The night crept up faster than Aaron had anticipated. It was show night, again. Usually, this was the part of his routine where he'd mentally prepare himself to walk out onto the stage, throw some sarcastic one-liners, and hope the crowd didn't notice when things inevitably went off the rails. But tonight felt different. It was like the air itself had thickened, buzzing with the kind of nervous energy that even his humor couldn't cut through.
"Big night," Tobias said, clapping him on the back as they both stood in the wings of the theater. The lights were dimmed, the crowd murmuring in the background. Nostoria's theater-goers always had that weird mix of excitement and fear—like they weren't sure if they were about to see a spectacular show or get caught in one of Aaron's magical mishaps.
"Yeah, huge," Aaron muttered, adjusting his jacket. "Nothing like the potential for spontaneous combustion to really get the adrenaline pumping."
Tobias chuckled, but his eyes were distant, still caught up in whatever had been weighing on him all day. Aaron noticed it, but decided to let it slide for now. They had a show to put on, and Tobias's stress levels weren't exactly on the top of the priority list—not when Aaron could accidentally set the whole place on fire with one wrong move.
"Hey," Aaron said, trying to shift the mood a little, "you ever think about what it would've been like if we had a marketing department? You know, like in my world? They'd be throwing slogans like 'Come for the magic, stay for the near-death experience' or 'Front-row seats: bring your own fireproof vest.' I'm just saying, it's a niche market."
Tobias smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe in another life. But right now, I think we've got our hands full."
Aaron gave him a sidelong glance. "Okay, seriously, what's up with you? You've been acting like you're one step away from a nervous breakdown, and that's my job."
Tobias sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know, Aaron. It's just... everything. You, the theater, the powers. I can't shake the feeling that we're sitting on the edge of something big, and I'm not sure we're ready for it."
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah, you're just realizing this now? I've been feeling like a ticking time bomb since I got here."
Tobias frowned, glancing out toward the crowd. "No, it's different. I don't mean just your powers. Something else is coming. I can feel it."
Aaron stared at him, his sarcastic retort dying in his throat. Tobias was many things—an eternal optimist, a theater geek, and borderline delusional when it came to the success of their shows—but he wasn't usually this serious. If Tobias thought something was wrong, then maybe... just maybe... there was more to it than Aaron wanted to admit.
"Okay," Aaron said, forcing a grin to keep the mood from dipping too much. "Let's say you're right and there's some big, looming catastrophe heading our way. What do we do about it? Because, frankly, my skillset is mostly limited to roasting people and accidentally setting things on fire."
Tobias chuckled, but the tension didn't leave his shoulders. "We prepare. We keep doing what we're doing, but we stay on guard. Gretna's working on figuring out who's behind this, but in the meantime, we need to stay ahead of it."
Aaron sighed, glancing out at the stage. "Right. Well, nothing says 'prepare for the apocalypse' like putting on a light-hearted comedy show."
Tobias shrugged, smiling faintly. "The show must go on, right?"
Aaron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just hope it doesn't end with me getting literally roasted this time."
The theater lights dimmed, the crowd fell into an expectant hush, and Aaron took his place at the center of the stage. Tonight's show was supposed to be simple—a comedic performance with a few basic magical effects thrown in to keep the crowd entertained. Nothing too fancy, nothing too dangerous.
But, as usual, things didn't go according to plan.
"Good evening, Nostoria!" Aaron called out, flashing his usual smirk. "Welcome to another night of... well, whatever this is. Theater? Comedy? Possible disaster? Who knows? But hey, that's why you're all here, right? For the thrill of not knowing whether I'll accidentally summon a dragon or just screw up the lighting."
The crowd laughed, but Aaron could feel the subtle shift in the air. That same buzzing energy from earlier had returned, and it was stronger now. He couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching him. Something beyond the usual crowd.
Still, he pressed on, launching into the performance with his usual flair. He juggled small sparks of magical light, sent harmless bursts of wind through the crowd, and made a few sarcastic jabs at himself for good measure.
"Let's talk about power for a second," Aaron said, pacing the stage as the audience chuckled at his antics. "You know, people say 'with great power comes great responsibility,' but I'm pretty sure that was just something people made up to make themselves feel better about how much they're screwing up."
A ripple of laughter echoed through the theater. Aaron continued, gesturing vaguely to the magical sparks floating around him. "Take me, for example. I didn't ask for this. I'm not some destined hero, I'm just a guy who got zapped with some freaky magic and now I'm expected to 'harness it' or whatever. Sure, I've got help—" he threw a glance toward the wings, where Tobias was watching—"but let's be honest, the real hard work? All me. Self-made man, people. I mean, yeah, I have a slight tendency to turn things into fireballs, but hey, that's part of the charm."
The crowd laughed louder this time, but the uneasy feeling in Aaron's chest didn't go away. He could feel the energy building again, that strange, uncontrollable force that lurked just beneath the surface. It was like his powers were reacting to something, but he didn't know what.
As the performance continued, Aaron found it harder and harder to concentrate. His hands were shaking, the magical sparks flickering more erratically than usual. He glanced toward the back of the theater, half-expecting to see someone—or something—lurking in the shadows. But there was nothing there.
Then, without warning, it happened.
One of the magical orbs he'd been juggling shot out of his hand, spiraling toward the ceiling. Aaron's heart stopped as he watched it zip across the stage, slamming into the backdrop with a loud crack. For a split second, the entire theater seemed to hold its breath.
And then the backdrop burst into flames.
"Uh, okay," Aaron said, staring at the growing fire with wide eyes. "Not part of the act, folks. Not part of the act."
The crowd gasped, a few people rising from their seats in panic. Aaron could feel the electricity crackling around him, growing more volatile by the second. His powers were slipping again, spiraling out of control, and he had no idea how to stop it.
"Tobias!" Aaron called out, backing away from the flames. "A little help here?!"
Tobias appeared at the side of the stage, already barking orders to the stagehands to put out the fire. But Aaron could see the fear in his eyes. This wasn't just a simple mishap—something was wrong.
"Get out of here!" Tobias shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "I'll handle this!"
Aaron hesitated, his heart racing. He wanted to help, but his powers were so unstable that he was more likely to make things worse than better. And yet... he couldn't just leave. Not now. Not when everything was falling apart.
He clenched his fists, trying to focus. "Come on," he muttered to himself, feeling the energy build up inside him. "Control it. Control it..."
With a deep breath, Aaron raised his hands, sending a burst of wind toward the flames. The fire flickered, sputtered, and then slowly died down. The crowd let out a collective sigh of relief, but Aaron barely heard them. He was too busy trying to calm the storm of magic swirling inside him.
Tobias rushed over, grabbing Aaron by the arm and pulling him backstage. "What the hell was that?" Tobias demanded, his voice low but urgent. "Your powers... they're getting worse."
Aaron shook his head, still trembling from the effort of putting out the fire. "I don't know what's happening. I tried to control it, but it just—"
Before he could finish, Gretna appeared, her face pale. "We need to leave. Now."
Aaron blinked, his mind still spinning. "What? Why?"
Gretna's eyes were wide with fear. "There's someone here. Someone powerful. They've been watching you."
Aaron's heart sank as her words sunk in. The feeling he'd had all night—the strange, buzzing energy, the sense of being watched—it all made sense now.
They weren't safe.
And this was just the beginning.