[The dwarf muse]

The frosty night was lit only by the bright full moon that hung low in the sky. The wind howled and whipped the trees, making the branches creak and sway in the darkness.

The circus tents seemed unable to hold up against the constant battering from the north.

The air was freezing and only the rustling of leaves and the crunching of leaves underfoot could be heard. A product of the few, who still had obligations.

The shadows cast by trees and buildings seemed to writhe in the moonlight, adding to the sense of loneliness that pervaded the scene.

The circus was surrounded by slopes casting pale lights, the sunset of laughter and joy; it perished before the image of loneliness.

As the night wore on, the moon continued to rise, casting an eerie glow over the landscape. The wind showed no sign of abating, and the darkness seemed to grow even more oppressive.

"Why are storms so unpredictable? They should carry a sign...". blurted a man, dressed in rags and with a red nose, rubbing his palms together.

The shadows deepened, taking on a life of their own, and the silence was broken only by the occasional roar of the wind.

An ethereal aura enveloped the world, waiting for some unknown event to break the spell of loneliness and desolation that had fallen upon it.

Despite the bleakness of the scene, the night had an undeniable beauty. The moonlight cast a silvery glow over the village and nature, making it seem almost ethereal.

The shadows, though menacing, added to the mystery of the scene, and the howling wind created a haunting melody that seemed to echo across the distant miles.

The loneliness that pervaded the scene was almost palpable, but it also seemed a reminder of the beauty and fragility of life.

"Good evening, I hope I'm not intruding... I need your service." Said a man, his voice cracking.

Kansis, who was shuffling, was taken unawares. He almost fell off his seat, but quickly pulled himself together.

"Day and night, he is indifferent to the great plan of destiny... Now, dear customer, tell me what service you require." Kansis said, his voice hypnotic.

"Fortune... I want to find out my fortune. He said with a long sigh that was followed by a loud cough.

Kansis looked at him with slight contempt. He was bearded and showed slight signs of baldness. Although his clothes denoted considerable status, he was smelly and unkempt.

He decided to ignore these negative points of his appearance to concentrate on delivering his service.

"What is the reason for me to keep you in this state?". Kansis commented with a smile.

"What... What? Wh-who are you... perhaps... perhaps."

Before Kansis could try to remedy his words, the man changed his attitude in a 180° turn.

"Do you have any water?" he asked.

Kansis served him with a simple glass of water, which the man drank greedily.

"Thank you, my good man. Sorry for earlier, I needed it.... As for your question, I suppose it's personal, you know."

"By the way, he called me Kale." Kale finished in a battered manner.

"Your mood is strange, that's why we will approach the service with meditation," Kansis said honestly.

Although he recognized that he had to mediate his words responsibly, his response was natural.

"Sure, sure... Just tell me what to do." Kale said.

"Allow me control and just follow my words," Kansis said with a low breath.

Kale just nodded suspiciously.

"Relax your shoulders, steady and prolonged breathing... Relax your body in general... Calm your thoughts... Call for serenity." Kansis repeated constantly, his voice like an overflowing illusion.

"Collect your thoughts into one, the nothingness... Nothingness... Nothingness... Nothingness..."

Suddenly, a vibrating sound spread through the room. Interrupting the silence, it overflowed from the cloak, concentrating on Kale's figure.

'With control, there is no barrier.' Kansis chanted mentally.

Kansis' consciousness was quickly drawn back. Falling into an endless vortex, dizziness was his mildest symptom.

His head was spinning, without direction or orientation, trapped in a cold and desolate space, his mind churning with thoughts of engulfment and confusion.

The air reeked of rotting water and the walls seemed to close in on him at every turn. Looking around, he saw signs of a struggle, dents, and scratches on the walls.

A bloody weapon lay on the floor. A short-handled axe.

His head was spinning and his steps were discordant. His limbs were cold and his mouth was parched.

Panic seized him, but it was not a symptom of a solution.

His mind was extremely confused, and realizing that he was trapped in a strange scene, his first thought was to flee.

The signs of a struggle were evident and the bloody weapon seemed to confirm his worst fears. But why was he here, and how had he got here?

As he crawled between the walls with extreme difficulty, he tried to piece together the events that had led him to this place.

But he noticed something strange. Water that had once overflowed and rotted was now slowly dripping from the ceiling as if it had been recently removed. The dents and scratches on the walls seemed to follow a pattern, almost as if they were trying to convey a message.

With a growing sense of unease, Kansis realized that he was not alone in the space. A sense of unease and bewilderment drove him.

There was someone else here, someone who had left those signs and was now watching him. But who, and what did they want?

As he crawled limply across the blood-covered walls, Kansis couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped in a nightmare.

The cold, desolate space seemed to close in on him, and the signs of fighting and bloodshed seemed to taunt him. But he knew he had to keep searching for the truth, however difficult it might be.

Finally through his determination, which drove his feeble figure to crawl through the grime pitifully; he discovered a hidden doorway that led to a world outside the illusory space.

And as he stepped through it, he realized that the nightmare was over. The cold, dark room had come to an end.

But the memories haunted him back to reality. With bated breath, he limped out of his tent to the outside.

His lungs strained to the extreme, taking in great gulps of air. Like an endless well, they could not sustain his need.

Suddenly he received a solid punch to his right cheek that knocked him down instantly. The grass kissed the bruise on his face, dirt littering his clothes.

He spun around on the ground, limply trying to observe his assailant. But he only saw a figure retreating into the distance.

Like a beast it was fleeing without direction, usually falling because of its movements in disagreement.

Kansis only managed to restrain his chest with his hands. His breathing was labored, to the point where he could ignore the pain of the blow.

'I hope this crazy fucker hits that motherfucker's ass'. Kansis thought, wishing his "employer" ill.