CHAPTER 8: Iron

She opened her eyes. Everything was blur.

"Ah! You finally woke up! Come on, I'm tired of playing for so long," a familiar voice said.

When her vision cleared a bit, she realized she was hanging upside down. Her head was down, and her legs were up vertically. Her hands and feet were tied with hard straps, and her mouth was gagged with a scarf. Standing in front of her was Joe, well-dressed in a black jacket, white shirt, black pants, and patent leather shoes. In his hands, he held several small knives, like the ones Blue and Red had. Her eyes widened at the sight of Joe and realizing where she was. She was inside the circus, tied to the wheel of fortune. There were knives stuck around her. While she was passed out, Joe had played with her by throwing knives around her body. Fortunately, none had hit her. Yet…

"Mmmm…" she grunted, trying to speak.

"What? I don't understand, honey."

His tone was ironic. He approached her and took off the scarf. He seemed to enjoy it. Then he turned the wheel, and Madalen found herself looking straight into Joe's face.

"Why are you doing this? I thought we were on the same team!"

Joe laughed heartily.

"You think I approached you to be friends?"

"Jio was right. You used me!"

"And I'll use you some more," he barked. "You see, I found Jio's weakness," he held the knife menacingly. "His weakness is you!"

He threw it, pinning it right next to Madalen's cheek. It slightly tore her white skin, letting a drop of blood drip out. Madalen looked at the knife out of the corner of her eye in shock.

"You're psycho!" she screamed.

"We all are," he smiled wryly.

"What the hell is your real purpose?" she asked, cursing.

"The circus, of course!"

An awful smell suddenly filled the room. Madalen had smelled it before; it was the smell of rotting flesh, but she didn't care at the moment.

"It's not just the circus," she snapped, looking at him. She already knew the answer.

"And, of course, to get revenge on Jio," he said nonchalantly. "See, I've got a better idea. After I kill you in front of his eyes, then I will do to him what he did to me. I'll lock him in the cell he locked me in. I'll let him rot forever! Alone, without salvation, let thoughts and loneliness drive him crazy, knowing that no one will save him! Or I can just kill him over and over again! And that will give me the same satisfaction," he laughed a mad, deep laugh.

"You're wrong here!"

"What? Are you going to save him? I don't think you're in a position."

His ironic style irritated her more and more.

"You are crazy!" she shouts in her despair.

"And who isn't in here?" he laughed. "Why, aren't you crazy, too?" he laughed again.

"Ha!" she quipped. "Yes, I am crazy to trust a lunatic!"

"Oh come on now. You never really trusted me," he said, holding up another knife and gently stroking the edge of it. A drop of blood ran down his finger, and he licked it passionately. "Well, now all that's needed is for Jio to come."

"Here I am," came another familiar voice. Jio had just entered through the circus entrance.

"Oh! You already came. I see you quickly read my message."

"It wasn't hard," Jio said. "You had it nailed to the table."

"I've know you. I know every time you drink your tea," he said with a small expression of satisfaction.

Jio grimaced.

"Leave her," he ordered. "You'll regret it if you kill her!"

Joe laughed.

"I'd probably say the opposite."

"What do you want?" Jio's gaze was deadly as he asked.

"You know very well."

"Forget it! I'm not going to give you the circus!"

"But if you give it to me, your torment will end."

Jio grimaced again.

"Knowing you, I don't think so."

"I'll leave you alone, I promise."

"You're not convincing me, Joe. I know you very well. The only way to get rid of you is for you to disappear."

"You can't kill me, and you know it," Joe said, lifting his neck to show his scar.

"I can't, but someone else can."

"Madalen?" he laughed.

"No, you know who."

"Nobody can kill me, that's why you put me in jail," he snapped.

"You think?" Jio grimaced.

"Then why didn't He kill me and just let you imprison me?"

"Because I asked Him to."

"Why? Ah! Yes, that's right, 'brothers,'" he chuckled.

"I won't say it again, leave her alone!" Jio insisted.

"Now that I have found your weakness? I don't think so," Joe said with a sardonic smile.

"She is not my weakness," Jio said curtly.

"Oh yes?" Joe immediately threw a knife at Madalen's face. She closed her eyes, waiting for the knife to plunge into the middle of her face. But the knife took too long to impale her, so she opened them again to see what had happened. Jio was standing in front of her, the knife stuck in his arm near the shoulder, trying to ward it off.

"And you want to convince me she is not your weakness," Joe chuckled.

"Just because I don't want her to die doesn't mean she is my weakness."

"You don't convince me very much."

Jio pulled the knife from his shoulder with a sharp movement. He didn't cry out in pain. Instead, he remained silent, like an animal preparing to attack. But Joe caught up with him.

He lunged at Jio, knocking him down. However, Jio quickly placed his foot on Joe's stomach and threw him over his head like a stunt. Joe did a somersault and landed on the floor. Jio walked over, holding the knife, and aimed it at Joe's face. But Joe, though surprised, managed to stop him by grabbing his arm before he could strike.

"I didn't expect that from you," Joe said with a crazed grin.

"I don't want to kill you again, but you leave me no choice."

"And what's the point? I'll be back."

"Don't be so sure!" Jio shouted. "I'm sick of you! I'm sick of you trying to make me your underling and take my circus!"

"Yours? Think again."

"He gave it to me! So He wants me to have it, not you!"

"You don't know. He might have changed his mind," Joe said meaningfully.

Jio's eyes narrowed.

"No way!"

"Are you betting?"

Madalen realized they were talking about Him—the Circus. Had the Circus allied with Joe? He was probably playing both sides.

With a sharp movement, Joe kneed Jio in the groin. Jio grimaced in pain. Joe then plunged the knife into him and stood up abruptly. He grabbed Jio by the throat, locking him between his elbow and holding the knife close to his face.

"And now, Jio, what are you going to do? I have immobilized you."

Jio struggled to escape, but Joe had him pinned. Joe turned to Madalen.

"What do you say, Madalen? Should I kill him?"

Madalen paled. "No," she replied, shock evident on her face. "You can't kill him!"

"Oh, really?" Joe said, lightly cutting Jio's throat, letting a small stream of blood flow.

"Stop!" screamed Madalen. "Please let him go!"

"Well, since you're begging me, I might as well let him go," Joe said with a wicked smile, then added, "Nah, I'm not in a good mood."

Jio was trying to free himself, but he couldn't. A grunt was heard, and Iron appeared in a split second, lunging at Joe and biting his hand holding the knife.

The knife fell, and Joe grimaced. His other hand relaxed, giving Jio the opportunity to free himself. He took a deep breath, coughing.

"Stupid dog! Let me go!" shouted Joe. But Iron had bitten him hard and wouldn't let go.

In his panic, Joe managed to grab the knife again with his other hand and, with a quick, powerful movement, drove it into Iron's abdomen. The dog howled in pain and dropped him, unable to get up.

"No!" Jio screamed and lunged at Joe.

With one swift movement, Jio knocked the bloody knife from Joe's fingers and delivered a powerful punch, knocking him down. Jio sat on top of him and started punching him with all his might.

Joe laughed as Jio punched him. "After all, Madalen probably isn't your only weakness."

Jio, red with anger, wouldn't stop. No matter how many punches he threw, Joe didn't seem to give in. Then he grabbed the knife and raised it furiously, but Joe stopped him by grabbing his hand. He spat out blood and smiled.

"You can't kill me!"

"We'll see about that!"

Jio exerted all his strength, but Joe seemed unnaturally strong.

"Jio, stop!" came Madalen's voice. As if waking from a hazy dream, Jio looked at Joe, took a deep breath, and stood up.

Joe struggled to his feet as well. "You must have many weaknesses," he said, a sarcastic smile on his bloody lips.

Jio hit him in the ribs with one move. Joe let out a muffled scream and clutched his wound. Jio stopped and whistled with his fingers. His whistle echoed throughout the amusement park. Soon the whole troupe appeared at the entrance of the circus.

They ran inside. As soon as they saw Joe, they rushed towards him wildly. Joe, clutching his ribs, ran off the back of the stage, shouting, "Yourselves will not save you forever, Jio!"

Yellow, Green, and Blue ran after him.

"Are you okay?" asked Purple.

"Yes," Jio replied.

"Madalen?" Jio asked as he released her from the wheel.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, a little shocked. Her arms and legs ached from the straps, but she didn't complain.

Jio walked up to Iron and stroked his body. "Is he...?" Madalen asked.

"Yes..."

"I'm sorry."

Jio didn't speak. He just took his dead friend in his arms and lifted him up, ready to leave.

"Jio, you're bleeding," she remarked in dismay.

"It's nothing." The floor was drenched in blood that flowed non-stop from his shoulder.

"How is it nothing! You've lost a lot of blood!"

"I told you it's noth—" But Jio didn't finish his sentence. He collapsed to the floor, passing out on the crimson blood, hugging Iron. Purple picked him up and carried him to his room, while Red picked up Iron's lifeless body, likely to bury it.

 The next morning, when Madalen went to the dining room, she was surprised to see Jio eating with the others.

"Are you okay? How do you feel?" she asked with obvious interest as she sat down.

"Like new."

Madalen smiled in relief. Jio noticed and smiled back.

"Are we going to have a show today?" asked Purple.

"Yes," Jio replied.

"But we still haven't found Joe," Red said, taking a big bite of toast.

"He'll reappear," Jio said calmly.

"What if he attacks you again?" Madalen asked.

"You don't have to worry," he smiled at her, biting into a piece of apple.

"I'm so sorry about Iron." Everyone looked at Jio awkwardly. "Can't he come back to life?"

"No, unfortunately, he is not like us."

"So?"

"The Circus didn't create him. He was the dog my father gave me. I asked the Circus to bring his soul here and embody him."

"And now that he's gone, where did he go?"

"I don't know... I guess where I'll go when I leave... If I leave."

"Don't you know where your soul will go next? Didn't the Circus tell you?" she asked with interest.

"No, He doesn't like to tell me..."

He continued to eat, ending the conversation. But Madalen still had many questions.

"Do you think Joe allied himself with the Circus?"

"So he implied."

"What if Joe kills you?"

"Hypothetically, he can't, because I have an agreement with the Circus, and it is part of me." He put down his fork. The others continued to eat while listening to the conversation. "But if he's made a deal and can kill me, then I guess he'll take my place."

"And you?"

"The Circus will take me, of course. I don't know what will become of me, but maybe if I can make a new agreement with Him, He will let me go."

"How does the Circus work? I don't understand."

"You won't understand. It is according to His interest."

"And how can He make a deal with Joe since he's part of you?"

"Just because he's a part of me, he can."

"Can the others too?" Madalen asked, looking at the others.

"Hmm… I'm not sure. Guys, what do you say? Can you?" Jio asked playfully.

"We're not like Joe. We wouldn't do that to Jio," Blue said.

"But you're all a part of him, like Joe."

"Yes, but we each stand out in our own way. Let's just say Joe is a little different from us."

"So?"

"He can get very impulsive when he gets angry and doesn't think like we do."

"They all have a bad side," Jio commented. "But they won't admit it," he said, looking at them meaningfully.

"You're insulting us, Jio," Green feigned offense.

"Green, let's say, is overly jealous, even though he's nice to everyone."

Green rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "How many times have we fought over his jealousy? I've lost count."

"Yes, huh? But you're not talking about Yellow, who wants everything for himself!" Green commented sharply.

"Yes, Yellow has his issues too, such as constantly asking for more time in the show or closing the show without leaving room for others."

Madαlen looked at Yellow. "He doesn't seem like it," she commented.

"Yes, because he doesn't talk much, like Green. They speak when they have to complain or want something. They can be very chatty," Jio laughed, teasing them.

"The truth is, I'm not satisfied with my acts or the time you give me," said Yellow.

"You're not satisfied with anything," Red replied.

"What are you talking about, fat man, who keeps eating!"

"Uh, leave me alone," Red said, biting into a piece of bread with strawberry jam.

"Don't tease my brother," snapped Blue.

"Yes, we hurt his feelings! As if you don't know how much he eats," commented Purple.

"What are you doing, you narcissist, who keeps looking in the mirror and acting like you're the best?"

"I'm the best of all! What do you mean?"

"You act like you're the leader, like Jio."

"You forget that I have been put in charge of looking after you for circus business."

"And that makes you better than us?"

"Yes."

Blue threw a piece of bread at his head, but Purple was faster and caught it in the air.

"You act like a child. Don't tell me you still hold a grudge against me for not letting you get an audience after the show?"

"Of course I don't forget that!"

Madalen recalled the scene with Blue and the half-naked spectators on his bed. She immediately pushed the image from her mind, feeling uncomfortable.

She looked at Pink, who had been playing with a fork, pretending not to hear.

"He's lazy," Green told Madalen, glaring at Pink.

"Uh, stop! We pretty much stunned Madalen," Jio said, cutting off the heated conversation. "Madalen, from now on be careful. We don't know what else Joe is up to, and as for the Circus, something tells me you'll be talking soon."

Madalen looked at him meaningfully.