Chapter 70 - Stage and Props

'The cleaning is complete. Now adding a bit of colour and furniture will definitely make it show ready... I guess I may have to use that construct. Getting enough seats on such short notice would be nearly impossible.'

"I am heading back to the Sanctum. We need to utilise one of the constructs. While I am gone you can join Freya and start promoting the showcase. Philip will be here shortly. Once he arrives... he will know what to do. He always does."

Kharon's body began to turn translucent as he slowly dissipated. As he slowly materialised, he stood from his seat and walked out of the gloomy, cold room. He heard his footsteps echo through the empty mansion as he unhurriedly descended the large, dark stairs. As he stepped down onto the ground floor, he walked past the closed straight towards a blank wall. 

His ring shone as he slowly reached out and opened the door. It swung open with a slight creak as Kharon made his way to an ominous, large cupboard. He unlocked it with little effort, walking in the dark depths as he was swallowed by shadows. On a podium several meters away, was an array of different items. 

Each one was either placed in a type of container or was surrounded by a faint swirl of runic symbols. Kharon walked up the podium as he reached for a simple tree branch which floated slightly above its spot. A sphere of symbols surrounding it on all sides. With a faint flash of light, his fingers wrapped around the verdant twig. 

'Cursed Construct #4 - The Verdant Branch. A tier 3 construct of nature. I should hurry and create those seats before it becomes a part of me.'

Kharon watched as bit by bit, little brown tendrils began to stick to his skin. He adjusted the branch as he quickly left the room. Once he left his workshop, he quickly vanished. His body materialised back in the now painted hall as he looked around in awe. Standing at the center of the stage with a brush in his hands, was Philip.

They smiled at each other as Kharon clenched the Verdant Branch tightly. Green sparks began to fly around in the air as the stick was pointed down at the ground. A sudden stream of aether made its way into the ground as several trees began growing from the ground. They bent and arched as vines curled around them. Little handles were formed as the room was filled with a pleasant fragrance.

'Living Grove. A truly remarkable ability. Trees which can serve a special function and help me in battle. Or in this case crafting seats. And they provide increased airflow and a pleasant odour. We can't have our audience suffocating in this place.'

Going back to the Sanctum, Kharon put back the Verdant Branch before returning. He inspected his work as he sat on a bench. Its soft, yet firm texture felt quite comfortable as Kharon watched Philip finish his work. The underground hall had been completely transformed with its multi-coloured walls. The stage looked bright and lively as several illumination runes floated above. They constantly moved as Philip was kept in the spotlight. 

"Raven. Shouldn't you be planning your act for the show? Sitting there wouldn't help you anymore than sleeping before the show. Prepare an act that will steal the audiences' attention. This way, they will remember you and be more trusting. You are quite charismatic so I am sure you will do great."

'I am charismatic? Maybe I misheard that. My presence makes me the opposite of charismatic. People feel cold and frightened when I walk too close. Unless they are a wielder. But most of my audience will just be normal people. I may have to change back my signature to its original state...'

Kharon rose from the tree bench as his aether signature began shifting. The cold, ominous presence he released began to fade as it was slowly replaced by a blank, empty feeling. Philip turned around as his eyes met Kharon's. They stared at each other before Philip shattered the silence with a question.

"You can change your aether signature?"

"Yes. I just reverted back to my original signature. People need to see the path of mysteries as it is. With no changes or filters. It may seem counter-intuitive, but I think it's the right choice. Do you have an estimate for when people will start arriving?"

Philip paused for a second as he looked at a bracelet on his wrist. His eyes flickered around briefly before he answered, "An hour. Most working class civilians will be heading to their job sites. While those who are unemployed will either be sleeping or doing something else. I can't fully be sure about this since I don't have a lot of data about the Eclipsed Hollow."

Kharon nodded as he walked up the stairs to the partially blank ground floor. It was the same as when he had left it, save for a desk and a chair in the corner.

'I guess that will be Philip's post while the show goes on. If he can receive genuine feedback after the show, I can adapt and improve my performance. It may take about a month or so to fully convince the whole city. But convincing the Eclipsed Hollow will take roughly one week. As for the Association, they will definitely go on a frenzy. An unknown path and an unknown wielder...'

Kharon chuckled as he left the building. He was greeted by the dark, starry sky and the rift. He looked up into it as he saw the giant, multi-coloured eye. It seemed to encompass and reflect the whole world as it stared directly at Kharon. 

'It's Rift Bloom Day...? Right, it isn't always every 13 days. What does it have against me though? We clashed in the past, but it doesn't mean-'

A searing headache came over Kharon as he felt his body going limp. He moved back as he held the wall of the building tightly. As he did, his eyes bled. He cautiously walked back into the view of the eye as he felt a sudden, violent surge of aether escape from his eyes. The surge made Kharon sway greatly as his mind momentarily shut down.

'So... much... power...'

It headed straight up into the sky as it reached the rift in an instance. The eye seemed to react to this as it constricted before slowly closing and vanishing from sight.

Kharon's vision turned red before everything turned black. His eyes bled severely as he quickly vanished. He returned to the Sanctum and blindly waddled around as he felt a hand grab his shoulder.

"Boss?! Are you ok? What happened?! Your eyes are-"

Zack's voice vanished for a few seconds before returning as he helped Kharon sit. He gently placed his hands over his eyes as a warm, pleasant sensation enveloped them. Kharon felt as his vision began to recover. He could feel blood coursing through his head as all the pain subsided. 

Slowly, he opened his eyes as he saw Zack kneeling next to him. His eyes were filled with fear and concern as he paused for a second before wrapping Kharon in a tight embrace. Kharon tapped his back as he whispered, "Thank you for healing me. I am ok now... you don't have to worry. I am safe and sound. As sound as a bell."

A small chuckle escaped Zack's lips as he said, "I don't get it..."

Kharon laughed as well as he whispered, "Neither do I... I will leave the jokes to you. I am clearly not very good."

"I agree. You are terrible at them... but that doesn't matter. As long as you are safe."

'I truly met a great person and friend. What did I do to be so lucky...?'

"You were born..."

Kharon lightly pushed Zack as he asked, "Did you say anything?"

"No. I just said you were safe. Did you have an auditory memory of sorts?"

"Probably... It doesn't matter. But I have to ask, why were you here Zack? I thought you were promoting the show with Freya. Won't it be hard for her to do it alone?"

Zack scratched his head as he answered, "I wanted to get something to eat. You know that I get hungry quite often. A cake or two wouldn't hurt anyone."

"You are free to have as much as you like. We aren't going to run out of food anytime soon. But please hurry, the show will begin in about an hour. I will need all of you to be there as my special guests. With the reputation you have, people will definitely trust you if you believe in the path of mysteries."

"I already know it is real, so it won't be an issue. However there are some very skeptical people in the Eclipsed Hollow. They don't trust anyone, especially the Association. No one trusts them."

'That is to be expected. The Association has left them all for dead. It doesn't matter if they have a way of justifying it. I will put an end to them.'