“I WANT TO GO HOME!!!”

Leo's desperate cry was lost among the metallic din of the swans and the euphoric shouts of the other visitors. His pleas for a quiet place had been half-heard, taking him from the frying pan into the fire, from the roller coaster's boiler to the metal hell of the lake. His day, which had begun with the fragile hope of a friendship, had been transformed into an odyssey of terror in the heart of Central City.

“Don't just stand there, hurry up and get in!”

"...."

Leo looked at Melioris, who was already comfortably seated in the seat of one of the nightmare swans, waving at him with a radiant smile, understanding for the umpteenth time that day that there was no escape.

"...Here I go."

With his soul in tatters, Leo dragged himself to the swan's seat, and the moment his feet touched the pedals, the swan came to life with a menacing screech, joining the cacophony of metal hitting metal.

"Ahahahahaha~!!"

"Damn brat, stop hitting me!!"

The lake, far from being a haven of peace, was an aquatic battlefield where Melioris's laughter mixed with the screams of her opponents, as the swans with sharp beaks crashed into each other, seeking victory at any cost. The time they spent there was a blur of bumps, sharp turns, and the incessant laughter of Melioris, who seemed to enjoy every second of the violent ride.

(I'm going to live!)

Leo, for his part, just prayed for it to end.

(Screech!)

Finally, the swan stopped with one last screech, leaving them on the dock. Leo, dizzy and exhausted, could barely stand. But Melioris, with her energy intact, was already dragging him toward the next adventure.

"That was so fun! Your terrified face is adorable!"

Said Melioris, as Leo staggered behind her, trying to catch his breath.

"Now, what do you say we try something a little more... elevated?"

"......"

Upon hearing those words, Leo instantly remembered the definition of sadism and how in it a person obtains pleasure derived from the pain of another living being, realizing that the person next to him at that moment was behaving like a sadist.

“Let's go!”

But before Leo could protest, they found themselves in front of one of the attractions he had noticed before, an imposing tower that rose like a structure taken from a gothic nightmare.

“Let’s go in!”

"....."

The structure was not a common free-fall tower; it was a grotesque iron vertebral column, with twisted nerves entwined around it. The seats, which seemed to be made of giant ribs, slowly rose along the outside of the spire, each level crowned by a metal throat that emitted a low and resonant moan. As they ascended, Leo could make out the name on a golden plaque that hung from the tower, written in an elegant but macabre style: The Purgatory Spire.

Once at the top, the world of Central City stretched out beneath their feet, but the beauty of the view was distorted by the impending terror.

"Aaaah!!"

"Yuppiee!!"

"A new photo for my collection!!"

"Eeeeeeek!"

"Be more discreet, Susie!"

"Help!"

"Did I just hear a familiar voice…?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

As the passengers' scream turned into a chorus of tormented souls upon descending, their bodies crashed against the tower walls as if they were being crushed by an immense guillotine. Leo felt his stomach shrink to a minuscule point when the gondola was released, plunging them into a free fall that ripped a wail of pure agony from him. The images blurred, his mind only registered the sensation of falling into a bottomless abyss, while the wind roared in his ears.

"Well, what does it matter! Ahahahahahaha! Wooooooohooo!!"

Beside him, Melioris, with her arms raised, laughed heartily, her green and silver locks waving in the wind, her face glowing with overflowing euphoria.

"Haaa, haaa... I survived... again..."

When the ride ended, Leo collapsed into his seat, feeling every cell of his body vibrate with trauma. Melioris, however, showed not a single sign of exhaustion.

"That was incredible! I feel like I can touch the sky and beyond! Though I think I heard some familiar voices...?"

Saying this and without waiting for a coherent response, Melioris dragged him again, this time towards a water ride that Leo had mentally cataloged as "The Giant Skeleton."

"Look, that's gigantic!"

"Gulp..."

The attraction stood over an immense pond of dark, choppy water, surrounded by rocks that imitated a desolate marine landscape. The vessel was not a wooden pirate ship, but the skeleton of a giant whale, with twisted ribs that formed the seats and a menacing jaw that served as the prow. The name, engraved on the whale's skull with algae and seashells, was The Kraken's Vessel. Each time the whale's skeleton reached its highest point, a spine-chilling lament was heard that seemed to come from the depths of the sea, while a geyser of dark water shot out, drenching the passengers.

The boat swayed wildly, simulating a storm on the high seas. Leo held on with all his might, feeling the icy water soak him and the smell of salt and something indescribably ancient permeate the air. Each time the Kraken's Vessel descended, his stomach clenched, and the sensation of nausea became almost unbearable. Beside him, Melioris closed her eyes, water streaming down her face, and a smile of pure happiness spread across her lips.

"Yes, Sara will give a handkerchief to the master."

"Ahahahahaha, thank you!"

She laughed with every descent, with every lament of the Kraken, as if she were in the happiest place in the world, ignoring everything around her.

"...Ugh... I want to throw up..."

When they got off the boat, Leo could barely open his eyes. He was soaked, dizzy, and a cold that chilled him to the bone. Melioris, on the other hand, looked like she had just gotten out of a refreshing dip.

"How refreshing! I feel like I can swim with the Kraken!"

She exclaimed, shaking her wet hair.

"What’s next, young Leo? We can’t waste time!"

Melioris, without giving him time to respond, again took his hand and dragged him to the last horror of the park, a rotating cage that had already caught his attention.

“Is there still more...?”

Was Leo’s desperate question upon seeing a rusted metal structure that rose before them, a cage of twisted thorns that spun on its own axis. The seats, built to immobilize the passengers, looked like torture chairs. The name was not a sign, but an inscription made with something that looked like dried blood: The Cage of Madness. The screams of the passengers mixed with the deafening screech of the motors, creating an infernal cacophony that made the ground tremble.

"This is exciting!"

"...."

When they were strapped into their seats, Leo felt panic take hold of him. The cage began to spin, slowly at first, then at a dizzying speed. The world became a blur. The G-forces crushed him against the seat, his vision blurred, and the feeling of disorientation was overwhelming. He felt his internal organs shift and the pressure in his head was unbearable. He closed his eyes tightly, wishing for it all to end.

"Ahahahahahahahaha!!"

Beside her, Melioris had her eyes wide open, enjoying every spin and every shake, her lips curled into a smile of pure ecstasy, her cackles echoing above the din.

"Yuppiee!!"

...And beside her, a small girl wearing a white cat mask raised her arms in excitement, enjoying the moment without pressure.

(Screech!)

When the cage finally stopped, Leo could barely unbuckle his seatbelt.

(Thud!)

He fell to the ground on his knees, with the world spinning around him. He felt like his head was going to explode and his stomach was churning.

"Ugh... Sniff... Uf..."

Silent tears welled up in his eyes, as he looked at the sky, now tinged with a twilight orange. The light of the sunset seemed to mock him.

"I WANT TO GO HOME!!!"

Leo’s cry rose above the noise of the park, a lament of despair that echoed in the air, begging for an end to the most terrifying day of his life.

"It's time for a break!"

Melioris said with a smile. Leo, exhausted and on the verge of collapsing, could barely nod. With a breath that was a mix of relief and defeat, he let himself be guided by Melioris towards the food court. The aroma of cotton candy and popcorn was a welcome change from the smell of rusted metal and steam.

They both sat down at a table. Leo held a soda with trembling hands, while Melioris savored a gigantic chocolate.

"I admit that the roller coaster was... intense."

"But the swans and the cage... they were even better! Didn't you think so, young Leo?"

"They were... indescribable."

Was the only response Leo could give, with a tone that left no doubt about his opinion.

"Exactly!"

Exclaimed Melioris, laughing.

"There are no words for how fun it was."

During a pause in the conversation, Leo's gaze wandered through the crowd. Despite the park's commotion, he could clearly see a group of familiar figures at a nearby table. They were nothing more than small straw dolls, some with tiny hats and others with colorful clothes, sitting on the edge of the table. The small silver armor played war with one of the dolls, while the golden straw one laughed, banging a fist against the table to cheer them on. It was as if they were enjoying their own game in the middle of the park.

Leo averted his gaze, and anxiety took hold of him when he noticed a closer group at an adjacent table. Four women. He realized they had been watching Melioris all day.

A shiver ran down Leo's spine. It was as if they were following his every move. And Melioris? She seemed to not have noticed anything. There wasn't a single sign in her expression that she knew of their presence.

The first was a short girl who moved with a childlike energy, with a white cat mask that covered her face. Her eyes, which could be seen through the holes in the mask, were filled with pure devotion and looked at Melioris with the adoration of a daughter who sees her mother enjoying a game.

The second was a voluptuous and mature-figured woman, who hid her long silver hair under a baseball cap and her eyes behind large sunglasses. Her posture was relaxed, almost masculine in how she sat, and she looked at Melioris in a maternal way, like a silent protector.

The third, who was standing with her brown hair tied in a bun, wore an impeccable maid outfit. Her face was inexpressive and her eyes, empty, showed no emotion whatsoever. Unlike the others, she remained completely still, doing absolutely nothing.

And the last was a red-haired woman who had spent the entire day taking photos of Melioris. Her eyes, filled with a maniacal fervor, looked at her in a perverted way, as if she were devouring her with her gaze. The photos she took with her cell phone were of strange and disturbing angles. Her eyes shifted from Melioris to land on Leo for an instant, and a terrifying thirst for blood—one that made the hairs on the back of Leo's neck stand on end—was directed straight at him, as if she were testing him.

"And then...!"

But the most unsettling thing was that despite all the surveillance she seemed to be receiving, Melioris had not noticed anything throughout the trip. Leo could not understand how it was possible for someone to be so focused on the attractions as to not notice a single detail of what was happening around them. It was as if her mind was in another dimension, one where the real world did not exist.

"Hahahahaha!"

("Bip, bip, bip!")

Melioris let out a laugh; however, at that moment, an alarm tone sounded in the air, coming from her bag. She took out her phone, a beautiful bronze-colored and futuristic-designed object that seemed not to belong to this world. She looked at the screen and a smile of pure satisfaction spread across her face.

"It's the right time!"

"The right time?"

Leo’s question was a whisper full of confusion. Melioris looked him in the eyes, with a mischievous spark that he already knew well.

"It’s time to go to a temple."