“Get up!”

“He’s already here! You need to change quickly—don’t make him wait!” shouted Iris, banging on the door like her life depended on it.

“All right, all right, calm down. I’m already awake. I’ll be down in five,” Lance called back, dragging himself out of bed.

He darted to the bathroom, washed up, and threw on a crisp white shirt and black jeans. As he combed his golden hair, he stared into the mirror, meeting the reflection of his eyes—gray as gravel, and just as cold. With a final brush of his hair, he slid on his worn leather boots and grabbed the luggage he had packed the night before.

With one last glance around his small, suffocating room, he stepped out, suitcase in hand, and headed downstairs.

Lance had been living in the orphanage since he was six. His parents had vanished without a trace during a visit to a traveling carnival—one he refused to attend because of his fear of clowns. But they weren’t the only ones. Nearly 400 people disappeared that same night.

The police launched an investigation, but it went nowhere. The carnival organizer disappeared too, leaving behind no clues. No suspects. No bodies. Nothing. Only those whodidn’tpay for the clown performance made it back.

Rumors ran wild: human trafficking, cult activity, even supernatural theories. But no evidence ever surfaced. Over time, the mystery solidified into legend—one of the seven strangest unsolved cases in the city ofVraxen, now collectively known as“The 7 Odds.”

Lance stopped outsideMadame Hela’soffice.

She was the manager of the orphanage, butmanagerwas a generous title. The place was founded by her father—a kind man, beloved by the children—but the moment she took over, everything crumbled.

Rooms that once housed two kids were stuffed with four, sometimes six. No one under 18 was allowed their own room. She restocked everything—food, toiletries, even blankets—from the cheapest vendors she could find. It could take days of begging just to get shampoo.

Despite the awful memories, Lance found himself smiling.

Today was the day he would finally leave. A couple had chosen him—him—to be their son.

Straightening his back, Lance grasped the cold handle of Hela’s door.

He stepped forward, not just into her office...

…but into the next chapter of his life.

(And what a horrid life awaits him.)