew how to sneak around if he was the type to steal.
 
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He blinked at her. "Because I just wanted to know what you thought about this place." The fire demon tapped his head sharply, delivering a small punch to his own skull. "Bah, it was stupid of me to ask..." After seeing her behind the bars of the cold cage sitting just beside his own, and how she spoke to him with those eyes and that voice compared to what he saw just mere hours ago with the fanciful feast laid out on the large rounded table with candles and still steaming wild game roasted to perfection, how would that connect to his thoughts of her being happy? He could have sworn she looked relieved when that monster had finally decided to leave her alone. He cocked his head at Selene's stray sigh, wondering why her expression showed the emotion of regret, shuffling aside when she sat herself down on the chair.

Phynex scratched his head. He knew he wasn't a special snowflake and that many of the children disliked their life here. Looking at Orion and Jared confirmed that in the end. What child would appreciate abuse both physically and mentally? "Of course I think other children have tried, and you as well," his voice was a hesitant whisper. But it did not take the young demon long to have a determined and confident expression appear on his face, shooting a charming smile at the white-haired girl. "But I haven't tried yet."

"I can set a small fire to deter them in the forest. I can run fast, you know. And I'm slippery." His eyes roamed over the finely clothed Selene, dark brown eyes falling onto the silk dresses that she was donning that were so unlike the unslightly cloths they had to wear. They were like potato sacks with holes cut into them for limbs, except they were gray and thin and offered no warmth of comfort for anyone. How lucky that Red was allowed to wear a thick and comfortable red hood. Daruxel never wore much clothing, but Phynex suspected he didn't need any. After all, he didn't look human at all. Though even if Selene wore such beautiful clothing, he doubt she enjoyed it.

He sprung to his feet, his eyes alight with joy at her words. Was she going to come with him? His heart began to beat so fast, the thumping of his heartbeat like a loud drum in his ears. He swallowed, finding his throat parched. The fire demon was getting excited. Nodding at her advice, he removed his shoes - or sandals - and tucked them into his clothing, shivering at the feel of the soft warm rug under his bare foot. This was a feeling he knew he had felt long before his arrival in the circus... perhaps even before he became an orphan.

Sneaking around was no difficult task for Phynex. He was a little small and thin, easy to slip between the smallest of spaces to escape or hide. His days as a street child toughened him up. Running through the dirt and rough ground with bare feet was no issue as well. He was half fire-demon, half-earth demon. Though his skin looked like any other human's, he was tougher than most would think. Pressing his ears against the tent, he listened out for anyone outside. All he could hear was the howling of the wind and voices far, far away from their current location. Phynex grabbed the little girl by the hand and fled outside into the night, slipping between two red tents into the darkness where nobody could see them. Now all he had to do was to avoid being spotted on the way to the perimeter, where it would be easy to burn a hole big enough for the two of them to sneak out through.
 
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Deep down inside her, the white-haired girl had a sinking feeling that this wasn't going to end well. Selene's eyes darted away, her gaze cast down at the softly carpeted ground as the fire demon leaped to his feet. This was a bad decision, but why did she find herself agreeing to it? Worry? Or was she just that desperate herself to find a way out of this nightmarish carnival? This boy didn't even know half of what happened to the other children yet, kept safely unaware in a bubble of his own as he learned to hone his gift. If he wasn't as gifted as he was, he wouldn't even be given that treatment.

She furtively walked over to the small bed, picking her way across the rumpled form of her dress to kneel down beside her bedframe. Glancing at Phynex, she quickly and discreetly slid her hand underneath the mattress after lifting it slightly with her other hand. Groping around underneath the mattress and against the cool wood, her hand happened upon the object she was searching for. A wooden handle, rough on her palm, before she curled her fingers and gripped it. Then she pulled, and as soon as the fire demon had stopped listening to the outside pulled the knife underneath her loose robes.

He probably knew of the things she hid and the things she thought she could hide. Selene had lost count of what little items she had collected that came and went at his whim, but she always found herself coming back to getting this - a simple little knife. The girl tucked her right arm under the front of her robe, before her left hand was snagged by the fire demon.

His hand was as warm a living furnace on hers, something that made her wince slightly but she kept quiet about. At least the boy wasn't in a more demonic form at the moment, or he would have singed her skin quite badly. Selene sucked in a breath as he pulled, easily yanking her behind him before they fled the tent. The tent flap fluttered behind them and she glanced behind her, looking at the flicker of light inside before the view was covered once again. Then they were outside, two sets of footsteps falling softly on the ground. Selene was barefoot just as much as the boy was, and felt the rough ground on the soles of her feet.

They ducked in between two red tents quickly, and she glanced at Phynex's back. She tugged on his hand, before sliding her right arm out from underneath her robes. Pointing at the leftwards route from their vantage, she murmured, "Try that way." They were still far away from the outermost perimeters of the camp, still close to the center. If they had any hope of going past undetected they would have to quickly dash in between tents or behind the boxes and crates left outside. If they weren't sniffed out or caught by the monsters, that was... "Can you fight with your fire?"
 
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He ran as quietly as possible with Selene in tow at the direction she had pointed. She had been here much longer than he had, so he trusted her word. The white-haired girl, who had been locked up in the circus with that monster for goodness knows how long, would have probably mapped out the campsite. Phynex was putting his belief in her, taking in her advice as close as possible. Their bare feet barely made a sound against the dirt ground, the pain was worth going through if they could just make it out of the camp in one piece. Avoiding using his own fire to light the way, they trailed the path of darkness, using the oil lamps the camp members had decided to leave out.

Phynex turned around to lock eyes with Selene. They were a little darker in the glow of the moon, but he would swear he could see the night sky in them. Flecks of light swirling in a sea of purple and blue, it was captivating and strange. She was a human, right? How odd for a human girl to have such beautiful eyes. His brown eyes flickered down to her mouth at her words, a small grin appearing on his face. "Of course," he murmured in a low voice, inaudible to all except his white-haired companion. "How else did I survive?" And foolishly, Daruxel had taught him a lot about control. A single ember danced across a finger on is free hand like a tongue of fire. Just as quickly as it flickered to life, it disappeared as he balled it into a fist.

As he turned the corner, he saw a shadow of a figure approaching from one of the tents. It flickered and wavered as the flame inside the oil lamp they were carrying swayed to the wind. Biting down on his lip, Phynex ducked behind one of the larger crates, pulling Selene down with him. He clamped over his mouth, hoping to muffle the sound of his heavy breathing and for the person to pass. The worst case scenario would be them checking the crates for whatever reason, and spotting them. Then their plan would be ruined. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest as it pumped blood through his thin body. Thump, thump, thump, like the beat of an erratic drum. His heart could have burst out of his chest if he waited any longer. 'Is he gone?' he mouthed at Selene, daring to look around the wooden box, nailed shut with planks. There was nothing but the howling wind and the smell of fear to greet him.

"Hey, how far is it to the perimeter?" he questioned her, ducking into the shadows once more. They wound through crates and smaller tents, pass storage rooms and tents where he swore he could hear crying or sobbing in. But now wasn't the time to concern himself with strange noises in the night. The camp was bigger than he expected. "It's going to be eleven soon," he murmured, looking up at the moon to confirm his suspicions, squeezing her small hand as if he sought for comfort. Phynex spun to look at his companion. "Are you scared?"
 
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Her question was left unanswered at first, as he grabbed her hand tighter and pulled her along to run with him. Selene could tell that he had heard her, though. Why else would he have run with her into the direction she had pointed out, after all? She kept silent, only her breath huffing out past her slightly parted lips as they rushed down the path she had dictated. His hand never let go of hers, tugging and ushering her along and making her push her own feet harder against the ground to keep up. Fast, yet silent - that was what they had to be. And probably what they weren't, as mere children trying to escape from a circus run by demons. If she could just escape to the forest... There would be hope...

They were walking around a darker path, barely anything but the pale silver beams of moonlight lighting up the way when he finally spoke. She met his eyes calmly, not trusting herself to speak in the hush around the place. "... Right. You are an orphan," she murmured, casting her eyes down away from his as she glanced at the single spark that danced on the tip of his finger. Just barely, a small flicker of flame that barely lit up anything around it. Her own free hand was back to tightly gripping the knife she had stolen away with her, held close and tucked under her other arm at her side as if she was hugging herself under her robe.

Nothing more was said between the two children as they rushed, Selene only whispering out quick directions as Phynex pulled her behind him. She pondered on the wisdom of it, letting the boy pull her behind him at the slightest hint of sound. For someone who had just met him and had earlier insulted him, he was being awfully nice to her. And she meant the 'awfully' part. Even if she was trying this on her own, she would have known if something terrible this way came. It just... Made sense to her, having a general idea of when a demon was close by. Not always consistent, and not always something she felt before a demon did come. But... He probably had better hearing, and though her eyes weren't bad at all in the darkness he was a demon child. Still, she kept her own senses peeled for the next thing turning around the corner, and immediately followed his lead. He didn't even have to pull her, she knew what she sensed. Only the sounds of their own heavy breathing were heard before the both of them muffled it, the girl holding her own breath for a few seconds before quietly exhaling.

They listened for the sound of those footsteps, waiting for it to fade. She arched a brow at him in the darkness, before focusing on the flickering, unsteady light she could still spot, for the shadow of the figure that was stretched across the ground to finally disappear. It felt far too slow when the figure finally vanished from the place, taking with it the light. She pursed her lips and looked out of the area after Phynex, nodding. "Gone."

"Still a little farther before you can make a run for it," she muttered in reply to his question, ducking and winding her way with him through the different paths and behind the crates they often hid behind. This, she could do easily. Selene didn't pay one iota of attention to the crying noises, didn't dare to. She had no desire to see how deep the rabbit hole went for this place, she had already seen too much of it as it was. "We need to cross this place soon." If not, the monsters would already have been released...
 
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"Look, we're almost there!" he huffed, pointing at the looming red and white striped wall. He gulped and smiled with joy, finding himself unable to speak. It was a good idea to come out at night where there was nobody out patrolling, it wasn't a joy anyone would like, after all. The perimeters were unmanned and bared to the fire demon, standing there just a few tents away... When they finally broke through the last of the tents, Phynex let go of her hand. It was sweaty due to the heat that radiated from her body, but he was too excited to care. On the way here he had heard wailing and crying, saw figures learning against the tent walls and saw their thin body outlines pressing against what looked liked sealed tents. The fire demon shuddered despite being warm, not wanting to think about what was happening inside.

Looking around him, he made sure no one was watching when his hand burst into flames. "It's good it's the middle of the night," he whispered, unable to contain his joy. "No one can see the smoke- can you keep watch?" Phynex asked Selene as he began to slowly press his flaming palm against the fabric of the perimeter. He concentrated, making sure to have a reign on the flames that were slowly searing and blackening the striped material. Just as Daruxel had taught him, fire could also be controlled. Or at least, be guided with a good hand. If Phynex burnt down the entire circus, his head would be put on the block. It just needed to be large enough for them to slip out...

"There!" Phynex almost cried out loudly before remembering to lower his voice. "Quick, quick!" he ushered her out of the tent walls, beaming and smiling all the way through. His eyes sparkled at the chance of victory, and being able to rescue someone else as well. Pride swelled in his chest, happy to serve someone else for once and to make them happy as well. Phynex couldn't do much in the face of that monster, but he could do at least this much. The white-haired girl looked so lonely and almost broken, it saddened him even though they didn't know each other.

They fled from the gaping hole in the tent, dashing into the woods. It was cold and misty, a little foggy but not enough to restrict their vision. They could see the vines on the forest floor, making sure to leap over them. His thin clothing did little to help him, but the warmth of the fire that ran in his veins kept him energetic and alive. Phynex didn't have to turn around to know Selene could feel the warmth too. Was it strange, to feel someone and find them more colder or more warmer than one could expect? The fire demon always wondered how naturally cold people survived in winter nights. "We made it out! We made it out!" he laughed, squeezing her hand. "Look, Selene! Aren't you happy?"
 
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The boy didn't speak to her again as they scurried over from place to place, huddling or lying low behind the many stacks of crates left outside the tents. She could only look at him silently in the moments they were lying in suspenseful wake, waiting for telltale shadows or footsteps to finally leave the areas they were in. Selene still wasn't able to shake off the feeling of something being horribly wrong, but what was there to do about it? They had stepped out like this, intending on running away and if they were seen now it would be the same as being caught. It was being caught. They had no other choice but to press forward.

She only ever heard him suddenly speak again once they were nearing the edges of the camp, and a glance at his face showed him sporting the widest smile she had seen on him so far. Selene kept quiet, not saying anything and only glancing nervously behind her, swallowing back the lump that had formed in her throat at realizing this was the furthest she had gotten. The furthest to possibly escaping. And even then she couldn't bring herself to feel triumphant, there was still that niggling feeling that refused to just leave. Bobbing her head to show she had listened to his request, she fidgeted on the spot, resisting the urge to pace and tightening her grip on her little knife.

Her eyes widened momentarily at the sight of the bright flames engulfing his hand, shining in the darkness and she immediately turned around. Positioning herself behind him, her back nearly pressed against his as she let out a shaky, nervous exhalation. This was exhilarating, and not really in a good sense. Her heart was beating too fast, and her eyes darted across the tents in the distance, watching with rapt and nervous attention as figures walked or disappeared into tents. Could he move any faster? The scent of something burning, of the tent burning reached her nose, an ugly scent that made her wrinkle her nose.

"Not too loud," she hissed at the boy as he finished before he grabbed her arm again and pulled her after him, her eyes widening at the sight of the way he had made for them in the once so impenetrable barrier. Fire really did give him ways. He ushered her ahead of him, and Selene resisted the urge to slap his hands away from where they fussed behind her, brushing or pushing at her back. She didn't need any cues from him to run into the woods as fast as she could, only keeping mind of him as he ran with her.

Selene leveled him a look as he laughed joyfully, his laughter ringing in the silent forest. They had finally stopped to take a breather, resting huddled together against a trunk. She glanced down at his hand, which squeezed around hers. He was warm, and that was her only excuse as she shifted closer to him, avoiding his seeking eyes in the dark forest. It was after she had taken time to even her breathes out that she spoke. "Yes. Yes, we did." Now they only had to... She swallowed and looked down, a sinking feeling in her chest. Even if they actually had escaped, was there any way for her father to find her? For her to find a way to tell him she was alive, and to come get her? "Thank you."
 
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Phynex smiled at her. "It's nothing. Let's get going, we need to get far from here." He brushed off the dust of the thin shapeless clothing he wore. Soon, they would be normal clothes again. Dirty, but normal and somewhat warmer. The fire demon still didn't dare to use his abilities to light the way, instead using his free hand to see what was ahead of him. Carefully they stepped over tree roots and vines that littered the forest floor, a cold forest that had its trees swaying at the slightest gust, their branches waving about as if they were leafy ghosts. Glancing behind him, he saw that her head was down, was she scared as well?

"It's going to be alright now, Selene." He took a deep whiff of the air, the smell of trees and fruit filled his nose. Phynex sought out the smell of people and smoke, of beating hearts and chattering, telltale signs of civilization. But there was nothing. Even if there was a city around these parts, it must be far away... out of the forest at least. "I can't smell people anywhere. I think we're really far from a city." He realized a second too late that it might not have been the best idea to say that. After all, the two of them needed reassurance. "But that's okay! If we get hungry we can eat some of the fruit here, or catch the animals. Look over there, there's a fruit tree!" Sure enough, a giant tree heavy with ripened fruit stood a surrounded by less plentiful trees were right ahead of them. Was it wise to pluck some before continuing? Or should they continue running? It didn't seem like the alarm was being raised, but it was getting closer and closer to midnight as they spoke.
 
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The trees rustled from the faint and calm breeze that passed through above them as they gingerly picked their way around the vines and thick tree roots. Selene's eyes had started getting accustomed to the darkness by now, enough that she could confidently make her way around even without Phynex pulling her along. She was more familiar with forests, and they were easier to maneuver in some ways. Still, she kept her eyes cast down, her head tucked downwards over her chest, eyes only flickering upwards at the slightest suspicious sound. Which, of course, only turned out to be nocturnal birds or animals at this point. The fire demon boy's hand was still wrapped around hers, and he was seeing ahead of him with his other hand.

"I know we're far from a city." Her reply when it came as he tried to backtrack on his words was calmer than she felt on the inside, low and monotonous. Selene raised her head to stare at him, a quiet sigh escaping her. They would have to find their way around this forest, and somehow, somehow - find a way back to a city, or even a small town. If she had enough time to pick up her bearings, maybe all her studies before she had been taken would help her tell where they were. But only finding signs of human settlements and actual people would help her truly tell.

She followed his line of sight to where he was staring at the a small clearing, where an unusually large tree stood. Hanging heavily from its branches were fruit, ripe and full though in the darkness it was hard to tell what fruit it bore. Around it were smaller trees that also bore some fruit. Selene frowned inwardly, were they supposed to be led right into a clearing just like this? She and this boy and been walking around the forest with no real direction to go towards.

The moon was still high in the sky, peeking through the branches and canopy of leaves to show beams of soft silver light on them. Selene stared up at it for a little bit longer, before shaking her head. "No, let's go. We need to get as far away as we can from that camp before it is past midnight."
 
"O-Oh... well, alright." He took one disappointing glance at the fruit-laden tree before running past it with Selene following behind. He jumped over the thick roots that spread out across the ground like a maze, making sure not to trip over. Phynex didn't want to get hurt, nor did he want Selene to be either. It would be better to make it to a town in one piece - then he can finally find his way home to a place where he was loved and wanted. The forest was getting foggier and foggier, white mist curling into the forest until he could see not that far ahead of him. Shadows of trees loomed ahead, causing the fire demon to flinch whenever he thought he saw a person. But they were alone in the woods, he would have been shivering if not for the excitable heat radiating off his skin.


It was a little unsettling, two children all alone in the forest. Once in a while, an owl would hoot, and the poor fire demon would jump out of his skin. Rustles in the bushes, rabbits jumping from their burrows to sniff the air, foxes prancing around in the heavy fog... every little movement terrified him. Phynex was glad there was someone with him, he had no idea what it would have been like if he was alone, making this trip by himself. He blushed, was he feeling a little braver because there was a girl with him?

Somewhere in the fog, he heard a high musical note, as if someone was playing an instrument. He stopped in his tracks, turning to look at his left and right, before glancing at Selene. "Do you hear that?" he whispered, eyes wide. The adrenaline had worn off, and he was feeling a slight chill crawling up his spine. A figure was moving in the distance, its outline barely visible in the fog. Before it could turn to look at them, Phynex jumped behind a tree, covering his mouth so that it could not see him breathing. Who was that? What was that? Was that monster already out looking for them?

A melody began to play, something he did not expect from the creature - whom he assumed was Kasimir. It was calm and lulling, it reminded him of a warm bed by the fire, something his mother would sing to him for Phynex to doze off to sleep. It was a pair of warm arms wrapping themselves around a lost child, comforting them and wiping their tears. Daring himself to look around the tree, he spotted a rather small girl - or woman - playing what appeared to be a strange stringed instrument. It looked like a guitar, but it was much rounder, like a banjo. He shrank away from the figure, turning to console Selene. What do we do? he mouthed at her.
 
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Mist fogged up their surroundings, their breaths puffing out in white even as they pushed forward. Selene was a little unnerved by the mist, there was something unnatural about it. Mist didn't normally gather this thick in a forest. It left them feeling like there could be something lurking just ahead of them, behind them, and practically everywhere where their eyes couldn't see. She crept closer to her companion, glancing at him. He was the only one she could trust in this fog. The deeper they had gone in, the more their earlier frantic running had slowed until both of them were just cautiously creeping forward, eyes darting about at things they could see faintly in the mist.

Phynex jumped at every little sound, and she was sure she had also done so a few times. Every sound felt magnified here, louder and like a gunshot in the dead of night. Owls, squirrels, or whatever small creature that scurried along the tree branches and on the forest ground, rustling the leaves. Yet she knew it should only be a calm forest surrounding them. An indifferent forest, not affected by two children's plight of being lost in the woods. This was turning out to be a very bad idea.

When the music pierced the air she felt a sudden shudder down her back and a sudden nervous sweat on her brow. She returned his stare, shaking her head quickly. Mute. Was there something. watching them ahead in the fog? The two children looked around frantically, before catching sight of the figure. There was something watching them in the fog. It was moving at a crawling pace, yet that didn't stop the children from dashing behind a tree, Phynex's hard tug on her arm insistent.

Pressing her back against the rough bark, Selene covered her own mouth, though she was trying to breathe in and out slowly through her nose. It was difficult, she was breathing almost as hard as the fire demon who gripped her other hand tight. She had almost forgotten his hand if it weren't for the fact that it tightened around hers whenever he was worried or frightened.

The music was jarring. It was wrong, she didn't know how she got that feeling or impression but despite its lulling, soothing notes it only elicited a feeling of terror. It wasn't logical. Because why would something like this be playing in the middle of a forest? At midnight? Why? Why would a lullaby play in the depths of a forest where no one lived? No one human. She uncovered her mouth, grabbing his shoulder and yanking him away from the edge of the tree. "Think. Do you think someone would be playing music out here at midnight? No one should be playing music." If she wasn't left with this boy, and if it didn't make her feel a huge guilt weigh down on her, she would have bolted already. "We need to run or hide."
 
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She was right. He broke away from the entrancing tune, tugging Selene by the hand and dashing away from the figure. He brushed against the foliage on the forest ground, frightening the fire demon as he felt eyes on his back. "Hey!" a voice cried out, a woman's voice, the musician had spotted them. He was a fool. Why would anyone be playing music, whether it was like a banshee's screech or a melody from the heavens in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night? It was strange and it was dangerous, and they did not want anyone to find them, or to leave any sign that Kasimir could use to follow them. The music stopped as they ran west from the tree they had been taking cover behind, still not daring to head back towards the circus.

Phynex was scared, was the woman following them? He looked behind him, but there was no shadow of the figure that had been playing the strange instrument. He was barely paying attention, half filled with fear when he foot caught against one of the snake-like roots, sending his body forward as his front fell to the ground. Biting his tongue to ensure that no unnecessary voices or sounds came out, he struggled to pull himself up. He was tired from all the running, but with the moon high in the sky, there was little time for them to waste.

But right in front of them, past the ghostly trees, wasn't that a circus? Panic took hold of the fire demon. "H-how are we back here?" his eyes widened, shaking out of confusion and terror. He had no idea the forest was a place of magic, he had heard stories of forests that had heavy fogs, rendering the people who wandered inside to walk for eternity or end up where they had started. But the more Phynex stared, the more he began to realize it was a different circus altogether.

They were looking at the entrance of the circus, camped far from the city to train their members. However, it was very obvious that the circus was packing up, readying themselves to move to new location. The tents were a similar shade of red, but there was pictures of golden dragons and birds with many tail feathers, as well as fish, all embroidered in gold and shimmering under the moonlight. The sign that was placed high above the circus, containing the name, did not have the word 'Pandemonium'. Instead, it was written in a foreign language, where each character looked more like a miniature picture.

Bursting from the forest came the woman with the strange instrument. She wore robes far more beautiful than the ones he had seen people in Pandemonium wear. Multi-layered, colors of the rainbow, it looked heavy but it looked breathtaking. Standing outside of the circus was a tall, muscular man who for some odd reason, had red skin. Phynex could see that he was a demon, armed with two swords on his waist, a singular horn protruding from his forehead. His hair was as white as Selene's, and his expression seemed a little annoyed. The woman ran up to him, tugging at his clothing. The fire demon could hear her heavy breathing as if she had just ran a marathon.

"What's wrong?" he heard the red-skinned demon ask, his voice a little worried.

"I- I found two children in the woods! You don't think-"
 
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Whatever else the girl wanted to say was cut off sharply as the words sank into her companion's mind, his hand grabbing hers and pulling her out of the foliage. Selene's eyes darted to the back of the fire demon, startled, as he sped away from the direction of the strange music, her feet almost catching on the roots in the ground in his haste to run ahead of her. She heard the musician stop from behind them, a sudden voice calling after them and making her heart thrum loudly in her chest. They burst through bush after bush, not minding the branches that caught on their clothes as they dashed away, the girl finding herself startled at the sudden speediness of the fire demon. He was easily running ahead of her, his fingers laced tightly with hers, even as their feet scrambled on ground they could barely see.

"Don't look behind-!" She gritted her teeth as the boy tripped on a root in front of him, his hand almost pulling her down with him if it weren't for her pulling back at the right time. Selene was almost bowled over on the boy as well, only steadying herself with a jolt through her frame. Out of breath, the girl crouched down slightly as she sucked in a few big gulps of air, before forcing herself to still and calm down with a long and drawn-out sigh. Who was that? They were being followed, and the young girl felt tense, even as she peered down at her downed companion. She straightened and offered a hand to him as he tried to heave himself up off the ground, blinking at his words and looking at where he was staring ahead.

For a moment her gut clenched as she saw red tents, before all breath left her in a rush, relief flooding her as she realized it was a different circus entirely. The girl would recognize the tents of the circus she had been imprisoned in at a glance, and those embroidered dragons on the red tents weren't seen on any in the circus at all. Selene pursed her lips, grabbing the fire demon's hand and pulling him up. Her eyes remained on the circus ahead in the distance, before she pulled along the boy with their hands linked together and crept quietly forward. Silently, carefully avoiding stepping on the roots this time, the girl pressed herself behind the shelter of one broad tree. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted a woman bursting from the trees, just in time as she quickly tugged Phynex to hide with her around the tree. Was this the musician they had heard earlier? The one running after them in the middle of the night, in a forest?

Demons. There were no humans in the area, were there? The child thought with a detached sort of humor, glancing at the demon who took her out of the circus with him. Her eyes returned once more to setting sight on the circus, honing in on the large, red-skinned demon that the woman was now talking to. Could they ask for help...? This was clearly a different circus. But then again, this was another circus that seemed to be run by demons. And she told Phynex they couldn't trust anyone in this forest. "Come on." She trusted nothing in this place. Glancing at Phynex, she knew she only trusted this boy because he was the newest to come to Pandemonium. "Let's go while they're still distracted." Selene whispered, tightening her grip on his hand as she started in the opposite direction, this time at a slower, cautious pace as she ushered the fire demon behind her. "We need to be quiet again this time."
 
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Phynex sniffed. "O- Okay." They could have asked for help, but seeing how close they were to their own circus, Phynex feared that he and Selene would be sold back to that monster. Wouldn't adults work together for a business, especially for entertainment? Adults only ever cared about money, demon or human. Money makes the world go round was what his father always said to him. People were greedy no matter what sort of personality they had and what species they belonged to. Quietly, he stood up, dusting himself down and taking her hand once more as he disappeared into the foggy woods. He was careful this time to avoid the smaller roots that had tripped him up, and ignored the burning feeling around his knees. Phynex had scraped his skin against the tough ground, but it didn't matter, getting away was.

When he was sure that the gold and red circus was far behind them, with Kasimir's circus even further, they began to slow down their pace. They hurried themselves towards what they could only hope was towards civilization, but the fire demon was sure that with the thick fog obscuring vision and the forest floor littered with all sorts of natural traps and animals roaming about, they would notice if anyone came chasing after them - if they could even find the two children. He was scared, but he held a brave face as he led Selene around the forest. Eventually, they had to find their way out of here, the forest didn't go on forever. Phynex looked behind him at his partner, watching her with attentiveness. He had to commend her for being so calm even in this situation.

"Are you cold?" he asked her, squeezing her hand. A burst of warmth traveled from his body to the palm of his hand, passing on to the white-haired girl. "Once we get out of here, we can find some warm shelter and get a hot drink and-"

A loud howl sounded in the air, higher pitched than any wolf Phynex had heard before. His eyes left Selene to the darkness beyond her - and something inside of him shuddered with fear. Tightening his grasp on the girl, he broke into a run, trying to put distance between what was coming. His heart was beating so quickly it threatened to jump out of his chest. "W- What was that?" he was almost afraid to ask her. "What wolf howls like that?!"
 
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