Katsuki

2

Katsuki felt something that made him, turn around. It was as though his body had decided without his mind’s consent to turn towards the tug on his heart. Katsuki was obviously no stranger to magic. And yet, the warmth that captured his body made him close his eyes and breathe in deeply, as though he were basking in its power for the first time. It had to be magic, Katsuki was sure, as the little warm place reached out and spread throughout his chest, but its origin was a mystery. He let the magic lead him, twisting and down a pathway he had never seen before and was sure he couldn’t find his way back out of. Katsuki was a strong mage. He could have pulled himself out of the haze, to be sure, but something about this magic felt safe. Feeling safe was a dangerous luxury that Katsuki had never been afforded. Safe was an illusion, Katsuki knew; something that you could see in front of yourself and convince yourself to be real but was all the while only a moment away from shattering. He didn’t come back to himself until he was standing in front of a large, gated enclosure. He blinked and looked up. His hearing came back to him as the ringing in his ears that he hadn’t even noticed faded slightly, and he was bombarded with a cacophony of sounds. A man yelling for tickets, children laughing loudly, happy chatter, animals screeching, and fabric whipping against itself when a harsh bout of wind blew through. Admission for one Valid for one night only “You may stay in the carnival until sunrise, at which time the carnival will end, and all patrons must leave. You may enter any tent at your own risk, at which time you are accepting the possible consequences of doing so.” After wandering through Katsuki stood in front of the red tent, looking at the larger-than-life structure. He clenched his jaw and, without preamble, pushed his way into the tent. He was entering at risk of the consequences?