prologue

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the air burned through your throat and tore into your lungs, and your joints throbbed in protest from running for so long. you blinked past the tears in your eyes, and you could feel your hair whipping behind you. you bounded through tall grass, not caring where your aching feet took you as long as it was away from the place you came from. the grass eventually came to an end and you burst through the field of green, panting heavily. you stopped and looked around, gauging your surroundings. the july sun beat down on you, making a bead of sweat trickle down your temple and curve around your chin, then dropping onto your neck.

behind you was an endless grassland, and in front of you was a traintrack, with another endless field behind it. it was a vast stretch of flat land, and you were exhausted just thinking about traveling through it. the adrenaline had drained from your body now that you has stopped running, and you basically collapsed from fatigue, knees buckling and feet giving out. once seated on a small patch of dirt by the traintracks you sighed and put your head in your hands.

what were you going to do? where were you going to do? you had no money, no food, and you'd surely die if you continued on your own. you only just realized that yes, you were free, but you were utterly hopeless out here, alone. you sighed again and rubbed your eyes until you saw stars.

suddenly, in the distance, a shrill whistle went off, making you flinch. it happened again seconds later, closer and louder this time. you lifted your head from your hands and looked around in confusion. the pebbles on the train tracks started to shake and you heard a deep rumble. you snapped your head to the sound of another whistle going off, and you squinted your eyes, spotting a black blob on the distance.

you quickly realized it was a train and stood up, putting a hand over your forehead to block out the sun. you took a step back as it got closer and the roar of the train grew deafening to your ears. the gravel jumped and twisted on the tracks, and the whistle kept getting sharper and sharper.

soon the train was right in front of you, whooshing past with a force that made you stumble backwards a bit. train cars whipped past, but slow enough that you could see that some car doors were open. an impulsive thought crossed your mind and you started wondering if it would work.

you looked back to the field you ran through, and knew that if you didn't do anything he would find you, and you would find yourself in a living hell. you looked back towards the train and stepped closer, spotting an open door that was far away. you kept your eye on it and started running alongside the train, heart pounding with new adrenaline and excitement. you let a smile curve your chapped lips, and you ran faster. when the train car started nearing you, you slowed down a little and breathed out heavily.

now or never.

with a feel of determination and nervousness, you gritted your teeth and took a leap of faith, landing and rolling successfully inside the train.

you closed your eyes and laid on the floor for a little, catching your breath and letting your heart calm down. after a couple seconds you cracked your eyes open and sat up, but nearly jumped out of your skin when you saw about a dozen or so people looking at you. you cautiously eyed them, and they eyed you back.  there was a handful of men and women, and they were all wearing raggedy clothing and had dirty faces.

"h-hello?" you grimaced at how hoarse your voice sounded, wincing as the single statement burned your throat.

the group still didn't say anything, but a couple of them looked at each other in question. suddenly, a man stepped out in front of the group, reaching a hand out to you. you hesitantly took it, your own had shaking a little. the man had dark burgundy hair, sharp features, and alluring almond eyes. he was handsome, no doubt, and you found yourself blushing a little as he smiled heartily at you.

"what's your name?" his voice was lighthearted, a little husky, and it made you feel a little more comfortable.

"y/n..."

"well y/n," he gestured his hands towards the troupe behind him and grinned. for some reason you found yourself smiling as well.

"welcome to the circus."

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