Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
The lion responds immediately, leaping toward her, his muscles rippling as he moves with the precision of an animal that trusts his trainer with his life. He’s out of the cage before the thieves can fully secure it, and the relief that rushes through me is overwhelming. But we’re not out of the woods yet.
I’m sprinting toward the masked figures before I even realize it, my body moving on pure instinct. The crowd’s confusion rises, the ringmaster still trying to regain control, but the performance is now the least of our worries. Sophia is already beside Zeus, standing tall, her hand on the lion’s back as she faces the chaos head-on.
This heist was planned meticulously. Every move, every second has been calculated by the villain, and I know we’re dealing with more than just a few rogue crew members. This is bigger, deeper. But right now, all I care about is stopping them.
“Get the lights on!” I shout to anyone who will listen, my voice cutting through the noise as I weave through the throngs of confused performers and staff. I catch a glimpse of the ringmaster, his face pale with shock, but he nods, barking orders into his radio.
The tent is a mess of confusion, but I don’t have time to stop. I’m close enough to the masked figures now, and I can see them struggling to get the cage out through the back. They’re panicking, not expecting this much resistance. Good.
I dive toward them, grabbing one of the figures by the shoulder and slamming them into the ground. The impact jars my arm, but I don’t care. The figure writhes beneath me, trying to get free, but I tighten my grip.
“Not tonight,” I growl, my voice low, dangerous. “You’re not getting away with this.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sophia guiding Zeus to the far side of the ring, away from the chaos. Her focus is unshakable, even with the audience still on edge. She’s got this. I know she does. But I can see the strain in her face, the raw fear beneath her tough exterior. The bond between her and Zeus is the only thing keeping her steady right now.
The lights come back on in a flash, flooding the tent with bright, unforgiving light. The audience’s confusion turns into cheers—they think it’s all part of the show. They don’t realize how close we are to losing everything.
One of the other masked figures tries to make a break for it, heading for the back exit, but I’m faster. I tackle them to the ground, and this time, there’s no fight left in them. The adrenaline is surging through me, the need to protect Sophia, to stop this, fueling every movement.
Behind me, I hear the roar of the crowd, but I know it’s not for me. It’s for Sophia and Zeus, still holding the audience’s attention even in the middle of this chaos. She’s holding it together, but I know what this is doing to her. I know the weight she’s carrying, the fear she’s been hiding.
As I secure the last of the thieves, I look up to see her watching me, her chest heaving with effort. For a second, everything else fades—the audience, the noise, the chaos—and it’s just the two of us. The connection between us is raw, undeniable, and it hits me with the force of everything we’ve been through together.
This isn’t just about stopping a heist anymore. It’s about what happens next. What happens to us.
I don’t have time to think about it for long. Sophia turns back to Zeus, her voice calm, but there’s a tremor there now, something vulnerable. “Good boy, Zeus. You’re okay.”
But I can see the way her hands are trembling, the way she’s holding herself together by sheer force of will. And I know, even as the danger ebbs, that we’re far from done.
The performance might be over, but the real battle is just beginning.
Chapter Thirteen
Sophia
Chaos swirls around me. The sounds of the circus—normally so familiar, so comforting—twist into something jagged, sharp. My heart is hammering in my chest as I watch the crew close in on Zeus, their hands reaching for the cage. It’s happening too fast. Too fast for me to stop it.
For a moment, everything slows.
The villain’s face blurs with the faces from my past—people I trusted, people who betrayed me. The air becomes thick, oppressive, as memories surge up, suffocating me. My pulse spikes, my body freezing in place as my mind drags me back to a time when I was powerless. I see it all again. The faces, the voices. The way I felt trapped, unable to stop the things happening around me. My parents, my past, every wrong turn I ever made.
I can't move. I can’t breathe.
The circus ring dissolves, replaced by old wounds, old fears. The shadows of my past tighten their grip around my throat. My vision blurs, and the sensation of losing control becomes all-consuming. Zeus’s roar fades into the background, swallowed by the storm inside my head. I’m losing him. I’m losing everything.