Chapter 80: Rigged Games And Rites of Passage

Kane’s face fell as he watched his perfect throw go astray.

Then, impossibly, the ring straightened mid-flight.

A faint shimmer of crimson energy—so subtle it could have been a trick of the late afternoon light—guided the plastic hoop directly onto the center bottle.

The booth operator’s jaw dropped.

"Well, I’ll be damned. Never seen anything like that."

Kane turned to stare at Cyrus, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back, expression perfectly neutral.

"Did you just—"

"The wind died down at the right moment." Cyrus’s voice carried no inflection whatsoever.

The booth operator handed Kane the enormous plush dragon, muttering about freak wind patterns and impossible shots.

Kane held the oversized plush dragon against Cyrus’s shoulder, studying both faces with exaggerated seriousness.

"You know what? On closer inspection, this doesn’t look like you at all."

Cyrus raised an eyebrow.

"It’s far too cute and cuddly." Kane grinned, squeezing the dragon’s soft belly. "You’re more hard and broody."

Kane tucked the plush dragon under his arm.

"Alright, mission accomplished, let’s go."

"Not quite." Cyrus’s gaze fixed on the booth beside them, where dozens of rubber ducks bobbed in a small kiddie pool.

A sign proclaimed: Pick the Lucky Duck—Win Amazing Prizes!

Kane followed his stare to the white plush fox hanging among the top-tier rewards.

"You want me to win you that fox?"

"I can manage myself."

Kane watched Cyrus approach the game operator, a teenager with purple hair who looked like she’d rather be anywhere else.

"Five dollars per round. Just pick a duck. If it’s got a star on the bottom, you win a prize from the top shelf."

Kane counted the ducks floating in the water. There were at least fifty of them, all identical yellow rubber. The odds were astronomical.

"This could take forever," Kane muttered, settling in for a long wait.

Cyrus handed over a crisp five-dollar bill and surveyed the pool with intensity.

His hand moved without hesitation, plucking a duck from the far corner.

The teenager flipped it over, revealing a bright red star.

"Holy—" She caught herself. "I mean, congratulations. That’s... actually really impressive."

Kane’s mouth fell open as the girl handed Cyrus the white fox plushie.

"How did you—"

"Lucky guess."

Kane shook his head, grinning despite himself.

"Sure, like that strange wind earlier."

Cyrus held the white fox plushie next to Kane’s face, tilting his head as if conducting a serious comparison.

"On closer inspection, the resemblance is much more striking."

"It is not." Kane stepped back, clutching his dragon tighter. "My ears aren’t that big."

Cyrus’s lips curved into the faintest smile.

Before Kane could protest further, Cyrus pressed the fox plushie into his free arm.

"Here you go."

Kane found himself holding both the dragon and fox, looking like he’d raided a toy store.

He couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation: a deadly dragon spirit and a Bureau investigator strolling through an amusement park with stuffed animals.

At that moment, a loud, unmistakable growl emanated from Kane’s stomach.

He clutched the plushies tighter, as if they could muffle the sound.

"What would you like to do next?" Cyrus asked, though Kane caught the slight tension around his eyes from their ride marathon.

"Well, I was thinking we could hit the Tornado Twister, then maybe the—"

Grrrrowl.

Kane’s stomach interrupted again, louder this time.

Cyrus’s shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. "Perhaps we should address that first."

"I’m fine. We can keep going."

"You’re practically vibrating from hunger." Cyrus glanced toward the food stalls lining the midway.

"Besides, I’ve never experienced... amusement park cuisine."

Kane perked up, momentarily forgetting his embarrassment. "Really? You’ve never had carnival food?"

"Oh, you’re missing out." Kane shifted the plushies to one arm and gestured enthusiastically. "There’s funnel cake, corn dogs, cotton candy, turkey legs the size of your head—"

"Turkey legs?"

"Giant, greasy, medieval-style turkey legs. They’re basically a rite of passage."

Cyrus looked simultaneously intrigued and horrified.

Kane led them through the crowded midway until he spotted a cart with a painted sign reading "Medieval Munchies."

The vendor, dressed in a questionable Renaissance costume, stood behind a display of enormous roasted turkey legs.

"Two, please," Kane announced, pulling out his wallet.

The vendor handed over two turkey legs that could have doubled as medieval weapons.

Kane immediately bit into his turkey leg, careful not to drop grease onto the two plushies.

"This is amazing."

Cyrus examined the massive drumstick with scientific precision before taking a careful bite. His eyebrows rose slightly.

"It’s... substantial."

"That’s the point. More is more when it comes to carnival food."

They wandered to a churro stand next, where Kane ordered a bag of cinnamon-sugar-dusted pastries.

He offered one to Cyrus, who bit into the crispy exterior.

"Acceptable," Cyrus admitted, though Kane caught him reaching for a second one.

Their final stop was the cotton candy vendor, where Kane insisted on bright blue spun sugar.

He tore off a piece and popped it into his mouth, watching it dissolve instantly.

"It’s just sugar that disappears the moment it hits your tongue," Kane explained, offering the cloud-like treat to Cyrus.

Cyrus touched a small piece to his tongue, immediately frowning as it vanished.

"This seems unnecessarily complicated. Why not simply eat sugar?"

"Because that would be boring." Kane grinned, sticky blue sugar coating his fingers.

Cyrus considered this, then carefully took another piece.

Kane glanced at the golden light filtering through the park.

His stomach, now heavy with turkey leg, churros, and cotton candy, sent up a warning signal.

"You know what?" He shifted the plushies to his other arm. "I think it’s the perfect time for the Ferris wheel."

Cyrus followed his gaze to the towering wheel slowly rotating against the amber sky.

"The sunset should be amazing from up there." Kane tried to keep his voice casual.

He would rather not admit that the thought of another spinning ride made his overstuffed stomach lurch.

Cyrus fell into step beside him, and Kane caught the slight relief in his expression.