Qiren stared at the unresponsive woman across from him.
She was frozen, eyes locked on the card embedded in her head.
Crack.
Small fractures spread across it, glowing with red light and spilling scarlet miasma.
The mist clung to her thumb, slipping beneath her nails.
Then the nail reddened—coated as if with fresh polish.
He smirked.
"I guess it's working," he said, watching as the fingers gripping the joker card continued to change.
His gaze shifted to the card in Missy's grasp, narrowing. Something about the mist was calling to him.
"Doesn't this feel like I'm witnessing an abyssal rift?" he murmured, standing to get a closer look at her transformation.
No… not quite a rift.
Is it the memories I put into the card?
"That should be it," he thought aloud.
More mist rolled over her, dusting the skin of her hand white like powder. Thin strands of white thread began weaving themselves into fabric, forming the beginnings of a glove that crept down her fingertips.
The card continued to crack as the transformation progressed—but the mist didn't leak into her. The fissures only let more vapor escape outward, widening useless gaps without directing the flow.
"Is this happening because she isn't compatible with what I put into it?" he muttered, scratching his chin as he slid the revolver into his waistband.
"Maybe her body's rejecting the undesirable aspects I infused into this joker."
He watched as the glove finished forming on one hand. It wasn't the masculine design depicted on the card, but a feminine one—her own.
"I was planning to guide her into a more feminine form later… or switch her to a queen," he said quietly. "But I can work with this."
He reached toward the card, carefully managing the mist.
This helps with the leakage…
Qiren looked up into Missy's remaining eye. It twitched, flashing with a crimson glint.
Blink.
He blinked back, pupils dilating as he continued regulating the transformation, watching as her gaze revealed what was happening to her soul.
A table.
A bike.
Juggling pins.
Her eye wasn't decorative—or ornamental—but a window, one that captivated his soul.
(Missy's inner sea.)
Music—
That was what undoubtedly filled Missy's ears as she drifted closer to one of the funhouse mirrors. Drums. Laughter. Cheers.
"Welcome, one and all, to tonight's wonderful show~!!"
?!
The moment she touched the mirror's surface, Missy was somewhere else.
She stood on solid wooden flooring—
FWISHH!!
She staggered aside as a woman chugged alcohol and spewed it onto a torch.
Flames erupted.
Cheers!!!
Missy turned toward the sound and froze.
Over a hundred people sat in tiered stands circling her.
They were all dressed in Victorian-style clothing—suits, dresses, and fur coats.
"I hope you've all grabbed your popcorn," a voice boomed, "because our first act will be one to remember!"
"Give a drumroll for the lovely chaotic quintuplets~!"
An old ringmaster gestured toward the center of the tent, his voice amplified through a megaphone as the lights snapped off.
Drrr… Drrr… Drrr…
Spotlights flared to life, sweeping the stands before locking onto the main stage.
Five girls—barely in their late teens—stood there, dressed in corsets with frills and playing cards stitched into their provocative acrobat outfits.
All had red hair.
Painted faces.
Missy stared.
She was looking at herself.
Or rather—selves.
"…Am I in a carnival?" she asked, half starstruck. "Those girls aren't me, right? They look a few years younger…"
Her eyes flicked to their ears, counting piercings.
"One… two… three…"
She groaned.
"Was I really that small in high school?"
She palmed her face, embarrassed—by their size, by their bodies, by the lie she'd once told herself about having multiple boyfriends.
The truth was, no one had wanted to date her back then.
That was where the provocative behavior started. Piercings. Mountain biking. Even trying to flirt her way into a lesbian relationship with her math teacher for better grades.
That had been the extent of her love life.
And it was also true—she hadn't felt excitement in sex until now.
"…Is he calling out my high school dating history~?"
Her attention snapped back to the fire-breather, who continued blasting flames to build ambiance alongside others lining the stage.
Two of the quintuplets uncorked shiny silver flasks.
The rest dragged up a stand loaded with balloons. They rummaged through a satchel, struggling as if the animal balloons were hard to find. One girl pulled out three before another shoved her aside.
"This is taking too long—let me do it."
A bob-cut version of Missy tilted her fedora toward a sister with a single tight braid.
She reached confidently into the pouch and pulled out a bundle of balloons.
"See? I told you I got this," she said smugly.
Her sister glanced at the balloons, then back at her. She smirked.
"You sure did~"
"Uh—Missa," the third sister chimed in nervously.
She touched the back of her low braided bun.
"The b-balloon things weren't supposed to be filled with water. And… not water with piranhas."
???
Missa blinked.
"Did you say something, Mercy? I don't think I heard you right."
"Mmm. No," Miri said with a grin still plastered across her face, proudly holding balloon dogs, giraffes, and a butterfly. "I think you heard her just fine."
Missa looked down.
Five balloons.
Each writhing with baby piranhas.
"…Hmm?"
Hmm—MM!!
"Eeeck!" She flailed.
Missy watched as the girl hurled the balloons upward.
"You idiot! Don't throw them straight up!!" Miri shouted, ripping open a balloon animal and blowing into it with all her strength.
It expanded twentyfold.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Bong! Bong! Bong—POP!!
The inflated animal blocked the falling fish—but only briefly. The piranhas bounced, popping it and launching the water balloons even higher.
The two sisters at the sides took deep swigs from their flasks, preparing to burn the fish midair—
Then froze.
…We forgot the lighters?!
Mmm!!
Mysa and Mirth turned to each other, cheeks stuffed with liquor, and sprinted to the pouch. They frantically yanked out balloon animals—pandas, snakes, bunnies, horses, turtles—
"Ahhh! I can fix this—I can fix this!" Miri yanked the bag away, opening it wide and catching every falling balloon inside.
Missa sighed in relief.
"That was close."
She wiped her forehead.
"Well done, team."
Wiggle. Wiggle.
"I think you jinxed it," Mercy said quietly.
The bag convulsed.
Its seams overflowed.
Piranhas burst out.
Miri grabbed one instinctively.
"Ahh!!"
She threw it to Missa.
"Why'd you give it back?!" Missa screamed, tossing it right back.
The crowd roared with laughter.
Mercy watched the fish flop and snap across the floor. Calmly, she picked them up by their tails and began juggling them.
"Ah—ah—help flip the bag over or something, Mysa!!"
She caught another fish midair.
Gulp.
Mysa swallowed the alcohol.
"Right."
She rushed to seal the bag shut.
"Oh no—!"
She slipped on a puddle and crashed down onto the dripping pouch with all her weight.
"Ouch—uh?"
The bag beneath her wiggled, thrashing violently.
Then—
GSSSSHHH—KRAAASH!!
Water exploded out like a fountain, launching her ten meters into the air.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Mysa screamed for dear life, eyes locked on the bag below as it blasted a relentless stream of pressure that kept her airborne.
Mercy glanced around, then grabbed one of the balloon animals scattered across the floor and sprinted toward the gusher.
"Girls, get ready to catch Mysa!"
"Aye aye!" Miri and Missa replied.
Meanwhile, Mirth ran offstage with liquor still stuffed in her cheeks.
"Mmm!"
Only a hum came in response as she snatched up a unicorn balloon animal.
Wasting no time, Mercy jammed her balloon animal into the mouth of the bag.
"Huff—fffffffffff!"
She blew with all her strength. The plastic stretched, swelling the pouch and finally choking off the flow. The entire bag bulged grotesquely.
Missa and Miri stretched out a handkerchief between them.
It spread like rubber.
"It's not big enough!" Miri shouted as they struggled to widen it enough for Mysa to land on.
Mirth came rushing back, torch in hand—stolen from one of the female fire-breathers.
She hurled the unicorn balloon, spewed the liquor from her mouth, and ignited it with the torch.
The balloon burst in a flash of heat.
Fwoosh—Naughhh!
A blazing silhouette surged from the explosion.
A unicorn—forged of embers and roaring orange flame.
It leapt skyward in a single bound.
"Daddy, look!" a little girl in the stands cried, clutching her father's coat as she bounced excitedly. "A unicorn! A unicorn's saving that girl!"
Her eyes sparkled as the flaming stag caught Mysa midair, carrying her gracefully upon its back.
The crowd erupted, cheering wildly at the marvelous performance, while Mirth scrambled to salvage the show—already scooping up a bunny balloon animal.
"Sorry for the inconvenience!" Mirth called cheerfully, bouncing in place. Her uneven high ponytails swayed, ribbons and bells chiming with each movement.
"We meant to entertain you all—but we may have made fools of ourselves~"
"Let's see if we can still salvage the show!"
She took a deep breath and blew her torchlight.
Dum-da-dum-dum-DAAA—
The lights snapped off.
The drums fell silent.
Then—
The balloon popped, scattering into dozens of flaming bunnies that hovered in the darkness.
Trrr-la-la—
Twee-twee-TWAA~
Pom-pom-POM!
Pa-ra-pa-PAA!
Whee-hee-hee—hee—hee!
Clack-clack-clack!
Dum-da-dum-dum-DAAA—
Brrr-brra-brra-BRING!
Hup!
Hop!
HUP-pa-HOP!
Ting-ting-ting-ting-TING!
Whum-whum-WHAAAM!