The other day Madalen went to Jio's room, wanting to ask him something. She had hardly slept all night because she was thinking. She knocked on the door but got no answer. Nevertheless, she opened it. She walked in and looked at the bed with the purple curtains. Jio was still sleeping.

Her gaze fell on the wooden wardrobe on the left wall. It seemed slightly moved from its forward position. A small opening appeared on the side, a dark crevice. It looked like a door that had been ajar. She walked over to it curiously. She pushed open the wardrobe, which opened quietly to reveal what had caught her eye. A small cache appeared behind the wardrobe. A wall deeper than normal hid a secret library full of books…

Observing them better, she saw that they were not books after all. They were diaries! A library full of diaries! The covers were all the same but differed in color. All were hardcover with a glossy finish. She grabbed the first one and opened it to the front page.

Jack Joffreson, she read. Who was Jack Joffreson? She turned to the second page.

July 5, 1965
I woke up in an unknown place… I didn't know where I was. It's all so dark... I was engulfed in darkness when I heard his voice...
He explained where I was, in a parallel universe shaped by my vast mind.
I remembered that I had died, that I had been killed, and that I had called Him.
Am I really dead? No, I have come to life in this universe. My soul is alive…

Reading the paragraph, she stiffened in her seat; a cold sweat bathed her. She felt a strong shiver. What? Madalen's mind was about to explode. Wasn't Jio alive? Wasn't anyone at the circus? That would explain everything if they were in a ghost world. But she… was alive… or wasn't she? Had she died and not realized it? But how?

She was trying to think of the way she died, but she couldn't remember anything like that. She didn't remember any last moment; everything was coherent in her mind. She could have died when she fell into the hole, but she was sure she was alive because she felt pain when she fell. Unless the dead hurt… Judging by Jio, then the answer was yes. But she was almost certain she hadn't died…

She flicked through the pages, reading only the parts that piqued her interest the most. She now realized that Jack was Jio.

He explained to me that we need each other to stay alive. So we made an agreement, that He will feed on me and in return He will give me life.

He made the place just the way I wanted it. A beautiful circus just like the one I grew up in. If that doesn't make you feel alive, then what does?

Were they alive after all? She opened the second diary.

December 25, 1966
I am beginning to wonder if the circus is ultimately for my benefit or His. There's a lot I can't do that I didn't think of in the first place. Maybe the loneliness has affected me...
During these endless hours, every day I just wait for the moment when the circus comes alive and the show begins. But then everyone disappears and I'm left alone with my thoughts again...

May 31, 1970
I should be more grateful after all. I am alive in a place where I feel safe. The deal was to stay alive anyway. Maybe I'm being too much, I'm asking more than I deserve, He's right.

September 11, 1971
I feel so alone. I wonder if I will spend all eternity like this... I miss the outside world. The warmth of the sun, the smell of the flowers, the green of the trees.
It is his fault! He knows how to manipulate me, causing me all this pain and thoughts.

December 12, 1971
We talked and He found a solution. I will have company soon… I am very excited! I wonder what it will be like… I can't wait for this place to come to life.

She stopped reading. She realized that the diaries were all of Jio's life in this world, from beginning to end. She had to read them all, but she didn't have the time; any moment Jio would wake up. She took some, closed the bookcase, and hurried to her room. She hid them under her bed. She would read them when she was sure no one would see her. Jio certainly wouldn't notice that the diaries were missing until the next night when she intended to return them to their place.

     There was a knock on her door. Yellow invited her to have breakfast together. She had never sat in the morning with them. The dining room was in the left corridor after the rooms. There was an additional door, which she hadn't paid much attention to. It was shaped like a chessboard, like the whole maze, and seemed to be one with the wall.

When she walked in, she almost let out an exclamation of admiration. In the center of the room was a large carved rectangular wooden table with red velvet carved chairs. Everyone was seated in front of a mouth-watering buffet.

"Sit, Madalen," Yellow said and pulled the chair for her to sit down.

She noticed that no one was eating, except for Red, who served everyone pancakes but was munching at the same time.

"Red!" Purple scolded him.

Red took on a puzzled expression with his mouth full.

"Jio hasn't come yet," Madalen told them.

"He's always late for breakfast," Blue said, wanting to excuse Red.

    Soon the door opened and Jio entered. He was a little surprised to see Madalen at the table. He took his seat at the head of the table. Then everyone started eating except Red, who hadn't stopped. He kept filling his plate. Madalen wondered where he put so much food. He ate very quickly and in large quantities. At one point, when his pancakes were finished, he grabbed one last one from Pink's plate sitting across from him. Pink gave him the middle finger and sat pouting in his seat.

Purple, when he finished eating, took out a small mirror and began to look at himself.

"Stop doing that, you narcissist!" Green told him.

"Jealous again?" sneered Purple.

"Who am I jealous of? You? Ha!" he laughed ostentatiously.

Jio gave them a wild look. Purple lowered the mirror, and Green slouched in place.

There was a small click; Yellow had dropped his fork.

"Get it, Pink."

Pink pretended not to hear, put his head in his hands, and pretended to be asleep. Madalen stood up and collected it. Jio shot them another aggressive look.

"What? Pink is bored of living," Yellow said, seeing Jio's look.

Madalen sat back in her seat. She wondered if all their mornings were like this.

As soon as breakfast was over, she went to her room, looking forward to reading the diaries. She locked the door. She sat up on the bed, putting the pillow behind her back, and continued reading.