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"It's finally finished! — You shall be name Mikaiah"
Year 18XX, there was an infamous rumour — a rumour that makes one curious.
It is said that within the bustling streets of London there is a secret back alley — and there is where a mysterious toy shop sits. The rumour goes — upon entering the shop, it is like a land of dream, with countless uniquely and beautifully crafted toys lined up across the room. And rumoured by the people who have once visited the shop — they say the shop will make one feel like they've entered a whole new world, and the experience of it all was wondrously magical. It was something out of this world.
However, to visit the toy shop, one cannot purposefully search for it, as it is deemed impossible. Rumour says the toy shop will only appear before the right person's eye.
What does it mean? No one knows. But as the saying goes — curiosity killed the cat . . .
When Mikai was first given life into the world, it was the most joyous moment he had ever felt in his entire life. However, it was also the moment he had felt sadness and anger.
Through the big wide window that seems invisible from others view, is where Mikai takes a peek into the outside world. A world that is unknown to him — his haven.
Ever since Mikai was made, he had been sitting on a shelf — by the window — throughout his whole life. Always just looking at a handful of people passing by day in and day out. On rare occasions, people would enter the shop, and there is where hope appears before Mikai.
Mikai has always yearned for a place. A place where he can belong to forever. A home. However, no matter how many times he wished for them or just anyone to take him away from this place — it never happens. All of it was just his wistful wish.
To Mikai, daily life in the toy shop has always been calm and nothing out of the ordinary. But the 'outside' world seems to think otherwise. There seem to be never-ending rumours circulating amongst the people about the infamous toy shop. But there is one particular rumour that sents shiver down one's spine.
「 Hey hey, have you heard? I heard the toys from the toy shop are actually made out of human bones and fleshes! 」
Rumour upon rumour always overlapping one another. But the one who knows the actual truth is only Mikai.
There is a door. A door that never goes unnoticed by visitors, and a door that has always made Mikai curious. Beautiful celestial patterns engraved across the door and gold embellished lunar that forms into locks. But however beautiful the door may be, eerie noises always seem to leak out.
On occasions when there is a visitor, Mikai's maker would always serve them with a gentle smile. And ever so naturally, he would always lead them into the door. However, whenever the door opens again — there was only his maker. Hand holding onto a toolbox with tools stained with blood, with a nonchalant expression walking back to his usual post whilst faint sobs, laughter, screams continued behind those closed doors.
In the beginning, the noises may seem scary, but as day goes by, it became a comforting sound to Mikai. But it's peaceful moments like this that won't last long for anyone, not even for Mikai.
On a supposedly ordinary day in the toy shop turned to be Mikai's worst nightmare.
When Mikai first awoke, he noticed he was not in his usual spot. Instead, he was in a completely different place. Eyes darting back and forth, confusion shrouding his mind, but all he could see were knick-knacks from corner to corner that filled up the room.
Why? Why am I here? Where is this?
Master! Where is master?
I ͈̩̐̆̒ͅd̗̟̰̘͍̈̇̑͐́o̬̙̻̿̐̈n̛͉'͇̀t͓̯͉͆́̂ ͇̣͙̭̄͑͊͝͝ͅw͓̫͉̆̅͒͑͟ḁ̐͢͝ń̡͍̳̺̿̏̂ẗ̳ ̛̺̰̀̀́͜͢t͓̻̤͑͆̽ö̢͇̳́͂̽̚ͅ ̦̗̠͔̅̾͗͂b̟͇͑͞e̜͂ ̭̙̑͗ȟ͇̼͐̓͢ẻ͙r̬̺͉͕͌́̉̚ę͎̤̤̺̔̃͗̓̚!͙̙̇̚!̝̓!̈́ͅ
Ĭ͉̯̄ ̺̹̤͎̔͌̏̚w͕̏ȁ̤n͕̺̲̺̏̓͊̓t̠̳̜̋̓̈ ̖̠̪͒́͋ť̜̥͑o ̛͎l͚̤̍̕e̙̟̩̥̠͌̂̉̅͡a̛̰͍͝v̧͓̞̜̇̉̑̚e!̭̲͈̂́͝!͍̏̐͜!͙̬̂̆̓͢ ̳͚̱̌̓͠W̗͇̩̠̬̃̆̊̆̓ḥ̰̯̔̆͛ȇ̺͈̬̽͗ṛ̦͎̽̅̚e a͖͉͑̔m̘͓̹̜̠̅̌͒̏̓ ̫̠̭̔̀͌i͙̥̒͘?̛̻̪͡?̩̭͔͌̑̈?͇̹̈͠ ͙̹̘̰͍̔̐͘͘͡h̭̙̹̟̬͐͗͛̈͘e̟̼̩̽́̐l̡̘̩̜͓̏̀͛̚͘p̬̤̓̇̎͢ ̯̣͎̳̀̈̈͝ḥ̓e̼͔̍̐l̠͝p̠̭͉̱͖̏͂͂͑͐ ̟̗̾̿̓͢h̫̣̖͐̆͊͢͠e̠͘l̤͌p̧̩͌͠ ̗̜̯̰̑͒͗͊H͈̖̟̎͛̅E̦̲͗̀Ļ͇̓̍P̪̰̾͡Ḥ͇̠̦͊͒͒͝E̥̫̺̙̺̔̈̈́̊͘L̻̜̖̤̑̋̀͂P̲̳̅͆H̨͍̪̦͐̒̈́͘͟͠Ẻ̢L̻͗͗͢P͈͗!̱͈̤̬͚̐̃́̾̐!̪̤̔͝!̧̛͚̲͊͊͢͡
During the adrenaline and his emotions rushing through him all at once, he suddenly felt his joints moving little by little. Hands — feet — he turned into a human. However, with everything running through his head, he didn't process everything and just broke into a run immediately. He up and left without looking back and sprinted his way to the toy shop. He didn't know why, but he knew exactly where to go like it was at the back of his mind. But, what he found was — nothing. Everything was gone, only a blank wall that stayed still. The only place he once called home was no longer to be seen nor present.
Why . . .
Sadness? Anger? He didn't know how to comprehend all these emotions within him anymore. Everything is all muddled up inside. All he could feel were numbness and emptiness. It felt like his whole life had vanished into thin air overnight without a trace.
Why why why why WHY WHY WHY!
Why is it not here anymore?! Did master abandoned me?
Why . . . what did I do wrong?
W̺̐h͍̼͖̐̕̚y̰̬͂̑̑͟͢͠ ̻̜͖͗̆́w̖̗̻͇͛̾͂͐͟͠h̗̚y̮̥̖̼̣̒̇͂͋͝ w̯͂ḧ̲̗̥͌͡y̻̎ ̙͇̯̏̀͝ẅ̤̬͘h͓͆ÿ̘́ W̝̅H̢̤̟̣̪͛̏́͌͡Y̛̳̠̺͕͒̏̋͞ͅ ̪̟̜̝̉̀̈́̚W̤̹͎͓͇͒̇̉͌̓HY ̹̓W̨̘̊͑H͇̅͠ͅY̩̜̩͖̱̒́́̉̕
Please d̡̹͎̤͆͛́̆o̖̮̖̒̚͞n̡͆͒͜'̪̪͉̯̘͌̍̌͞͝t̨͎͍̦̠̄̈̈́̔̓ ̹͐l̪̩̮̯͒́͛͆e͖͓͋̽a̡̨͓̙̺̿͐͊́̈́v̳̺̦̔̈́͝é̻̞̹̓͡ m̛̦̖͓̀̃e̻̹̬̐̉͡ . . . please t͉̪̟̳̃̾̿͗͋͜a̼̐ḱ̼̹̭̤̋̎͒e̛̟̺̙̪̓̊̐ ̡̳̭̓̈́̎̍͞ͅͅm̢̦̂̃͆ͅè̪̟̗̩̓̐̓ ̦̝̩͂́̕b̛̤̰̮̼͉̓̃̿͐ȃ͖͍̽̅́͜͢ck͇̠̯̆̋͘͟͞ . . . İ̡̲̳͗̍ ̢̛͇͇̎͝d̲̱́̄o̱̽ń̩̝̱̭͘͞͠'̠̥̗̳̋̊̿̃͌͟ţ̯̥͔̥̏̀̈́̅ ̨̓w͕͌a̱͎̻̎̉́n̘̆t͎̭͔͉̓̚̕͠ ̱̮̮͙͚̍̃̆͆͠t͔̖̿̐ơ͔̫̞͓̋̅͆ b̦̽ḙ̩̒̆ ̖̈͘ͅå͈l̤̤͒͑̈́̄͢ͅȏ͈̳͐̚͟n̲͘e͔͕͆̐̄͜
Please come back . . .
His body laid still against the cold ground as if time has stopped, until — a sudden burst of light pierced through the dark sky. What is that? They are like flowers blooming through the night sky, yet they shimmered and flickered like stars as it fades away. Intrigued, he followed the direction of those blooming flowers to where it leads.
The closer he walked, the brighter it got and the busier it got. He could smell scents that were unknown to him and sceneries that were unfamiliar. And as he walked up ahead, there were people from left and right crowding around an entrance, above there was a sign that reads "Circus". As he walks in, he could see tents surrounding the area, people that seem like performers, and even animals roaming around. Just stepping in, Mikai is trying to soak everything in as this is a world that is unknown to him.
Amongst all the tent, one caught his attention. It was the brightest and largest tent of all, right at the center of the circus. Upfront, he heard someone shouting, "Step right up and get your tickets! The biggest show in town is about to begin!" Mikai was curious and excited about the show but had no money at all. But an idea came to mind. He snuck his way in together with the crowd and seated himself at the very corner.
The show made Mikai felt at the edge of his seat the whole time. It made him felt something he had never felt before. Maybe it was because of the excitement but, as the show was about to end, he secretly followed suit backstage with the performers and took a peek behind the curtains. As he was peering through sneakily, the ringmaster caught him from behind. He froze up, bracing for the worst to come. Yet it didn't. Instead, the ringmaster grabbed his hands and invited him to join the circus.
「 "I see potential in you, boy." said the ringmaster. 」
He was startled by the sudden invitation yet was elated — as he realized this was what he needed — a fresh start — a new beginning.
And so his circus life as a fortune teller begins . . .
