Jeremy-Burner

The sun was setting over Tokyo as Light Yagami walked into the task force meeting room, wearing the confident smile of a man in control. Kira had been unstoppable for months. Criminals all over the world were dropping dead at his command, and no one had come close to catching him. Light had grown accustomed to the police’s incompetence. His father, Soichiro Yagami, had tirelessly tried to stop Kira, but nothing worked. Today, however, there was an unusual tension in the air. As Light entered the room, he noticed a stranger seated at the far end of the table. He was older, maybe in his late fifties, with a wrinkled beige trench coat that looked like it hadn’t been washed in weeks. The man seemed out of place, fiddling absentmindedly with the cigar in his hand, and muttering something about the room temperature. "Ah, Light, you're here," Soichiro said, gesturing toward the man. "This is Lieutenant Columbo. He’s been asked to join the task force on recommendation from the Americans.

Chapter 1 The crackle of the intercom always had an edge of static, like the ship was straining to hold itself together. "Flag wants a report, Cane," a voice said through the comm, pulling me from my thoughts. The planet below spun slowly in the viewport, a dead orb wrapped in clouds. No human life down there now. At least, none we'd found. I straightened my jacket, trying not to wince as my arm protested. A dull ache, like a knife's edge just below the skin, reminded me that we barely made it off the planet. The thing we killed? It hadn’t gone down easy. One of the engineers made a joke about me having the scratch marks to prove it, but nobody was laughing at the time. Sergeant Flag—Emily’s father—stood near the console when I entered the command deck. His back was turned, broad and square as always, the lines of his uniform sharp, a holdover from his old-school military discipline. Two other officers, their faces tight with concern, were hunched over a holographic map of the

(The Black Candy Circus) There was a loud crash followed by a woman's scream. The sound of breaking glass was muted by the rain and roar of thunder outside, but it had been close enough to be unmistakable. Without thinking, I dropped the meat bucket and ran toward the noise. Had it come from the ringleader's trailer? As I drew closer to the tent's exit, something inside me told me I was running in the wrong direction. That it was dangerous. Overcome with curiosity, I pressed on and stepped out into the pouring rain. If only I had known what awaited me outside. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end when I saw her. The ringleader stood proud and tall over her prey, a whip trailing from her hand. The man before her tried to rise up from the ground. His cloths were soaked, and his arms and face were a patchwork of scraps and cuts. Judging from the gaping hole in the ringleader's window, it was obvious that the man had somehow been thrown through it. That's when I noticed the

Applause reverberated around me, but I tried to block it out. It was sickening. As my eyes met Gabe’s, his pain was like an open wound. His roars were so completely unhuman, so full of anger. Even from the stands, I could see the tears soaking his fur. My heart clenched with a mix of disbelief and horror, watching my once-human brother transformed into a magnificent yet tortured beast. The crowd marveled at the spectacle, ignorant to the tragedy beneath the surface. Each leap and snarl fueled the nightmare. As I sat amidst the audience, I felt overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness. With rage coursing through me, my eyes drifted towards Candy. She was draped in the same attire I had seen on our first day. In fact, she was a splitting image of her earlier appearance, with not a hair out of place. However, unlike before, she was laughing as she accepted praises and applause. Once again, I vowed to set him free. Even with the throes of people separating us, my brother's humiliation

I ran as fast as my feet could carry me. My surroundings blurred as I ran past cages and tents, tears streaming down my face. Desperate, I clutched at the cross my mother gave me. I felt its cold touch against my warm hand as I uttered the prayer like a mantra, “Though I walk through the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil.” Eventually, the surrounding darkness gave way to the main tent. Inside the tent, an eerie silence hung in the air, the only sound being the soft, haunting notes of a violin playing on its own. The air was thick with the scent of aging velvet and wax, and the ground was covered in a carpet of deep, crimson red, threadbare, and frayed at the edges. I tried to think, tried to remember the way out. My mind was a storm of emotions that refused to clear – grief at my brother’s agonizing state, guilt for the consequence of my stubbornness, and, surprisingly, joy for having been able to see him again. As these feelings built up abruptly, my left hand started

(You have reached the end. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Thank you for reading) The driver’s side door opened, and the smell of gasoline and warm asphalt wafted into the vehicle. A full grocery bag hung from Steven’s free arm as he climbed inside before shutting the door behind him. “We all ready to go?” he asked, placing the bag in his lap. “You get my apples?” Gabe asked, poking his head out from between the two front seats. Whiskers twitching with excitement. Steven responded by reaching into the bag and pulling out two large green apples. “Yes!” He cheered, snatching both treats before vanishing into the back seat. Turning, I watched as he struggled to make himself comfortable. Despite how big Dad’s old truck was, Gabe’s enormous body made the vehicle feel small and cramped by comparison. Once seated, he snarfed down the first apple like he hadn’t eaten in days. Earlier, the same fate had befallen ten burgers. He was like a bottomless pit. “Get anything for

The last thing I remembered was running. Rachel had fallen, and the monster circus tent was chasing us. Then suddenly, darkness. It was all around me, choking and suffocating me. In the darkness, a voice I recognized whispered to me. “Not much left of him, is there?” The words of the ringleader echoed back to me. I still remembered how it had felt when the beast tamer ran from me. The thrill as I gave chase and closed in. Even before then, when he was helpless on the stable floor. I hadn’t even tried to fight it. Worse, I had tried to convince myself he deserved it. I knew she was right. Had known the truth for a while. Soon, there would be nothing left. Soon, Gabriel would just be the name of a dumb animal. For hours, I struggled with the darkness. It clung to my skin like writhing tentacles made of tar. I pulled and thrashed and bit until all thought and reason abandoned me. An eternity of blind torment passed when, finally, without warning, it peeled away. I emerged from