Kharon smiled curtly before vanishing as he returned to the underground stage. Philip was still tirelessly working as he checked for any and all flaws. The stage had multi-coloured lights shining upon it as Kharon floated towards it. As he gently landed on the firm, stone stage, his clothes morphed into a bright whirl of colours before solidifying into a half dark, half multi-coloured suit. On his face was a multi-coloured mask.
Seeing this Philip began to laugh as he walked up to Kharon.
"Are you putting on a clown show? Unless you want people to laugh instead of cheer, then I suggest you change that. It isn't too bad but for the type of show you are going to put on, something simpler would be better."
The outfit once again whirled as it turned into a simple, black suit with a grey, blank mask. Philip walked around Kharon as his eyes scrutinised every corner of the suit. He put a thumb up as he nodded.
"This one is better. You don't want to wear something too flashy as it could take some of the attention from your performance. If it is simple, people will focus more on what you are doing. Also the spotlights will be on you the whole time so wearing clothing that isn't too bright would help greatly."
As he said this, a few people began to make their way down into the underground stage. They shook slightly as they kept close to each other. Their clothes were tattered and covered in dust. Kharon watched as one of them walked closer before asking in a raspy voice, "Is this where the show will take place? We were invited by Zack to come for a performance."
Philip immediately jumped up as he began to guide the growing audience with ease. A bright, welcoming smile had been plastered onto his face as the audience all took their seats.
'He is good at this. I am guessing he wasn't always a Runic Technician. Maybe he will tell me about it one day... But now that I think about it, won't the audience be hungry as they just woke up? And who knows how long they had to walk for? But Zack and Freya may be busy and Philip is taking care of the audience...'
Kharon's ring shone as he contacted Zack and Freya. He veiled his voice as he said, "Zack, Freya, if you still have time could you buy a lot of food and drinks for the audience? Don't worry about the cost and I already gave you those space expansion bags. The show is about to begin as I seemed to have miscalculated, so please hurry!"
Dozens of eyes locked onto him. Kharon gulped nervously as he began to fiddle with the hems of his immaterial shirt. His fingers moving around with no apparent purpose.
'I wish I could actually feel my shirt like a tier 5 wielder would. Why do I feel so worried? I have fought many types of creatures, won wars and I survived every time. But I can't face a simple crowd of ordinary civilians?!'
A small child in the crowd caught Kharon's attention as he chatted excitedly with his parents. His sparkling eyes conveyed his brimming eagerness to watch the show. As he looked back up at the stage, Kharon smiled at him as the kid reciprocated with a wide, toothy grin.
'This must be the first time he is experiencing something like this. Kids born in noble households tend to go to expensive theatres and watch the latest films. Even children in working class homes get to see exciting street performances and enjoy themselves. But the Eclipsed Hollows isn't that kind of place...'
Kharon clenched his fist as a fire was lit in his eyes. His eyes scanned the room as he saw several more excited children. Their smiling faces made Kharon smile as he cracked his knuckles.
'I will make this the most exciting show they have ever seen. If it is their first time, then I want them to remember it their whole lives. Then once things improve in Lunaris Haven, they will look back at the past and remember this moment. That sounds a bit selfish, but I want to be remembered in a positive light by at least a few people.'
At that moment, Zack and Freya burst into the room. In their hands were bags as they began distributing little packages. The look on the civilians faces quickly shifted from fear and uncertainty, to quiet gratitude. They all opened the packages and ate as they smiled. Tears streamed down the faces of a few people as they looked up at Kharon in reverence.
Something strange began to happen as Kharon felt an almost imperceptible change.
'My aether reserves... they have increased by a tiny amount. It is so small I almost didn't notice. Did the civilians just give me some of their aether? Could this be something which usually occurs with angels, demi-gods and Gods? The War of Gods makes so much more sense... believers provide their Gods with more power. Whoever has the most believers is the strongest.'
Kharon smiled at the crowd as he felt a bead of sweat roll down his face. He gave Freya and Zack a quick, grateful glance before the lights turned off. A bit of quiet chatter ensued as the spotlight focused on Kharon.
'I will have to think about that later. For now, I have a show to run.'
"Welcome, citizens of Lunaris Haven, dwellers of the Eclipsed Hollows. Today, I will be putting on a showcase of divine powers I receive. They come from a long, forgotten path which was held by a powerful, hidden God; the path of mysteries. I was chosen as his messenger to reintroduce this path to the world. I hope you enjoy the performance..."
A few seconds went by with no reaction from the crowd. Kharon began to sweat as he suddenly flinched from a sudden uproar of cheers. He watched as the civilians looked at him with lively, enthusiastic gazes.
Fog began to appear throughout the stage as Kharon vanished from sight. As the audience squinted their eyes, they noticed the fog begin to swirl as Kharon flew out of it in an exciting display. He flew across the hall as he made contact with a few children. They began to float in the air as more people put their hands up.
Unseen forces began to float through the hall as people grabbed hold of them. They were gently pulled into the air as they applauded. The hall was filled with chants and laughter as the lights danced around. Kharon conjured small, furry animals as they floated towards several people. Flowers began to fly around as people caught them for a second before they disappeared. turning into bright, colourful dust.
As the show continued, Freya, Zack and Philip all stood together on the stairs. They watched as the crowd was blown away by the performance. Each act gaining louder cheers as it increased in grandeur.
Zack smiled as he said, "Who knew our boss had a soft spot for children. And he is also scared of large crowds. But he is still managing to put on this amazing show. Isn't he incredible?"
Freya flipped her hair as she replied, "I must agree. It's nice to see that underneath that cold, indifferent facade, there is an actual human being who is just trying his best. Despite the challenges he faces, he always continues to move forward. There is seemingly no problem he can't fix."
"That is why he is the Architect."
Zack and Freya looked at Philip as they all nodded.
Kharon dashed through the hall as the crowd turned their heads in several directions. Their eyes spun as they laughed and cheered. Kharon jumped through the air as he backflipped before floating a meter above the stage and zooming back up.
'And now the grand finale...'
Spinning around in space, Kharon built up his aether before releasing it. A massive wave was let out as an explosion of sound and colour flew towards the audience. They were hit with a pleasant feeling as they smelled an unfamiliar aroma which far surpassed the odour of the benches. Little sparks danced around before dissipating as Kharon landed before bowing.
Everyone stood up as they gave him a standing ovation.
"Thank you! Thank you everyone! I am sorry to announce that the show is over. But don't worry there will be three more performances! Each one will be on Sunday. The time won't change, so I hope you will all be ready!"
The crowd cheered as they began to leave. Philip headed up as he spoke to a few people. As the hall was quickly emptied, Kharon noticed that a few people remained. He headed to them as they spoke briefly.
"Our son just wanted to meet you. He was really excited for this and I must say, it was incredible! We are so glad we came here."
"I am glad you guys enjoyed it."
Kharon looked at the boy's outstretched hand as he dismissed his glove. He shook his hand carefully as the boy smiled before waving goodbye.
'That was really nice... I can't wait for Sunday!'