Aaron's head was spinning. Literally. The world of Nostoria felt like someone had thrown a bucket of bad CGI onto a medieval setting, blending archaic buildings with awkward modern touches. And this glowing man, standing way too close to him with a grin that screamed "scammer," was definitely not helping the situation.
"Okay, okay," Aaron said, holding up his hands. "Let me get this straight. You're telling me I've been 'chosen' to—what? Revolutionize your entertainment industry? Because I'm 'lucky'?"
The man, who introduced himself as Tobias, simply nodded, his eyes wide with anticipation as if he'd just handed Aaron the golden ticket to everything.
"Yes, precisely! Your luck is no ordinary gift, you see. It can bend the rules of chance, twist fate in ways unimaginable. And with your knowledge of this… 'entertainment' from your world, you could be the spark that changes everything here!"
Aaron blinked. Once. Twice.
"Uh-huh. And what happens if this 'luck' of mine works like it usually does? You know, blowing up in my face. Like the time I tried to audition for a talent show, and instead of singing, I tripped over the microphone cord and took out half the stage lighting."
Tobias laughed, patting Aaron on the back like they were best buddies now. "Ah, but that's the beauty of it! Your luck might lead you into chaos, but it will always come through when it matters most. Trust me, Aaron. You are destined for greatness."
Greatness. Yeah, sure. Aaron had heard that one before. Right before he got fired from the office job where he "accidentally" sent the CEO's memo into the spam folder of the entire company. Greatness, indeed.
With a resigned sigh, Aaron surveyed his surroundings. This place was surreal. The buildings were cobbled together like someone had played Jenga with bricks and beams. People walked around in what could only be described as medieval costumes, but every now and then, he spotted someone using a crude version of a microphone or adjusting a camera that looked like it was made from scrap metal.
"Okay, say I buy into this whole thing. Where do I start? How does one become the Nostorian Steven Spielberg?"
Tobias's face lit up. "I'm so glad you asked! The first thing you'll need is a team. A visionary always needs people who can help him bring his ideas to life."
"Right. A team. Of course." Aaron could already feel the impending disaster.
As they walked through the bustling streets, Aaron tried to wrap his head around the situation. A team? He didn't even have friends, let alone people willing to work for him. Except for maybe that one guy who always gave him free pizza when his order got messed up. Well, it's not like things could get worse...
Just as Aaron was pondering his complete lack of leadership skills, Tobias waved to a small crowd gathered around a stage in the middle of the square.
"Here's a perfect example!" Tobias said enthusiastically. "Let's see what you think of our local talent."
Aaron followed reluctantly, finding a ragtag group of performers attempting to put on a… what even was this? A play? A musical? Either way, it was bad. No, not just bad. It was horrendous.
The actors stood stiffly on stage, reciting lines like they were reading from a cue card for the first time. The lead singer—a girl with a decent voice, but no energy—looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.
Aaron cringed as he watched, feeling a familiar itch in the back of his mind. I could fix this, he thought. If only they had a better script, some real music… lighting that didn't look like it was powered by candles. He could feel his brain buzzing with ideas, but he shoved them aside. This wasn't his problem. He wasn't here to save the day.
Then, he heard a voice.
"See anything you like, stranger?"
Aaron turned to see a girl standing beside him. She had an air of determination about her, though her expression showed she was well aware of how tragic the performance was. Her dark hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, and she wore a simple outfit that looked like a mix between a stage costume and streetwear.
"I wouldn't say 'like,'" Aaron replied, his trademark sarcasm slipping through. "But I definitely see room for improvement. Lots of improvement. Like, tearing down the whole thing and starting over."
The girl raised an eyebrow, clearly unamused. "You're not wrong. This is pretty much the best Nostoria has to offer in terms of entertainment right now."
"Well, that's depressing."
The girl folded her arms, watching the performance with a resigned sigh. "I'm Lina, by the way. I sing with this group… when I'm not completely embarrassed by them."
Aaron shot her a look. "If this is the best you guys have, then why are you still doing it?"
Lina shrugged. "Because there's nothing better. No one's got the vision to make it better. No one… except maybe you?"
Aaron blinked. "Wait, what? You don't even know me. How can you be so sure I've got 'vision'? I barely know what I'm doing most of the time."
Lina smirked. "I don't know you. But I saw the way you looked at this mess. You saw what it could be. Not just what it is. That's more than most people here can do."
Great, Aaron thought. I'm Nostoria's last hope for decent entertainment. How did I get into this mess?
Before he could come up with a sarcastic retort, Tobias clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! Aaron, this is your first opportunity to make a difference! Help Lina and her group. Show them what true entertainment can be!"
Aaron glanced at Lina. She seemed genuinely interested, like maybe she believed he could actually do something. A flicker of hope passed through his mind, but it was quickly squashed by a wave of doubt. This was bound to blow up in his face. His luck didn't work like that. Sure, maybe he'd manage to fix one thing, but knowing his track record, something else would probably explode. Maybe literally.
"Alright," Aaron said reluctantly. "I'll help. But don't expect a miracle. My luck doesn't really do… smooth transitions."
Two hours later, Aaron found himself sitting on the edge of a rickety stage, surrounded by Lina's troupe of awkward performers. He wasn't sure what he had agreed to, but now he was knee-deep in it. They were all staring at him, waiting for him to say something brilliant.
"Okay, so…" he started, running a hand through his hair. "The first thing we need to do is figure out what kind of performance this is supposed to be. A play? A musical? Whatever it is, you guys need energy. Like, real energy. You look like zombies up there."
One of the actors, a tall guy with a nervous twitch, raised his hand. "But… we don't have the equipment or the resources to do anything flashy."
"Yeah, well, neither did Broadway when it started," Aaron muttered under his breath. "Look, we don't need fancy equipment. We just need to be creative. You've got a voice," he said, pointing at Lina. "Use it. Project. You've got talent, but you're hiding it behind whatever this… lethargy is."
Lina blinked, clearly surprised by the direct compliment.
"And you guys," Aaron turned to the rest of the group, "stop acting like you're in a school play. People want to see something real. So act like it means something to you."
The group exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of Aaron's blunt instructions. But Lina was the first to step forward, her gaze steady.
"What do you need from us?" she asked, her voice more confident than before.
Aaron took a deep breath. "Trust me. And be ready for things to get chaotic."
As he began to piece together a new performance, Aaron could feel the wheels in his mind turning. This was familiar territory, even if the stage was barely standing and the actors were green as grass. He knew how to shape a story, how to stage something that would get people to pay attention. He just… hoped his luck didn't interfere too much.
The first rehearsal was going surprisingly well. Aaron had managed to motivate the group, giving them new lines, new songs, and even rearranging the staging to make it more dynamic. Lina, especially, was a natural, her voice carrying more power and emotion than Aaron had expected. Maybe, just maybe, this wasn't going to be a complete disaster after all.
That is, until the roof caved in.
Aaron barely had time to react as part of the rickety stage's ceiling collapsed, sending debris everywhere. A beam fell inches from where he had been standing, and chaos erupted as the performers scattered in panic.
"Well," Aaron muttered to himself as he brushed dust off his jacket, "I guess it wouldn't be a real performance if something didn't try to kill me."
Lina ran up to him, wide-eyed. "Are you okay?!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Aaron said, shaking off the near-death experience like it was a regular occurrence. "Just another day in the life of me."
Despite the mess, Lina grinned. "You really do bring chaos, don't you?"
Aaron smirked, his signature sarcasm bubbling up. "You have no idea."
And just like that, Aaron realized something. This world might be falling apart, and his luck might be a double-edged sword, but maybe, just maybe, he could actually do something here. Maybe, for once, the chaos was in his favor.