The Great Starlight Circus
The Great Starlight Circus blazed against the evening sky. Spotlights carved arcs over Skyhaven's streets, while strings of enchanted lanterns traced the grand, ornate building. Crowds swirled beneath the glow, murmurs of excitement rising with the music and the scent of roasted treats.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer's voice rang, smooth and polished. "Welcome to opening night at the Great Starlight Circus. Please find your seats."
Inside, the vast hall dimmed. A hush fell over the audience. The red curtain parted slowly. Behind it, a plain white screen was lit from behind. Two shadows appeared: one tall, one small.
The taller figure held a flickering torch, lowering it solemnly into the smaller figure's hands. The boy grasped it, sprinting forward, shadow racing until it swallowed the curtain.
A voice rose, strong and commanding:
"We belong to Him who can overpower us…
The sun of hope rises in every direction…
Our will is steel, our steps full of courage…
Today we march to carve our destiny with our own hands."
The silhouettes dissolved. Kael stood at center stage, his movements precise, poised, and commanding. The audience stirred, anticipation rolling into applause.
The performance erupted into life. Acrobat troupes swept in from both sides, fire twirling and silks dancing. The stage became a blur of motion and color, every act timed perfectly with Kael's rhythm.
At the climax, Sylia glided forward. Her poise and radiant smile lit the hall brighter than any spotlight. She fell into step beside Kael, movements synchronized as if rehearsed for lifetimes. To the audience, they were inseparable, undeniably the heart of the show.
The act ended in a breathtaking flourish. The crowd erupted, applause thunderous. Kael bowed, hand to chest, a polite smile fleeting across his face. The curtain swept closed, swallowing the performers from view.
Backstage, the cheer vanished. The space was suddenly tense, filled with hurried steps and whispered commands. Kael's voice cut through, low and firm:
"Pack up. Quickly."
Sylia approached, her smile softening. "Great show tonight, boss."
Kael didn't look at her. Jaw set, pace unbroken, he strode ahead. Urgency ruled his every step; there was no time for celebration.
Within minutes, the troupe scattered. Costumes vanished into cases, ropes and silks came down, wagons rolled. The glamour of the circus dissolved into shadows, leaving only the echo of applause drifting through the city streets outside.
As Kael prepared to leave, Lira descended gracefully, wings folding behind her. Jain and several guards flanked him, blocking all exits.
"Sir, put your hands behind your head, please," one guard instructed.
"You really can endure pain," Lira said, stepping forward, eyes sharp on Kael.
"What's this about, Inspector?" Kael asked, calm but alert.
"Duty," she replied simply.
"The jacket and shirt. Take them off." Lira's tone left no room for argument.
"Why?" Kael asked, raising an eyebrow.
" My first soul skill jade wing flare… always leaves a mark. Take it off," Lira said firmly.
"You're making a mistake, Inspector," Kael replied, smirking lightly.
"NOW!" Lira commanded, having earlier unleashed Jade Wing Flare at him during the chase. The volley of jade feathers had grazed Kael's shoulder, tearing a shallow line across his sleeve.
Kael removed his jacket and shirt.
Slowly, exposing his shoulders.
"Nothing. Not even a scratch," Jain said, stepping forward to inspect Kael's shoulder, then turning to Lira.
"What", Lira's eyes widened, moved closer herself, scanning Kael's shoulder with her falcon-enhanced sight. Falcon's Insight confirmed what her own vision told her: the wound should still be there. But it wasn't. The flesh was completely intact, as if the strike had never happened. Her mind raced less than twenty minutes had passed since the attack. How could this be?
"Officer, soul-disguise detector," she said, hoping the device would reveal some trick.
The guard swept Kael fully. The scanner's crystal glowed, confirming, Kael was unscathed.
"It can't be… Give it to me," Lira said, taking the scanner herself. She scanned again, disbelief etching her features. Nothing.
The crystal glowed, swept Kael from head to toe, but showed no fluctuations of soul power, no disguises, nothing. He hadn't used soul power to heal or mask himself.
Lira was stunned. Her jaw tightened, a mix of awe and disbelief. Kael's injury had healed naturally, impossibly fast, or there some trick behind this.
"What are you searching for?" Kael asked, spinning around casually.
"No one can hide a wound from my attack that easily. That's impossible. How did you do it?" Lira asked, voice low with frustration.
"I'm a circus man. Tricks are our hobby," Kael replied with a knowing smile, as if revealing nothing while saying everything.
"That attack was directly released from me," she added, tone serious, frustration barely contained.
The tension thickened, not just between Kael and Lira, but among Jain and the other guards.
"Let's go, lira," Jain muttered, watching the standoff. Even he couldn't hide his awe; the evidence they'd relied on had failed completely.
"Sir, we have to leave now. We're very sorry," one guard said quickly, bowing slightly to Kael, their deference obvious after their failed attempt.
Lira exhaled slowly. "Actually… I'm sorry. I regret I didn't aim higher. But I promise I won't make that mistake again," she added, eyes lingering on Kael as if measuring every step he would take.
They began to leave, but Lira glanced back once. "How do you do it?" she asked quietly.
"Pity we aren't friends," Kael replied with a sly, knowing smile. "Or I'd tell you for sure."
"Don't know about friendship. But I'm a real good enemy. Never forget it," Lira said, voice steady but tinged with respect. With that, she and the guards finally departed, leaving Kael and the circus in the quiet.Kael's gaze followed them, expression serious now.
Outside, Lira paused once, giving the circus a last sharp glance, then took to the sky with Jain and the guards, disappearing into the city lights.
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Kael pushed through the corridor, the walls dressed in the grandeur of the Starlight Circus. Velvet drapes of deep crimson hung between gilded posters boasting past triumphs. Extravagant furniture cluttered the path gaudy thrones, feathered masks, gilded props. He moved through it all without pause, his steps steady, his eyes fixed.
At the corridor's end, a door opened into a dim chamber. Shadows smothered most of the space, broken only by thin blades of light slanting across a vast bed draped in teal silk. Above it, mounted on the wall, spread two enormous decorative wings, gleaming faintly like those of some fallen angel frozen mid-flight.
Kael walked past the bed and lowered himself into a chair before the mirror. Shirtless, his frame caught the dim glow,taut lines of muscle gleaming faintly with sweat, his expression unreadable, his eyes hard as steel. He stared at his own reflection, breath steady, gaze burning.
"Does it hurt a lot?" he asked quietly. His lips barely moved.
In the mirror, his reflection shuddered. When it answered, the voice was fractured, stammering.
"W-we b-belong to H-him… w-who can o-overpower us…
Th-the s-sun of h-hope r-rises in e-every direction…"
Kael's mouth curved into a confident smile. His tone was steady, cutting through the tremor.
"Intentions of steel. Steps full of courage…"
The reflection tried to keep pace, faltering yet insistent:
"T-today we march t-to carve o-our d-destiny w-with o-our o-own hands…"
Sahir's voice also rose with it, firm and unshaken:
"Today we march to carve our destiny with our own hands."
To be continued...