That day, rain fell. He wished it had poured down all at once and stopped, but instead, the rain scattered in all directions like fog throughout the day. It felt as if the humidity was clinging thickly to the air. Though they didn’t exchange words, some of them looked up at the cloudy sky with slightly worried faces. They seemed concerned that the rain might have a negative impact on the operation. However, ultimately, the stop signal didn’t come. Before taking the stage, Sixx, as always, donned his black cloak.
It was his final performance. Regardless of how the operation ended, Sixx wouldn’t step onto this stage again. The first time he stepped on it, he was five years old. He played a supporting role. A member dressed in a costume resembling Robin Hood from a worn-out fairy tale book placed an apple on his head and shot an arrow. The costume was ridiculous, but the arrow was real. The vibration that passed through his head when the arrow pierced the apple was still vivid in his memory. At the time, Sixx didn’t know he was almost killed, but somehow, that sensation was so uncomfortable that he told Ringmaster he wouldn’t perform anymore and received five slaps in return. What did Ringmaster say? Perhaps he said something like, “Don’t ever use the word ‘no’ in front of me.” So, after that, Sixx stopped saying things like “can’t” or “don’t want to” in front of Ringmaster. Yet, now, he was trying to steal what Ringmaster had. Transforming into a monster in front of people ends today. Judging by the sense of relief he felt, perhaps he didn’t enjoy performing much. Still, it wasn’t all bad memories. Thanks to stepping on stage, he could meet Malon, and he became interested in him. It was luck that would never come back to Sixx’s life.
A vivid light poured onto the stage. He heard Ringmaster’s voice introducing him.
“Introducing the most heinous monster in the world! Sixx!”
Once again, Sixx stood before the audience as a monster. The audience sent him a mixture of expectant and fearful glances. Perhaps the moon was shining behind the black clouds. His whole body trembled. People screamed at the sight of him.
***
It was late at night. The only thing illuminating the deserted wasteland was the white moonlight. Most of the circus members, tired from the performance, had already collapsed. However, some began their covert actions. Sixx was one of them. He swiftly headed towards the Ringmaster’s trailer. Leticia was supposed to be waiting for him. The rain continued to fall sporadically. The moment he made a wrong step, mud splattered.
“Hey.” Leticia, hiding in the bushes near the trailer, called him in a low voice. Upon closer inspection, she had an unusually tense expression. Sixx felt a small comfort in that fact.
“They’ve all started moving already. We should go now too.” They moved towards the trailer. It was a critical moment, so Ringmaster was likely asleep. But complacency was dangerous. As Leticia unlocked three locks one by one, she whispered,
“Transform into a wolf. There might be bullets flying as soon as we enter.” His cloak draped over his shoulders fell off. Guns, something he should be afraid of, perhaps. Indeed, getting shot was quite painful, as Sixx now knew. Last time, he was just lucky; he could have really lost his life. However, strangely, he wasn’t trembling. What was scarier than guns was Ringmaster’s gaze. What reaction would Ringmaster show if he found out Sixx had betrayed him? Despite having plenty of opportunities to hear evidence of how ruthless Ringmaster was recently, for some reason, he was afraid of disappointing him. That’s why everyone probably thinks I’m stupid. Sixx scratched the door with his claws. He wished Ringmaster could understand that he had no choice but to do this.
“It’s open,” Leticia whispered. The door creaked open, emitting a soft shriek. Though it was pitch black inside, there was no need to turn on a flashlight. Darkness was more familiar to Sixx in that state. He guided Leticia past obstacles to Ringmaster’s bedroom. The bedroom was at the innermost part of the trailer. Although the floor was carpeted, making noise by walking wouldn’t be of much help if Ringmaster’s hearing was particularly sharp, or if he was still awake. The silence that filled the trailer was as chilling as the rain falling outside. Leticia’s breathing was becoming increasingly rapid. The bedroom door wasn’t locked. Leticia slowly turned the handle.
As the bedroom interior gradually revealed itself through the crack in the door, they saw the lump of blankets on the bed. Thankfully, if Ringmaster was asleep, everything would be easier. Sixx crouched low to pounce on him. However, just as he was about to leap, he sensed a movement in the corner. Sensing something was wrong, Sixx didn’t leap but instead forcefully pushed Leticia, who was standing beside him, with his body. With a bang, a bullet grazed Leticia’s hair and flew past. It was a trap. Damn it! Someone had tipped them off. In the darkness, the sound of a match striking was heard, and soon a faint light emerged.
“…Pierce!”
“I knew something like this would happen someday. And the mastermind is Leticia, it seems.”
A black gun was aimed at him and Leticia. From the looks of his pajamas, it seemed that rather than their plan being exposed, he had heard the sound of the locks being undone and woke up. It was a close call. Who said Ringmaster’s marksmanship was lacking? He wasn’t sure where the bullet came from, but it was clear that the accuracy wasn’t that high. It wasn’t comparable to the killer who came to kill Malon, but Ringmaster’s aiming skills were considerable. If Sixx had blindly climbed onto the bed, Leticia might have been shot and fallen by now. It was dizzying to imagine.
“Oh, you anticipated it, did you? Knew there was a problem with your actions? Then why did you do it? It would have been nice if you had treated us like humans before we did this, don’t you think?”
“Arrogant wench. You accepted the position when you had nowhere else to go, and now you’re betraying us like this? Those who cooperated in this will rot in prison for decades. Just wait and see!”
“Before that, you should think about saving your own skin. Open that damn safe right now.”
“Am I insane?”
His grip tightened on the gun. Though he seemed calm as he spoke, he seemed to be losing his composure when the word ‘safe’ came up. His obsession with what belonged to him seemed evident.
“I don’t think you grasp the situation here; the upper hand is on our side right now.”
“Oh, what, you think one little wolf pup means anything? At most, the contents are that of a twelve-year-old. It’s shameful to involve a child in this, Leticia!”
“I didn’t feel good about it either. If it weren’t for this desperate situation, I would never have resorted to such actions. But I don’t want to hear criticism from you, who exploit a child for money.”
“Exploit? Who do you think has been taking care of that kid all this time? Sixx, come here. If you come here now, I won’t ask why you were with that woman. Stop at this line.”
Leticia glanced nervously at Sixx, but he didn’t move a muscle. He had a goal to save Andy. When Sixx didn’t move, Ringmaster’s face slowly twisted.
“I don’t know what you two are up to, but when the police arrive, it’s over for you. If you have complaints, it’s something to protest properly about, not sneak into my place in the middle of the night like rats!”
“Protest? What did you think my words were? Did you think I was throwing a tantrum?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Leticia’s voice carried sincere anger. It seemed Ringmaster had no intention of cooperating. As expected, Sixx prepared to subdue him by force. While Ringmaster had a gun, as long as it didn’t hit a vital spot, they would be fine. Being hospitalized alongside Andy would be an interesting experience in its own way. Surely Corbin would take care of them well.
“Ktlr lr sbeg ijra mtjcmf. Obkfg sbeg uec ecali P mbeca ab olnf.”
Ofalmlj kjgcfv. Mlnf, obeg, atgff… Qlat fjmt cewyfg rtf mbecafv, atf mbgcfgr bo Elcuwjrafg’r fsfr agfwyifv. Kkb… Ycf. Ktfgf kjr ralii bcf rfmbcv ifoa, yea jr Ofalmlj jcv Vlzz tjv qijccfv, Vlzz mtjgufv ragjluta ja Elcuwjrafg. Djcu! Elcuwjrafg olgfv atf uec yfijafvis, yea atf alvf mbeivc’a yf aegcfv. Ynfgqbkfgfv ys Vlzz, Elcuwjrafg ofii ab atf ugbecv, jcv atf yeiifa atja tjv ifoa atf yjggfi ibvufv larfio lc atf mflilcu. Helmxis, Ofalmlj gertfv obgkjgv jcv kgfrafv atf uec ogbw Elcuwjrafg’r tjcv. Fut! Elcuwjrafg ugbjcfv lc qjlc, jcv atf uec atja rilqqfv ogbw tlr tjcv gbiifv bc atf oibbg jcv ragemx j mbgcfg. Gjwc la, atfrf yjrajgvr! Elcuwjrafg megrfv jr tf rageuuifv ab ygfjx ogff ogbw Vlzz, yea Vlzz fzfgafv wbgf obgmf bc tlr ogbca qjkr ab qlc tlr abgrb ab atf ugbecv. Qfii vbcf. Ofalmlj ragbxfv Vlzz’r tfjv. Vtf tfiv j xclof ab Elcuwjrafg’r atgbja jcv atgfjafcfv ab rila la lo tf aglfv jcsatlcu oeccs.
“Are you ready to open the safe? Even if you overpower me, you’d better not have any vain thoughts, because Sixx is here. You wouldn’t want to lose the use of one or two limbs to a wolf’s fangs, would you?”
“Damn it! You goddamn bastards!”
She forcibly lifted Ringmaster to his feet and dragged him to the safe. The safe was under Ringmaster’s desk. The numerous locks attached to it seemed to testify to how thoroughly Ringmaster had protected it. As Ringmaster hesitated, Leticia toyed with the blade against his neck.
“If you don’t want to die, open it now. I’ll give you exactly three minutes.”
“Three minutes? Do you think it’s possible to open this in three minutes?”
“Quit the nonsense and get started. Every time you try to stall, expect a knife mark on your body.”
She responded firmly. Eventually, Ringmaster took out a bundle of keys from his pocket, countless in number. He selected one and inserted it into the lock, but it didn’t fit. Huh? That’s not it. Ringmaster casually murmured. Then, he tried a smaller key, but it didn’t fit either. Without mercy, Leticia stomped on one of Ringmaster’s calves. Ouch! Ringmaster cried out as he fell to the ground. Stop fooling around. She declared sternly.
“With so many keys, what do you expect me to do?”
Seemingly irritated after receiving a blow, Ringmaster grumbled as he started inserting the keys again. Finally, one lock was undone. However, they didn’t have much time left. Leticia tried not to show her anxiety, but from her tightly pursed lips, one could tell that the situation wasn’t as relaxed as it seemed. After fumbling with several keys again, Ringmaster managed to open the next lock. While it seemed like he was deliberately wasting time, neither Sixx nor Leticia could take over the task. Leticia struck Ringmaster with a blow each time her anger peaked, and the speed of his hands momentarily increased after being hit, only to return to normal soon after.
About ten minutes passed. Now, only a few locks and dial-operated devices remained. Just when the situation seemed fairly hopeful, someone knocked on the trailer door exactly seven times. It was a signal. A significant problem had arisen for another team. In other words, they needed Leticia’s help urgently, urging her to come quickly. Leticia’s face darkened. It was a moment of choice. If she waited a little longer, they could obtain the target. However, the problem was not knowing how urgent the unforeseen situation elsewhere was. They didn’t even know if they were needed there right away. Yet, showing impatience would only make things worse if Ringmaster caught on and decided to drag out the situation, causing trouble only for them. Leticia struggled. And she made a decision. After all, it wasn’t an unexpected situation. She went into the bedroom and came out with Ringmaster’s gun. The gun looked intact on the outside. She aimed the gun at Ringmaster’s head. Click. As she unlocked the chamber, she instructed Sixx.
“Sixx, transform into a human.”
Surprised, Sixx complied with her command. Fortunately, there was a large jacket hanging on Ringmaster’s chair, which he quickly put on. Leticia guided Sixx’s hand to hold the gun.
“You’ve done well so far, Sixx. Now listen to me carefully. I’m going to step away for a moment. If Ringmaster opens the safe before I come back, order him to put everything from the safe into that bag. And when the bag is full, come out with it. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Sixx nodded. He had heard that such things could happen. However, knowing it in theory and facing reality were different. From now on, he truly had to handle it alone. The bulwark that had protected him from Ringmaster’s persuasion had disappeared. The sensation of the sturdy gun in his hand felt unfamiliar. I trust only you, Sixx. Her olive-colored eyes seemed to say so. Sixx didn’t avoid her gaze and met it head-on.
She tightly gripped Sixx’s shoulder so much that it hurt, then left the trailer. Now, only the tense Sixx and Ringmaster quietly fiddling with the lock in the darkness remained there.
“Sixx.”
Ringmaster, who had been silent, suddenly called out his name. Due to tension, Sixx tightly held onto the gun as if it were a lifeline. Ringmaster chuckled and tossed the key bundle far away.
“I’ve unlocked all the keys. Now, we just need to turn the dial, but it’s too dark to see the numbers properly.”
“S-so, what do you want me to—”
“I think we need more light. Will you turn on that lamp over there?”
There was no instruction on how to handle such a demand… Cold sweat soaked through Sixx’s palms. However, since the numbers were not visible, they couldn’t just leave it as it was. It would be a big problem if they delayed any longer. Eventually, with the gun still aimed at Ringmaster, Sixx walked over like a robot and pulled the lamp cord. With a click, the lamp emitted a soft light in all directions.
“Thanks.”
The orange light illuminated Ringmaster’s face. It seemed that he had hit something when he fell earlier, as blood was trickling down from above his left eyebrow. Half of his face was soaked in blood, but he seemed determined to turn the dial again without bothering to wipe it away. The clicking sound echoed quite loudly. Sixx swallowed hard. The red blood flickered in the light of the lamp.
“…But, Sixx.”
He spoke softly. It was just a call of his name, but the hand holding the gun trembled slightly.
“Why are you cooperating with Leticia? What have I done to upset you?”
“…Please, spare me unnecessary words.”
“Sixx, I’ve been watching you for almost ten years. Essentially, I raised you. I won’t go as far as to ask you to consider me a parent, but I think I have the right to know the reason you’ve abandoned me.”
“You, who seem to know me so well, can’t even guess the reason?”
“No, I think I do. It’s probably because of Corbin and Andy, right? You care deeply about those kids. …From your silence, it seems like I hit the mark. It’s a reason befitting you. Yes, it’s because Corbin came asking for money for Andy’s surgery, and I refused him just recently. So, that’s why he stuck to Leticia, and you’re helping him. I understand now.”
Ringmaster’s deduction was accurate. Corbin had been involved in this operation even before knowing about Andy’s illness, but her illness made him cling more urgently to this plan, and he even dragged Sixx into it. Ringmaster sent a compassionate smile to the bewildered Sixx and nodded his head.
“Ah, so you must have some deep regret towards me after all. I see. You’re such a good, obedient kid, Sixx. In that case, let me make you a proposition. What if I were to cover all of Andy’s surgery expenses? You wouldn’t need to involve yourself in such dirty business.”
“Don’t make me laugh. Now you’re saying you’ll cover the surgery expenses? But you refused before, didn’t you?”
“Sixx, if it were you needing the surgery, I would have gladly paid for it. You’re like my own child. But Andy and Corbin are different from you. They’ve only been with our circus for a few years. Frankly, it’s quite a large sum, and lending money out of the blue was burdensome. However…”
Ringmaster’s tongue rolled out smoothly, as if greased.
“If you care for them enough to raise objections, then I’m willing to help them too.”
“Lies! How can I trust—”
“It’s not a lie.”
With a click, the final lock was released. The safe door slowly swung open. Ringmaster pulled out a pouch from inside and untied it, pouring its contents into his palm.
“These are precious jewels. Even if I don’t keep my promise, selling these could cover Andy’s surgery expenses. Consider this as collateral for my offer. Sixx, think wisely.”
“B-but, I…!”
“Sixx, stop before things become irreversible. Even if you leave here, where else do you think you can go? I know you very well. Perhaps even better than you know yourself. Even if you never change into a wolf again, your essence remains unchanged. But can you really live well out there? If you only want to help your friends, it would be better to accept my offer now, wouldn’t it?”
His mind was in turmoil. He had initially participated in the operation to help Corbin and Andy. But what happens after their purpose is fulfilled? As Ringmaster said, he would now have to live in the outside world. But could he really survive outside the circus? If this was the only place that accepted monsters? If those who discovered his identity not only despised him but also sought to harm him? Would he have to run away again? For how long? Countless questions circled in Sixx’s mind. It was difficult to make a hasty judgment whether leaving the circus was the right decision in a situation where even the certainty of whether he could live his whole life without turning into a wolf was uncertain. Ringmaster chuckled inwardly as he looked into Sixx’s wavering hazel eyes. His plan was beginning to take hold. Foolish Leticia! Trusting a twelve-year-old, throwing a rabbit to a tiger! Handling kids was a piece of cake!
“You still have a little time. Sixx, think wisely and make your decision. Once you walk out that door with the bag, everything’s over. None of it can be undone, kid.”
Ringmaster began to pack the contents of the safe into the bag. There were bundles of cash, jewels, ornaments, and even something that looked like a small golden statue. Sixx was conflicted. As the bag bulged, so did Sixx’s anxiety. What do I want to do? Sixx had never deeply thought about what he wanted to do. The reason was simple. He was afraid. That was his excuse. He had decided not to desire anything because he feared that if he started wanting something, he would end up in sorrow, unable to obtain it after longing for it incessantly. Leticia was right. He was a pathetic coward. He had always lived by forcing himself to fit into what was given to him. It was familiar. Even though his body was tired, his mind was at ease, so he had followed Ringmaster’s calling down that path. And now, he was at a crossroads. Would he continue walking that familiar path, or would he turn back without hesitation and walk towards the unknown opposite? It would take great courage to shake off the inertia ingrained in his body and mind. And the courage he summoned was only once in his life. When he rejected Malon Cage’s sweet proposal.
As the image of that man formed in his mind, there was one incident that came to mind. It had been momentarily forgotten amidst too many events. However, it was something that could not simply be overlooked. Suddenly, like puzzle pieces falling into place, a hypothesis was born. Sixx bit his lip.
“…It’s sudden, but did you dislike Malon, sir?”
“Ah, that guy. I feel sorry too. He was all excited when I brought you here, but now he’s coming to take you back. But, as I said. You can’t live in the outside world. You must have been thrilled by all the attention you were getting. You probably harbored some hope. I hate to say it like this, but I knew it would end up like this. Even if you want to live happily, creatures born in the shadows must live in the shadows, or they’ll burn and die. Well, those things he gave you were probably bought with dirty money.”
“So, sir, did you dislike him?”
“Of course. Wherever you go, you have to pay your dues, but that thug was particularly disliked. That bastard acted all high and mighty, even though he’s just a kid from the street. He was so arrogant. He hasn’t even secured the boss position yet, but his nose is so high. Damn, he openly disrespects people. Maybe he treated you a little better, but seeing that you were eventually discarded, it’s not easy to cater to his whims.”
“…So that’s why?”
“What?”
“This is the first time I’ve ever tried to steal something. I swear, I’ve never touched other people’s belongings even if I wanted them. But, Greta’s necklace was in my bag. Wasn’t that something you kept? Back then, you and Clay checked my bag. Malon kept calling me out and praising me, so were you upset and trying to punish me?”
“Si-Sixx, I would never do such a thing! I swear to the heavens it wasn’t me. It was probably Clay. That bastard Clay probably felt jealous of you for some reason. That pathetic guy probably got jealous because I cherished you like a son, haha.”
“Anyway, you knew I didn’t do it. But still…”
“I can buy whatever you want again anytime! What was it? A radio? Sixx, let’s go out to town on the weekend. Don’t worry, I’ll buy anything you want, not just the radio. Huh?”
Although Ringmaster urged and persuaded him, Sixx couldn’t answer. He swallowed hard to hold back the rising tears. He recalled Malon’s gifts that had been shattered into pieces on the floor. Now that he couldn’t even see Malon, how nice would it have been if he had those things in his hands? They were the only treasures he had ever held in his life. Even if Ringmaster bought the same things again, they could never be treasures.
As the image of the broken green radio shards came to mind, he realized the truth again. Ringmaster didn’t cherish Sixx. He had merely exploited Sixx one-sidedly. He hadn’t awakened Sixx from his delusions. If he truly loved someone, he couldn’t act like that. Even the foolish Sixx knew now. He knew now that even if someone loved someone to the core, he could understand now. Ringmaster didn’t love anyone, not even Sixx. He loved only himself and money.
“The bag, please. Thank you for letting me stay here.”
“Sixx! You’re delusional. It was just to correct your bad habits. It was like the discipline a father gives to his son out of love. You might feel hurt now, but with time, you’ll understand—”
“No, I won’t stay here. Staying here won’t change anything. You don’t care about me. That’s why I didn’t care about myself. But it’s different now. I have something I want to do. I’m tired of being a scapegoat!”
“Whatever you want to do, I’ll support—”
“No!”
As Sixx pulled the bag, he staggered under its weight, which was far from light. It was the weight of everything Ringmaster had monopolized until now. Now those things would return to the hands of the rightful owners. Ringmaster’s face froze in defeat. Realizing that Sixx’s heart was resolute, he shouted in frustration.
“Sixx, you damn beast! How did I raise you like this!”
“Don’t come any closer! I’ll shoot!”
“Yes, don’t you want to know about your mother? Sixx, I’ve met your mother before. I was going to tell you when you were a little older. Let’s talk for a moment. Let me tell you about your mother. Huh?”
Mother. At the sudden mention of the word from Ringmaster’s mouth, his hands began to tremble. Of course, he wanted to know. He had always been curious. Do I have a mother? Is she deceased, or did she abandon me? Did that man have the answers to the countless questions swirling in his mind? Instead, Sixx felt anger surging within him. Whether that man’s words were lies or truths didn’t matter.
“Huh? Your mother. She had slightly darker gray hair than you.”
“Stop it! I don’t want to hear your stories!”
He said he thought of him like a son. But he had been hiding such an important story all along? He was a contradiction. Even if those words were true, Sixx wouldn’t change his mind. And now he was bringing someone else’s mother into negotiations? He was an utterly shameless man.
“Damn it, do you dare think you can shoot me? Beast like you should have been left to starve on the streets long ago! You couldn’t even repay the kindness I showed you!”
The blood running down Ringmaster’s face was now stiff like a mask. When Sixx, dragging the bag towards the door, took a step back, he suddenly rose and approached Sixx. He was ignoring Sixx. He hadn’t flinched at Sixx’s words until now. And when he had stepped on Sixx’s radio and smashed it, he had just stupidly stared. But not anymore. Sixx had decided to change. He pulled the trigger with force on his finger. Like when he shot Malon into oblivion, he tried to be as brutal as possible. Bang! His small body couldn’t withstand the recoil and fell backwards. Ringmaster also fell to the ground. Was he hit? Sixx barely managed to stand up on trembling legs.
“Six…x!!”
Ringmaster writhed on the ground like a demon. Perhaps the bullet had pierced his thigh. A red stain marked the spot where he had passed, like a pattern on the carpet. Before he could be grabbed by the ankle, Sixx grabbed the bag and rushed out. And beyond his imagination, a scene greeted him. Sixx stood frozen in astonishment. Everything outside was red. A huge fire, even resisting the rain, was raging and engulfing the circus. How did this happen…things had escalated too much.
“Sixx! Run as a wolf! Run before the police arrive!”
It was Leticia’s voice. Only then did Sixx come to his senses. He stuffed his clothes into the bag and transformed back into a wolf. The fire was burning everything to the ground, the members were screaming, the drizzle turned into a fierce downpour, and in the distance, sirens were heard. Amidst the chaos, Sixx left confusion behind and ran towards the forest. With a large bag hanging from his neck, he ran madly for the first time in his life. The damp weeds couldn’t resist and were trampled harshly under his large feet. The smell of smoke pricked his nose, but there was nothing left in the wolf’s mind except survival. He had to run faster, even faster. Instinct became his detonator, moving his legs.
Portland Union Station, 4:20 AM, to catch the train to Denver.
He ran.
Gosh I can’t wait for the update, thanks for THIS update, looking forward ❤️
Ahhhhh I was so scared 🫠😮💨 I hope everyone escapes safely!
Thank you soooooo much for the updates! I’m so glad you upload multiple chapters at once. It helps when they leave on cliffhangers! 💕 Looking forward to seeing what Sixx does now
RUN FOREST RUN
Hope everyone that participated in the plan will be safe
Thanks for the chapter
I like Sixx a lot. Thank you!