The entire theater changed in just minutes after Zen arrived; the ground below them turned into stone, while the walls around them vanished into thin air. But the seats they were in remained. The crowd was confused, trying to figure out what was happening.
The sky was dim, filled with multiple stars, near the cliff side of a mountain. Below the cliff was a massive lake that stretched miles away—embracing the nearby lands that formed a circular shape. The view was mesmerizing.
Some were even worried, but after seeing Zen's carefree smile, they calmed down a bit. He transformed his wand into a mic, putting it inches away from his mouth before speaking:
"I had invited guests to show off their talents to people like you; Some being the recent hot shots! Some remain mysterious and new to the performing industry! I had divided this show into multiple acts, with each being a new guest! I'll be supporting them from behind, and for the last act, it will be my sole performance to everyone!" Zen exclaimed.
"Please relax yourselves! And enjoy the show..." He added before throwing his hat far into the atmosphere.
He had vanished once again, and as he did, rain started to pour from above, but not a single drop fell on them. There was an invisible dome-like structure that protected them from the rain, giving them a sense of calmness and coziness.
They all went to view the lake, each drop of rain creating a large splash.
There, they saw a woman walking over the water. Though she was far, they were able to see her clearly, as if they could adjust their eyesight however they pleased. The lady was dressed in heavy silk fabric; the clothing was so long looked like a tail.
The moon revealed itself through the crowd, gazing down on the performer, its light illuminating the whole lake, resembling a spotlight.
Under the lady's silk sleeve, she pulled out a sword. Not a designed sword, or a complicated sword, but a simple sword. The silk lady caressed the water around her, raising it gently off the surface. Water followed the sword, creating a trail of water that absorbed and stopped the rain around her.
She spun around, hopping with each step; elegance was a word that couldn't describe her movement. Everyone had their eyes on her, absorbing her movements and the view.
The lake from which she stood was the supporting background, while the actress was the main gaze of the painting. The land and the moon were painted perfectly, the colors complemented each other, making her look so ethereal.
Soft music started to play; violins and piano were the final touch to create a surreal setting for the crowd.
The water around her began to follow her movements, and not just her blade. A large portion of the water rose from the lake. The rain stopped mid-air, the tiny droplets floating around the atmosphere.
She danced around all over the lake; both her footwork and handwork got the crowd fixated on her. She flung her arm and blade upwards, making the water shoot up like a geyser. The tiny droplets that were originally frozen mid-air began to gather above the geyser.
The geyser dropped down, and at its peak of it was revealed to be the performer. Her back was parallel to the ground, while her front faced the large portion of water. The water above her began to form into a large bud, blooming into a large flower, before shattering itself into tiny pieces of glittering ice.
She fell like a feather, landing on her toes, creating a soft wave that continued to the edge of the lake. She sheathed her sword under her sleeve.
She knelt on both knees, her posture straight while staring at the crowd above. She tucked her hands under her sleeves and bowed her head.
With that... The first act was finished.
The theater around them changed to its original form, curtains blocking the sliding to the middle, making the lady in silk fade away.
Rocky's eyes sparkled with awe; he had never seen a sword dance that could compare to hers. And it wasn't only he who had the same expression, but the theater's entirety. They all wanted to clap and cheer right away, but in respect of the play as a whole and interrupting its rhythm, they held themselves back.
The rumors were true—the plays held within the grand theater are nothing short of breathtaking. He had understood why even a single ticket cost an entire fortune. But they weren't near climax yet; it was only the first act—the introduction. Many more will be presented until the climax—Zen's performance.
Rocky was filled with anticipation; just that one act was already enough to get him excited. He couldn't be more grateful than this.
***
Four more acts later, the show was on fire. The savories of each one were different in their own way; some were calm and beautiful, while others were flashy and powerful. But they all have one thing in common: they were all beautiful in their own ways.
The show was like a single story with different perspectives, interlinking one another. But now, it was the main course... Every performance had led to this one single one... The author of entertainment, the artist of performance, and the greatest performer to ever live.
It was Zen's act, the sixth act.
They all directed their gazes to the stage, awaiting his entrance. The curtains opened, parting in the middle, revealing the man himself.
His attire was entirely different now. His wand turned into a cane, his suit turned to something formal but magical. His uniform elongated to his knees. And with only his hat getting spared from change. His blue eyes resonated with the place, giving a sense of authority and fantasy.
Zen tapped his cane once on the floor, making the whole theater stutter. He tapped it once again, the vibrations more violent than the last, and then finally... He tapped it the third time, and everything disappeared: the chairs, the floor, the theater, and even colors.
The entire space was blank—except for themselves and Zen himself. Most of the crowd was confused, taking in the surroundings, but there were no surroundings, only people.
They directed their gazes toward Zen, before he smiled once more. He tapped the floor once more, and the entire place turned dark. A singular light circled Zen before tiny bright dots started to appear, and they were suddenly hovering.
Zen flew through the space. He gestured to follow him, and so they did. More dots appeared; that's when they realized they were in space. Some kids tried to wander off, but before they could, Zen would personally get them and gently drag them to their guardians or parents, then pat them on the head right after.
Whole planets began to construct themselves beside them, along with stars exploding, creating a supernova. They all witnessed it as they followed Zen. They kept flying until they reached the planet they were originally in.
Zen then flew into the atmosphere with the crowd, flying straight toward the grand theater at great speeds. They passed through the wall and made their way to their original seating. From there, he flicked his hand, removing the roof, then turning noon to midnight in seconds.
Next, he took one of the stars and grabbed it with his fingers, placing it at the center of the stage. The hue of the star kept shifting, spreading outward like a river above the crowd. Rocky stuck out his hand to feel the energy, and as he did, a slight hum was heard.
His hand felt warm, his body felt like it was in a surge of power filled with pure mana. Zen clapped his hands together, separating them to reveal a hologram of the planet.
Zen then clawed the top of the hologram. The whole planet shook slightly, and they raised their heads to see a large humanoid creature above; its features too far to see, but they knew who it was—Zen himself.
The walls collapsed, and they saw his large fingers from the horizon, but they hadn't damaged any of the booths or crushed anyone; they all just passed through his fingertips as if they saw nothing.
He split the hologram in two; the whole planet began to shake violently. They all held their chairs tightly until it stopped. They saw Zen in the middle of two holograms—The planets. They saw the replica from the sky. They stared at it, and the replica began to grow large trunks around itself.
Covering the whole world with wood.
The roof and walls began to rebuild themselves; the other performers of each act entered the stage, bowing simultaneously. All their alarms rang off at the same time. One hour had passed, and the show was over.
Cheers and applause echoed through the theater. Once again, Zen had broken his audience's expectations.
***
Rocky left the theater with his parents. He raised his toward the sky, and there he saw the replica. His eyes widened, making sense of the situation. What Zen did wasn't just an illusion... It was real. Whatever he felt inside the theater... was real.
The real twist of the entire show wasn't its performance, but how great his talents are affected not only their minds but reality as well. He was no regular magician, Rocky knew that, but to this extent, it only made it more unbelievable.
Many of the people who watched the show realized this as well. Everyone was in shock, not just him. Rocky's eyes sparkled with admiration. That's when Zen appeared before the crowd, popping out of thin air; following his sudden appearance were the other performers revealed themselves as well.
They all gathered around the performers. Rocky squeezed himself through the crowd to get to the front.
"Thank you all for coming to my performance! My gratitude to you all! I'd also like to thank the other performers for accepting my invitation to perform on the stage!" Zen exclaimed.
"We all decided to have a meet and greet with you all!"
Many children gathered around Zen; He played with them using his tricks. He even made one float in the air for a couple of minutes.
The other performers were busy as well, either chatting or getting compliments from strangers. Zen spotted Rocky staring at the other performers, but wasn't trying to get close with any of them. He smiled warmly before he walked forward to Rocky.
"How was the show? Did you like it?"
Rocky nodded aggressively in agreement, "Yes! Very much! I have never seen a clown just like you before!"
Everyone's eyes widened, and the crowd around them instantly went silent. Even Zen himself was shocked by what he said. But in response, Zen only laughed amusingly. Rocky couldn't tell the difference between a magician and a clown; he was confused about why everyone was silent except for Zen.
"It's been so long since I laughed this hard... Listen." Zen said while patting his head.
"There are differences between a magician and a clown; A clown is a person who fools himself in front of others for the sake of entertainment, while a magician makes a fool of others and uses their confusion as a way to entertain them. But..."
Zen picked Rocky up on his shoulder before adding, "Their goal will always be the same, and that is to make people laugh and smile. Even if they are different, they are still people who have passion. And that's all that matters..."
"So rocky... What is your passion?"
"How do you know my name?"
"A magician should never tell his secrets, for they are his lifeline. So... what is it?"
"Well, before I didn't really have a passion... But after seeing your performance, it made me wonder if I could do that too."
"So you wanna be like me?"
Rocky nodded his head once again.
"Then I'll be waiting for you here, and when you do, I'll be your first audience."
"How could you tell that I'll be able to get here? Only the best of the best get approved to perform here."
"Oh, I know... Because you met... 'Him'"
Rocky tilted his head in confusion.
"The person from the purple tent, he only meets important people! I even met him once..."
They continued to chat for a few minutes and played together—before he had to leave. Zen waved him goodbye. After the crowd settled, he went inside the entrance of the grand theater. Awaiting him was the lady in silk.
"Why did you give most of your attention to that child?"
Zen's expression dropped; he leaned on the wall beside the lady while holding his own hand.
"While meeting the 'teller' makes you an important person, there are consequences that he holds. So I wanted to make this moment better for him. Even if it's just a few minutes."
"... Who's the teller?"
***
It had been a long day, and it was time for them to leave. Rocky slept on his father's back while he carried him; they entered the portal and made it back to the Fiond kingdom. Time in the kingdom and Carnival were separate, so it was currently night.
They walked for hours until they finally reached their apartment.
His father placed him on his bed, tucking him gently, and observed him quietly. A knock then greeted them; His father stood up from Rocky's bed and went to the door. Rocky woke up from his nap—They had returned, but it seemed that he had just arrived.
He stood up from his bed and walked to the living room; he felt thirsty and wanted some water. He still recalled the time when he played with Zen on his way. He took a glance at the door to see the walls painted red. He took a closer look and saw both his parents dead.
Beside them was a man in a suit. His blond hair looked highlighted behind the blood of his parents; his eyes flared with fear as he realized the situation.
The man turned around, meeting the boy's gaze. Rocky saw his name tag on his chest: "Fallon Anderson".
Anderson sighed and walked toward Rocky. He knelt and patted his shoulder, the crimson liquid tainting his shirt. He leaned close next to Rocky's ear and said:
"You'll understand one day..."
Anderson went to the bathroom and washed his hands. Rocky shivered at the sight of his parents corpses—He heard glass shattering inside the bathroom. Anderson excused himself and exited the apartment.
Rocky limped his way toward the bathroom and took a look at himself in the mirror. He cried as he saw his uncanny reflection.
***
Rocky washed his hands one more time and took a look at his reflection. He put on his hat before leaving the bathroom to meet his guests.