"Help… help me!"
Aaron found himself standing in a strange place, like a carnival. The desperate cry echoed again, pulling him toward a massive circus tent.
Inside, the arena was abandoned—silent, eerie. But in the center stood a cage, and inside it, a pale boy no older than seven. His hair was pure white, his eyes a silver-gray that shimmered unnaturally.
Aaron stepped closer.
"Hey, are you alright, little one?"
Before he could reach him, the boy dissolved into drifting ash, vanishing into the void. The circus collapsed from sight, leaving Aaron stranded in darkness. Again, the trembling cry—Help me… help me…—until the ground beneath his feet shattered. He plummeted.
Aaron woke with a start, his body drenched in sweat. Panting, he stumbled to the washroom to splash cold water on his face.
"That dream… who was that boy? A child locked in a circus cage… begging for help. Was it just my imagination? Or… was it real?"
Back in his room, Aaron sat at his desk, sketching the face of the boy from his dream.
The door opened. Kain stepped in.
"Aaron, change your clothes. Today we're taking a break from chores. There's a festival at the Baino Amusement Park. Lord Pierce managed to get us three tickets."
Aaron blinked. "Seriously? …Wait—what?"
Kain tilted his head, noticing the sketch. "What's that? A child in a cage?"
Aaron hesitated. "…Just a dream I had. Weird one."
Kain chuckled. "Dreams are just dreams. Now hurry. We don't want to be late."
---
The carriage ride took hours, but when the trio finally arrived at Baino, Aaron's heart leapt. He had never been to a carnival before. Growing up in the Hutfiel household, outings were for the family—not for him. He was always left behind, alone with his sketchbook.
But now…
I feel like a bird set free from its cage, soaring with both wings at last.
The park dazzled with lights, games, and laughter. Aaron tried everything he could—winning a violet bracelet at a shooting game, riding attractions that left his stomach fluttering. For the first time in years, he felt like a child.
But then—he heard it again. That same desperate cry.
Following the sound, Aaron slipped away from Pierce and Kain. In the shadows of a circus tent, he saw a man shove a boy into a cage. Aaron's eyes widened.
The boy from my dream…!
Aaron hurried over.
"Are you alright?"
The child looked up in surprise. "…Who are you?"
Aaron forced a smile. "Just… someone here on a holiday."
No… it can't be coincidence. It's him. Exactly as in my dream.
"What's your name?" Aaron asked.
"…Ashen."
Aaron's heart sank.
Ashen explained in a trembling voice, "The ringmaster found me on the streets. I don't remember where I came from… or who I really am. All I know is that I have ghostcraft magic. He forces me to perform with it. If I disobey, he beats me."
Aaron clenched his fists. "That's cruel. Don't worry—I'll get you out."
Ashen shook his head. "No. If I escape, he'll send his Nadō men after me."
Aaron leaned closer, lowering his voice. "…Then use your ghost magic. Create a phantom double of yourself. Leave it in the cage. While everyone's distracted, we'll sneak out."
Ashen's eyes widened. "…That could work."
---
Back in the grandstand, Pierce and Kain waited.
"Where's Aaron?" Pierce muttered as the crowd roared.
"Relax, my lord," Kain replied. "He'll show up."
The circus began with booming fanfare. The ringmaster emerged, spreading his arms wide.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to tonight's spectacle of wonders and thrills!"
The audience erupted with cheers so loud that even Pierce and Kain covered their ears.
While the crowd was distracted by performers of ice and earth magic, Aaron slipped Ashen from his cage. The boy conjured a perfect ghostly replica of himself to sit inside while the real one donned a yellow mask Aaron had bought from a nearby stall. Together, they blended into the audience.
At last, Aaron rejoined Pierce and Kain.
"Time to leave. Now."
The three adults and Ashen slipped outside, escaping the deafening noise.
Pierce frowned at the masked boy. "And who might this be?"
Aaron urged Ashen to remove the mask. When he did, Kain's eyes widened.
"That's the boy you drew! …Don't tell me your dream was real?"
"Not exactly," Aaron said quietly, "but it led me to him."
Pierce listened as Aaron explained everything—about the dream, about Ashen's magic. His eyes lit up in recognition.
"Ghostcraft… rare and dangerous. A mage who can summon and command spirits? Remarkable."
At that moment, a faint apparition appeared at Ashen's side, whispering something in a strange tongue. Ashen's expression changed.
"The spirit says… he was the one who sent you that dream, Aaron. His name is Nino. He wanted to guide you to me… to save me."
Aaron's chest tightened. "…Then thank him for me."
But before they could slip away further, the ringmaster's voice bellowed.
"You think you can steal my property?! Hand over the boy!"
Dozens of Nadō enforcers surrounded them.
Kain cracked his knuckles. Pierce's expression hardened. Aaron's pulse raced as he whispered, This might get fun.
The Nadō prepared to attack—
But suddenly, a monstrous phantom materialized. Its aura was so terrifying that the men scattered in fear, including the ringmaster himself.
In moments, the threat was gone.
Aaron, Pierce, and Kain stared, dumbfounded.
"…What in the world was that?!"
Ashen lowered his gaze. "…Just a little trick. One of my phantoms."
The three were left speechless.
Finally, Pierce sighed and looked at Ashen.
"You've no home, do you?"
Ashen shook his head.
"Then come with us. You'll have a room, meals, and safety. In return, you'll work as a servant like these two. Do we have a deal?"
Ashen's silver eyes glimmered with hope.
"…Deal."