******

Madalen sat on one of the amusement park benches, observing the misty sky. What was she supposed to do? Who was she to believe? After spending some time with her thoughts torturing her, she went to her room. But as she walked down the hall, a sudden urge to see Jio came over her. She didn't know why… Maybe she thought it was sad that his own brother wanted to kill him. Before she knew it, she found herself standing outside Jio's room. She knocked softly on the door.

"You may enter," came his voice.

Madalen hesitantly entered. Jio was sitting in the living room, while across from him stood Red, glaring at him. She must have interrupted them from some serious conversation.

"Madalen! Go," Jio said and motioned for Red to leave. He nodded and left, closing the door behind him, leaving them alone.

"Sit down," he told her gently.

Madalen sat across from him in the armchair.

"Do you want tea?"

"What's wrong with the tea?"

"Nothing, I just like it. You want something else?"

"Water."

Jio smiled and poured a glass of water from a jug.

"Well?" he asked her.

"What?"

"Are you here for a reason?"

"I wanted to ask what happened to Joe."

"Unfortunately, we didn't catch him. He hid somewhere in the circus, but he will reappear sooner or later."

Madalen sighed.

"What is this so terrible thing that has happened between you two that you want to slaughter each other?"

"Not me."

"What not you?"

"I don't want to kill him..." He thought again, " anymore." He continued, "Don't worry, he can't kill me."

"Why can't he?"

Jio smiled faintly.

"Let's just say we're bonded."

"You are a strange family."

"We are more than that."

Madalen once again did not understand.

"Why so much hate? Ever since I came here, I feel confused, almost..."

"Don't let the madness take over you. There's a logical explanation for everything,” he interrupted, pouring some more tea into his cup.

"I highly doubt it."

"I wish I could explain."

"Why can’t you?"

"The circus won't let me."

"The troupe you mean?"

"No."

"Then?"

Jio took a sip of his tea, avoiding looking at her.

"You'll understand at some point."

He didn't give her any further explanations. Madalen was getting used to his riddles and secretiveness, but at the same time, it irritated her.

"Why didn't you want me to die?" he asked her after a while. He must have been thinking about her words when Joe had pinned him down with the knife.

"Because no matter how crazy and weird you are, I don't think dying will solve anything. Whoever dies won't help the situation."

"And how do you know that?"

"I don't know… But I can't accept that human lives lost are the key to getting out of here… I just can't bare it…”

"I like the way you think," he smiled strangely.

After she finished her conversation with Jio, although she always had the feeling that they left the conversation in the middle, she left for her room.

Purple was waiting for her outside, holding his chainsaw.

"We need to talk a little."

Purple's eyes were dark, and the expression on his face showed no emotion.

Madalen swallowed hard. For some reason, she felt threatened.

"Um, see you later, I have to go," she turned her back and quickened her pace.

"You have nowhere to go."

He sneered and started to follow her.

She thought about going into her room and locking the door, but she pictured Purple hacking the door to pieces with the chainsaw. She knew Purple wanted to talk to her about the chainsaw she stole, but she didn't feel like the conversation would be calm. She had a feeling it would end ignominiously, perhaps with several cuts on her body.

She opened Green's door looking for help, but once she saw the dozens of snakes on the glasses and on the bed, she quickly closed the door in regret.

"Oh come on now Mad, I want to talk," she heard Purple's playful voice full of innuendo behind her.

"If you put the saw down, we might as well talk," she shouted.

Purple laughed.

"But that won't be fun."

"That's what I imagined too."

She quickly entered Blue's room and slammed the door shut.

"What's wrong, Madalen?"

She turned and looked at Blue. The sight she saw made her feel so uncomfortable that she turned red. Her eyes widened with a puzzled expression, while her breath hitched for seconds.

Blue was half-naked, with two women and two men sitting on the bed. Everyone was in their underwear.

"Uh… Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," she said in a drawn-out voice.

"You're not bothering at all, on the contrary."

Blue stood up and walked over to her.

"I better go."

"Don't you want to hang out with us?" he walked over to her, bringing her within breathing distance. He reached out and tapped the door with his palm next to her cheek, making her feel even more uncomfortable.

"Better not…"

A fake awkward smile appeared on her lips. She made to open the door, but Blue stopped her.

"Oh come on Mad. Now that you've come, are you going to leave?"

Madalen slid aside and avoided him. He had become a nuisance. The others in the room laughed.

"I don't want to participate!"

She swerved to avoid him as he tried to catch her. After doing a small chase circle around the room, Madalen found herself in front of the door again. But at that moment, Blue grabbed her, pulled her, and threw her on the bed. He stood over her, holding her hands when the door opened and a voice interrupted him.

"Blue! Didn't we say we don't play with Madalen?"

Blue grimaced a little.

"You want everything for yourself," he said plaintively.

Madalen looked behind Blue when she saw Jio's crooked smile. Jio held out his hand for her to stand up. She immediately took it willingly and rose to her feet.

Jio escorted her out and closed the door.

"We never go into Blue's room."

"And how should I know? I wanted to be saved from Purple," she complained.

Jio laughed.

"Purple told me you were looking to hide and that you went into Blue's room. Don't worry, he talked to me. He won't chase you anymore."

"So I was right, he wanted to cut me up with the saw!"

"Haha! No, he just wanted to play, to teach you a lesson for taking his saw."

She wanted to ask about Blue but didn't dare.

She went to her room and locked the door. She lay on the bed hugging the pillow, trying to calm down from the scene she just experienced.