The boats drifted lazily along the artificial river, glowing lanterns casting eerie reflections on the water. At first, it seemed like any other carnival ride. The mechanics sang their programmed tune, a strangely cheerful jingle that only made the place feel creepier:
"Row, row, row along,
Sing the happy wonder song,
Shadows dance, the night is near,
Smile, the magic's here…"
The repetitive, hollow voices echoed through hidden speakers. Instead of being soothing, it sounded like something from a haunted nursery rhyme.
Ryu shifted uncomfortably, arms crossed.
"This is ridiculous. Who thought a creepy boat ride was fun?" he muttered, glaring at the painted mascots along the shore. Their plastic smiles gleamed too wide in the dim light.
"You're being paranoid," Xavier chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "It's for the kids, Ryu. Lighten up."
Daven, however, wasn't laughing. His sharp eyes swept the surroundings, and he gave the smallest nod toward Ryu. "No… something's off."
Ryu's unease worsened when he realized Arya's boat—with his siblings giggling and bouncing around inside—was drifting further away from theirs. Much further than it should have. He sat up straight.
"Why is their boat… moving faster?"
Xavier groaned. "Relax. It's a silly ride. You're imagining—"
"No." Ryu's voice was low and deadly serious. His eyes flickered with flames, burning through the dark. "I can see clearly. Their boat isn't stopping."
And then the lights went out.
Screams erupted from the ride. Children cried, parents shouted, the mechanics' cheery song cut off in a dying warble before twisting into static. All the boats around them came to a halt, bumping against each other in the blackness. All of them… except one.
Ryu's chest constricted when he spotted Arya's boat continuing smoothly down the dark tunnel, glowing faintly in the distance. His siblings' laughter, once cheerful, now echoed like mockery.
"They're still moving!" he barked. Fire flared around his fists, his fury igniting so hot that one nearby mechanical figure burst into flames.
"Ryu!" Xavier hissed, gripping his arm. "Calm down—you'll scare the commoners more than they already are." His voice carried guilt, because deep inside he knew this ride had been his suggestion.
Ryu shook him off violently, rage coursing through his veins. "My siblings are in danger!"
"Ryu." Daven's voice was firm, a grounding weight. "Control yourself. We'll get them back."
Before Ryu could respond, Xavier bent down and picked something up from the floor of the boat. "Wait… what's this?"
Ryu snatched the note from him, unfolding it under the flicker of his fiery eyes. The handwriting was bold, arrogant, and painfully familiar.
"Dear little Cousin,
If you want to see your little darlings again, come find me at the warehouse near the park. Come alone."
Ryu's stomach twisted. Only one person would dare pull something like this.
"…Zarus."
Xavier blinked. "Zarus? As in—"
"My cousin." Ryu spat the word like venom. "The one who made my childhood a nightmare. Always bragging, always humiliating me, always pulling pranks until I hid in my room for days. He's why the rest of the kingdom hardly even knows I exist." His fists tightened, flames crawling up his arms. "And now he's after my siblings."
Daven glanced at the terrified families around them. "Ryu—"
"Help the commoners out of here." Ryu's voice was iron, brooking no argument. His eyes blazed with fire, filled with something between fear and fury. "I'll deal with Zarus myself."
The ride creaked ominously around them, as if the park itself held its breath. Ryu's decision hung in the air like a spark about to ignite, the note burning in his hand.
And somewhere, deep in the shadows of the amusement park, someone was already waiting for him.