"Thank you, sir," she said. Suddenly, darkness engulfed the place, and all the lights focused on the stage. The audience eagerly waited for the show to begin.


    The curtain rose to reveal a strange figure, as if it were unreal. It was a uniform shade of gray, its body, clothes, and everything. It said, "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen... Today... you will see the best show ever."


    Suddenly, the man disappeared and a strange girl appeared. She was a small girl, about the same size as Zero. She was wearing somewhat tattered clothes, had ordinary skin, green eyes, and silky black hair.


    The girl moved her hands in a strange way, as if she were manipulating puppets. Suddenly, smoke gathered between her hands, forming dolls of people from the smoke. They sat on chairs made of smoke, holding ethereal, unreal musical instruments.


    The girl stepped forward, and began to move her hands rhythmically. The dolls began to play the instruments.


    ''Wow... this girl is amazing,'' Zero said admiringly.


    Suddenly, other lights illuminated a small platform on which stood another girl. She had pale blond hair, wore somewhat tattered clothes, had fair skin, and eyes of a transparent blue color.


    The bandleader changed the piece, and the other girl began to sing. Her voice was like a dream, captivating everyone in the room.


    ''.... Wow.... Wonderful.... (Smiling).... Her voice is beautiful... I''ve never heard anything like this song before...''


    Zero looked to the right and left to find the audience frozen in place, "Strange..." she finished watching, focusing on the bandleader, then turned directly towards her. Suddenly, the girl looked at Zero in a strange way, staring at her suspiciously.


    ''Huh... what''s wrong with that girl?'' Zero wondered.


    The bandleader turned to the singer and shook her head, and the two girls stopped playing and singing.


    They began another song and music, the singer''s voice was sweet, making Zero sink into her depths, as if her consciousness had been drawn from her body. This presence delighted the audience, as if it were the first time the audience had heard this song.


    The bandleader began to look at the audience intently, finding no one moving, so she began to gradually reduce the piece until silence reigned.


    None of the audience clapped at all, and the musical band disappeared.


    Zero was lost in thought, not moving a muscle. She was as if she were a still statue, and the expression on her face was strange, as if she were hypnotized.


    The bandleader looked to the right and left, then looked at the singer, and pointed her finger towards the wings.


    The singer nodded and tried to get down from the platform towards the bandleader.


    ''Slowly and carefully... be strong,'' the bandleader said to herself.


    Meanwhile, the crystal ball in Zero''s wand glowed brightly, and her eyes regained their luster, as if she had awakened.


    ''Huh... what happened... what happened... did the show stop?'' Zero said to herself, then raised her head to find the singer trying to get down without making any noise.


    ''Is this part of the show..?'' Zero wondered to herself.


    Zero turned towards the deformed man, and was surprised to find a wooden doll on his lap. It was pale, with a head of curly hair, wooden hands with sharp iron nails, and was wearing a torn white dress.


    Zero felt a shiver, she didn''t like the presence of that doll.


    A strange feeling crept into Zero''s heart, so she turned towards the stage, and caught a glimpse of two small people lowering the curtains, ''I''ve had enough... I''m going out.''


    Zero jumped off the chair, making a loud noise, and the bandleader turned towards her.


    "What did you do?" the bandleader said angrily.


    Zero didn''t understand what was going on, and found something strange rushing towards the singer. The doll showed its sharp claws, directed towards the singer.


    "Impossible," the bandleader said in shock.


    The singer raised her head, and found the doll coming towards her, mumbling, "Victim number one hundred," she froze in fear, and fell to the ground.


    ''It''s... over,'' the singer said, and hope had vanished.


    "No," Zero screamed, Zero felt a strange feeling at that moment, she had realized something important, and time suddenly stopped in front of her.


    "Huh... no... not again," Zero said fearfully.


    And her evil twin appeared. "Zero... look... it''s all because of you."


    Zero turned towards her slowly, and cold sweat was on her face.


    "You...?," Zero said with a shiver.


    "You''re the reason... what will happen... do you think humanity is still in the hearts of these monsters?"The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "What do you mean?... What do you mean?" Zero asked fearfully and puzzled.


    "Zero... haven''t you realized yet?... Haven''t you understood?... Remember what you heard."


    Zero didn''t understand what the strange girl meant, so she shook her head slowly, "I don''t understand... what do you mean?"


    The girl approached her, and muttered to her, at that moment, something moved inside Zero.


    ***


    "Is this... what you mean... by everything?" At that moment, Zero rushed to block the doll''s blow.


    The singer raised her head, and shock was evident on her face.


    "Run... now," Zero said as she resisted the doll.


    The girl got to her feet, and began to run towards the wings.


    The doll turned towards the girl, so she retreated backwards, and rushed towards her with force, passing Zero.


    Suddenly, smoke appeared in a thick form, and the bandleader grabbed the singer''s hand, pulling her towards the wings.


    "I''m counting on you," the bandleader said, and the two girls disappeared from sight.


    The doll couldn''t spot the girls, only finding Zero behind it, pointing her wand. She stabbed the doll with the lower part of it. Zero glimpsed something inside the doll, but it slipped from her grasp.


    The smoke disappeared, revealing Zero and the doll on the stage. The audience was surprised.


    "What''s going on?"


    "What happened to the show?"


    "Where are the girls?"


    "Is the show over?"


    Zero didn''t know what to do, and found the doll coming towards her. Zero parried with her wand.


    The doll tried to hit Zero, but couldn''t. Zero kept hitting it on its extremities, until it finally shattered into pieces. Zero put her hand into the doll''s back, pulling out something shiny, like a crystal.


    Zero turned to the audience, who were cheering loudly for her, except for that person who had helped her, as if he were looking at her with a look of anger and hatred. Zero felt a chill, and bowed so that the curtains would finally be lowered.


    Zero turned to the left and found two children in identical tattered clothes coming down the stairs, one with curly black hair and dark skin, and the other with ordinary skin and brown hair. Neither of them noticed Zero.


    *********


    "Hurry up... we have to catch up with them," said the brown-haired one, heading towards the wings.


    "Hey... wait..."


    ********


    "Huh... where are they going?... Never mind... but... why did the wand draw me to this place... is Regret here...?"


    At that moment, Zero couldn''t find the line.


    "Huh... this is strange... did I take the wrong path (looked towards the wings)... I should follow them now."


    Zero followed the boys, finding them in a room full of tattered boxes. The dust was so thick it was suffocating, but Zero refrained from coughing so as not to reveal herself. They were at a closed door.


    The brown-haired one put his hands on top of each other and the other climbed on top of him, so the curly-haired one grabbed the handle and opened the door.


    The brown-haired one took out a strange-looking device, resembling a smaller wireless communication device.


    "Did you reach the lake?" the boy said, speaking into the device.


    ° We arrived... but Moan is feeling dizzy... hurry up. °


    "Okay... (closed the line) ..... Lost... we have to hurry."


    "But... shouldn''t we cooperate with that girl, End?"


    "No time for that... Do you want to become dinner for that manager?"


    *****


    Zero was listening to the boys, hidden behind the boxes.


    "Huh... the manager?" Zero wondered.


    *******


    "But she helped us and Moan." Lost said.


    "Didn''t you see how nice the manager was to that girl?... Maybe this is a trick from him... We have to hurry."


    The boys headed towards the forest, it took them a quarter of an hour to see the lake, and the girls on the boat, waiting for them, and they found Moan lying on Rêve''s lap, in pain and sweating.


    The boys boarded the boat.


    "Is Moan okay?" Lost asked worriedly.


    "Her condition has worsened... I don''t know what to do."


    "We have to leave now... if we want to save Moan and ourselves."


    "Wait... where is that girl?" Rêve asked, looking around.


    "I told End to wait for her... but he..."


    "It''s just a trap..." End said, holding a stick.


    "We have to wait for her," Rêve said angrily.


    "Foolish... we have to hurry if you want to save Moan."


    *******


    Zero followed these two until she reached it herself. She held her wand and repeated the word ''Regret'', hoping it would lead her to Lily, but the line didn''t appear.


    ''Huh... the line didn''t appear now either... why?''


    Zero saw the children getting into the boat, and Zero rushed towards them, emerging from the forest.


    "Wait for me... don''t go," Zero said as she ran as fast as she could.


    The children turned towards her, except for the singer who was severely dizzy.


    "Wait... isn''t that the girl?" Rêve said.


    "Hurry up, Lost... let''s leave her... it''s just a trick from the manager," End said.


    "No, End... she helped us escape... we have to help her... < Come on... hurry up >," Rêve said, calling to Zero.


    *******


    Zero reached the boat.


    "Come on... get in." Lost extended his hand to help her aboard.


    "I hope you haven''t tricked us, my friends ." End said maliciously.


    "End... stop," Rêve said, scolding End.


    ''This is your malice,'' Zero said to herself.


    Suddenly, Moan began to hurt more than before,


    "Moan....... please... hang in there," Rêve said, trying to calm her down.


    Suddenly, the children heard a strange sound coming from the forest, the children turned towards the source.


    "Looks like we''re late," End said.


    Suddenly, many identical wooden dolls came out of the forest, Zero was shocked.


    "Let''s row quickly... huh... what''s wrong with you?" Zero turned to them, and found them motionless.


    "There''s no hope... it''s over." , End said, staring at her intensely.