Circus Performance

Vizet's emotions were tangled — expectation and unease curling tightly together like ivy around a branch.

He hoped Luna might truly be a companion in this strange realm of primordial magic. And yet, he feared what that would mean. He feared she might be drawn into dangers she could never have foreseen.

He feared losing something — someone — because he had gained too much.

"Ascensum!"

Luna's gentle voice echoed, soft and certain.

Then silence. No effect. No shimmering light. No rising movement. Just the stillness of the forest path.

"I don't think I can use that spell," she said softly.

Her voice was airy, nearly a whisper. But it carried no trace of disappointment. No crack of self-doubt.

Vizet released a breath and forced a light smile to his face. He shook his head gently.

"That was just a spell I improvised after visiting the ruins," he said casually. "You've heard of compound magic, right? I was trying to mix the Levitation Charm with a few other techniques — see if I could create something new."

"But it didn't quite work out. A failed experiment, that's all."

"Is that so?" Luna looked at him with calm curiosity.

Her eyes held something deeper. A softness, yes, but also a clarity that felt impossibly steady. It was as if she could see through him.

Vizet dropped his gaze. He felt his ears heat with sudden embarrassment, and quickly rubbed at his earlobes as if that might dispel the warmth.

"We still have lots of time," Luna said brightly. "You can always teach me something else next time."

Then, she added more gently, "The most important thing is… no matter what happens, we're a family. That will never change, okay?"

Her voice struck something inside him.

Vizet swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. A tightness crept into his chest, and his nose prickled faintly.

He nodded, eyes bright.

"Of course."

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Night had finally fallen. Though Sweden's days stretched long into the evening, the sky was now wrapped in a soft orange gauze, like dusk had been veiled behind silk.

After a brief rest, Xenophilius sat comfortably in a chair in their guest room, carefully polishing the horn of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

Though they hadn't found any trace of the creature itself, just bringing back the horn felt like a meaningful discovery.

As he worked, Xenophilius asked casually, "Vizet, do you know much about the Crumple-Horned Snorkack?"

Vizet smiled slightly. "Only what Luna's told me."

"Then tonight, let's talk about the horn!" Xenophilius said with a gleam in his eyes, holding the polished horn reverently in both hands.

"Pandora once told, if a real Crumple-Horned Snorkack appears, its horn will glow. Not everyone can see it, though. Only people with an especially open mind — those who can truly accept the abnormal — can touch the horn and call the Snorkack to their side."

He turned the horn slowly, watching the light play over its surface.

"But this one hasn't glowed yet," he added, a touch of wistfulness in his voice. "Which means the Snorkack isn't nearby. Not yet."

Then, with a quiet smile, he tucked the horn carefully into Luna's backpack.

"But if it were close, I'm certain my little Luna could summon it. With her gift, no doubt at all."

Outside, the sound of laughter and chatter began to swell — the village growing livelier as the circus prepared for its show.

Xenophilius stood, brushing imaginary dust from his robes, and called cheerfully, "Come on! Let's not miss it. A good night's rest after the show, and we're back to the Snorkack search tomorrow!"

Under the dimming sky, the Fantasy Circus stood proudly at the heart of the village, its colorful tent glowing like a beacon.

Soft, joyful music filled the air, and the curtain at the entrance had been drawn open. A stream of colorful light poured from within, dancing across the faces of the crowd.

Vizet and the others followed the gathering villagers into the tent, their attention immediately drawn to the floating orbs of light all around them — gorgeous, shimmering, and constantly changing hues.

The orbs drifted through the air like bubbles, occasionally swooping down toward the audience and then darting back up again, prompting laughter and delighted gasps from all around.

For Luna and Xenophilius, it was their first time attending a circus, and their wide-eyed wonder reflected a shared curiosity and excitement.

Vizet, though more composed, was just as intrigued. In his past life, he had only seen circuses on Muggle television, and had never experienced one with real magic laced into every detail.

The sudden appearance of a hunched, sharp-nosed circus leader marked the official start of the performance. At once, the orbs of light converged over the center of the stage, illuminating the acrobats who sprang into action.

The acrobats flipped and tumbled through the air, aided by spells and magical props. Their movements defied gravity — bending and contorting with impossible fluidity. Their bodies seemed made of parchment, folding mid-air with eerie elegance until their abdomens nearly touched their heads.

Every few moments, one of them would perform a comically exaggerated fall — crashing to the ground in a burst of dust and noise — only to bounce skyward again like a spring-loaded jack-in-the-box.

Next, a group of Salamanders soared onto the stage, their shimmering scales catching the light. Hot on their tails came three jesters in classic clown attire.

With a shriek, the Salamanders breathed gouts of orange-red flame at the clowns. Instead of panicking, the clowns danced and somersaulted within the fire, which wrapped around their bodies.

As the three clowns collided midair, the flames fused together — morphing into a colossal, snarling fire-dragon that began chasing the Salamanders in reverse, sending the audience into fits of laughter and applause.

When the flames at last vanished and the clowns took their bows, a Hippogriff swooped from above. A clown jumped on its back, leaping and balancing precariously as it circled the stage. Time and again he nearly slipped off, only to be caught by the Hippogriff at the last second.

The performances rolled on, each more dazzling than the last. Outside, the sky had grown darker. Through the flaps of the tent, occasional gusts of wind revealed the full onset of night.

Finally, the final act began.

The three clowns reappeared, springing into the air with practiced cheer. In an instant, three sharks emerged mid-leap — sleek and majestic.

A giant bubble enveloped the center of the stage, creating the illusion of an ocean suspended in the air. Inside it, the sharks swam gracefully, occasionally leaping out of the water and through glowing rings and performing flips with impossible precision.

The applause was thunderous.

Then, as the bubble popped and the sharks shimmered back into clown form, a relieved smile spread across their painted faces.

But something was wrong.

The circus leader limped back onto the stage, clutching what looked like a cane-shaped spear. His movements were sluggish, labored. He began coughing violently — and to Vizet's horror, blood splattered across the boards of the stage.

A chill ran through Vizet. Something was deeply wrong.

"Let's go!" he shouted, eyes wide.

Luna didn't hesitate. She grasped her father's wrist. "Dad, come on!"

"Leave now?" Xenophilius blinked, then saw the urgency in Vizet's expression and nodded. "Alright!"

But before they could reach the exit, a sudden burst of silver-blue light erupted from the circus leader. The floor cracked open — deep ravines spidered outward from the center stage, forming a spiraling cyclone pattern.

Instinctively, Vizet brought his hands together and cast the Primordial Magic: Shield, protecting Luna and Xenophilius in a translucent dome of protective light.

The cyclone glowed fiercely, flooding the entire circus tent with radiant energy.

One by one, every person touched by the light began to transform.

Antlers sprouted. Their arms and legs shifted shape. In the span of seconds, the entire crowd was turned into reindeer.

Vizet grabbed Luna's hand tightly. "Run!" he cried, dragging her toward the curtain flap as the light faded.

A clown — the one who had ridden the Hippogriff — morphed back into a shark and began floating above the crowd, herding the reindeer with disturbing calm.

Any transformed spectator who resisted or tried to flee was immediately snatched up in the shark's gaping jaws and hurled back onto the stage with brutal force.

After witnessing several such punishments, the reindeer began shuffling toward the center, eyes wide with terror.

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