She could still faintly hear the noise and laughter of the circus. Her eyes were still adjusting to the darkness of the pitch-black room. Karin Forman groped along the wall in front of her, and her palm touched a recessed mechanism. She gently pressed the mechanism, and with a soft scraping sound of stone grinding, a hidden compartment behind the wall gradually appeared, revealing a pattern of a 'crown of thorns' before her eyes.

The girl, who had secretly sneaked back to the bustling circus, was now experiencing a heart-pounding frenzy. She recalled the last time she had seen Todd through the window of the laboratory in Muxi Town three nights ago. Todd, with his dark circles and bloodshot eyes, was busy with his experiments, racing against death with the last moments of his life, while she could only watch helplessly from the sidelines.

From the collar of her dress, Karin pulled out a piece of translucent crystal and held it tightly in her hand.

It's only been two months since I met Todd.

Karin believes that the main reason she left the circus and chose to be with him was because of her own preferences and nature.

Her long life in the circus instilled in her a love of freedom and independence; she craved individuality and was drawn to new and unusual things. Even as a child, she fantasized that beneath the gray and dreary sky lay a colorful and dreamlike space. A chance visit to a laboratory at the age of 15 opened her eyes to a completely new world, a world no one had ever told her about. For Karin, who had been immersed in a dull and uninteresting daily life, this was a completely different experience and a tempting opportunity.

She eventually gave up her familiar life and went to live with an unassuming but learned monk.

In the beginning, Karin spent her time with Todd with a playful and lively attitude, never thinking about the future. It wasn't until they arrived on Waiheke Island and exchanged their powers that she truly accepted and trusted this boy who was the same age as her but seemed exceptionally mature and experienced.

When Todd was arrested, she had every opportunity to escape unscathed and avoid risking joining the rescue plan. However, for some reason, she readily agreed and even volunteered for the most dangerous arson mission. When the mission failed, and she was captured and imprisoned in the cathedral where her gender was revealed, Todd's declaration of shared fate completely shattered her defenses.

Slowly walking into the dark room of the circus, Karin looked at the 'Crown of Thorns' before her and chuckled softly. Looking back now, she realized she had indeed been causing him trouble the whole time.

During experiments, I always bothered him with various questions; in daily life, I always pestered him to play together; in the battle of Watchtower, I couldn't help at all and could only be a hindrance... If it were someone impatient and short-tempered, they probably would have driven me away long ago...

Now that Todd is in danger, I can finally do something to help him.

Finding a way to rescue him at the relief center of the downtown circus is Karin's only thought right now.

Karin took out a candle from her bosom, blew out the flame and lit it, then began searching around in the dark.

She searched every possible place—in cabinets, under the floor, on wooden shelves—leaving no suspicious spot unchecked. She knew that circus ringmasters generally didn't carry important items with them. The solution to rescuing the "Sutherland Heir" must lie somewhere in the room.

After searching in vain, she slowly raised her head and focused her gaze on the most conspicuous place in the room—the relief organization's symbol, the "Crown of Thorns."

Karin moved a chair over and placed it against the wall. She stepped onto it and was about to reach for the picture when a hoarse male voice sounded behind her.

"Black Sheep, you finally came back, and the first thing you do is steal things?"

Karin was startled. She got off the chair with her back to the door and slowly turned around. Standing in front of her was none other than the circus ringmaster, Hookbone, and a pair of twin girls who always stood beside him.

Throat Bone pulled a chair from the table, sat down, and looked at the girl's stubborn face, shaking his head helplessly: "Black Sheep, I've always had high hopes for you. The alien ability within you is like an uncut gem; with a little training, it will shine brightly. But your personality is truly a headache..."

The girl took a few steps forward, her eyes fixed on the man in front of her: "I need to know how to solve the mutation of the 'Sutherland Successor'!"

"Is it to save that 'God-blessed alchemist'?" The man with the throat bone chuckled, pulling a black cylinder from his robes and pointing it at the girl. "Is this the solution you're talking about?"

A pebble grazed past Throat Bone's ear from Karin's hand and flew towards the doorway of the dark room. Karin's figure first flashed above Throat Bone's head, reached out and took the cylinder, then once again attached herself to the stone and disappeared into the air.

The twin girls in red moved. They drew a strange shape with their hands and pushed them outwards, creating an invisible 'wall' that blocked the exit. Pebbles struck the 'wall,' producing a crisp knocking sound, and Karin fell to the ground. The other girl, dressed in blue, also made her move. She stretched her hands towards Karin, who, like a puppet on strings, stood up abruptly. Her eyes could still move, but the rest of her body was out of control, completely at her mercy.

"Black Sheep, you're always too hasty in your actions, never considering the consequences." The circus ringmaster seemed unconcerned about the recently lost item, saying to the girl, "What you took was my wine bottle..."

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