Chương 82: The Hero above the Circus

As Evel celebrated himself for a great achievement, a heavy hand slammed into his shoulder.

"AH!" Evel leaped nearly a foot in the air, spinning around and pressing a hand against his racing heart.

"I recall giving you a task, boy." Julius looked down on him, wearing a pleasant but dangerous smile on his face.

"I…" Evel stammered. His heart was beating so violently against his ribs that he was certain Julius could hear it.

"Evel," Julius's expression calmed.

"Don't pursue this topic anymore." After a few seconds of silence, Julius added, "Maybe I'll even consider showing you one of my signature tricks."

"Ok!" He immediately agreed. He wouldn't let Julius pull back his offer when it was just so good. These were tricks that nobody other than the assistants knew; of course, he'd agree. Julius had many assistants, and no one assistant knew all of them either—not to mention the solo tricks he wouldn't tell anyone. The days continued as if nothing had ever changed. Evel continued learning tricks from Julius, and the two continued to receive formal education from Rick. Well, at least Evel did.

Julius would skip off half the time, whining about the homework that Rick would give. Evel took endless joy in keeping the secret that Rick had specifically given his ecstatic mentor extra homework to mess with him. Rick would pretend to give him the same amount, but they had a secret alliance, so he only had to do half the amount! If his ecstatic mentor knew the truth that Rick gave him extra homework specifically to mess with him, he'd probably leave and never come back!

The days rolled by in their usual rhythm, with the topic of Aphix being pushed to the back of his mind. He continued learning, the performances went on, and the little pranks went on. It was a peaceful time, and one he wouldn't have minded living in for the rest of his life. Just two weeks after his investigative work, everything went wrong. Evel was in an empty room working hard on the difficult math problems ahead of him when strange crackling noises slowly seeped in from outside.

Accompanying it was a strange, ashy odour. It was a familiar smell, but not one he could quite put his finger on. The door shattered open, breaking him out of his thoughts as Julius barged into the room.

"Boy, up." His voice was frighteningly composed.

"Wh—""There's a fire, no time to waste." Before Evel could react, his mentor grabbed his arm and yanked him forward. On the other hand, he grabbed the nearby water pitcher, pulling them both towards the door. Evel quickly found his footing and burst forward with Julius. As they got closer to the doorway, the sounds of the flames grew louder. The two rushed out the open door and straight into a thick wall of smog.

Reeking of charred wood and burning wool, the pungent smoke caught in Evel's throat, sending him into a fit of violent coughing.

"What happened?" Evel managed to ask between his small bursts of coughing. Julius didn't reply. He ripped off a piece of fabric from a nearby curtain and doused it with water from the pitcher. Ripping it in half, he gave one piece to Evel and used the other to cover his own nose and mouth.

"Breathe through this and follow closely," Julius commanded, his voice barely audible amidst the roaring flames and the collapsing wood. Julius got low, and Evel copied him the best he could. With the damp cloth over his nose and the clearer air close to the ground, he managed to push forward without choking. As they turned the corner, Julius halted. Ahead of the door that led through the back door, a giant flaming column had fallen, blocking the path completely.

Julius took a deep, long breath into the cloth before casting it away into the flames. He dropped to one knee and locked his fingers together. His hands formed a step.

"I…" Evel stammered. Was he supposed to jump over the giant column? It was way too high! He couldn't do it; there was just no way. He wasn't a gymnast! And how would Julius escape? There's no way he could make that jump! Now wasn't a ti– The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Evel. Jump." Damn it! Evel shook his head and paced back a few steps. He copied Julius and took a deep breath through the damp cloth, collecting whatever energy he could muster up. He kicked off the ground. Just as he placed his foot on Julius's hands, he felt a powerful force launch him further forward. He spun through the sky, crashing on the other side with a hard roll. He barely registered the blunt pain as he scrambled to his feet. He turned to Julius, who had paced back a few steps. Evel held his breath.

His mentor exploded forward, taking a brutal, fearless dive directly through the gap in the fire. His clothes lit ablaze. Julius dropped to the ground and rolled, somehow managing to extinguish the flames latching onto his fabric. In his swirling mix of fear and awe, Evel didn't realize he hadn't been breathing. He fell to the ground, violently coughing from the accumulating smog.

"Up, up, up," Julius urged.

"We're almost out." With a weak nod, Evel forced himself to his feet and pushed forward. Before long, they met the final door. Evel reached for the doorknob, but Julius immediately yanked him back. Instead, Julius rammed his entire body into the door with the weight of his entire body, collapsing on the other side after the door gave way. Evel helped him get back on his feet, and the two ran further away from the flames before they both collapsed on the grass, desperately fighting to catch their breath.

"E-everything's gone." Evel wheezed. Julius's head snapped back to the burning building, muttering something under his breath, before pushing himself back to his feet.

"Wait here." Then, he sprinted straight back toward the building, his bare back exposed and charred. It wasn't just his back. His forearms, legs, and even the back of his neck were exposed. The skin on his forearms was blistering, and his shins charred black. His remaining exposed skin glowed bright pink, surely burning him in an unbearable agony. But his shrinking figure didn't stop moving. It was as if he didn't pay any mind.

Evel tried pushing himself off the ground to follow Julius, but he immediately collapsed forward, back on his knees, his shaky vision fixed on the burning building. The desk. The papers. The extra homework assignment. The extra homework assignment Rick had drawn up just to mess with Julius—it was all ash now. Everything was gone. The place that had taken him in all those years ago, when he had nowhere else to turn. Rick fed him, taught him, and treated him so well. Why had he cursed Rick for not listening to him?

Or Julius, for not allowing him to help in the circus? He didn't actually want them to die! Evel scanned the field near him where a growing audience gathered. His eyes went from face to face, but he couldn't find Rick. He tried getting up again, but his body refused his commands, leaving only a dull, throbbing pain pulsating in his head. The picture became clearer with each passing second. He was going to lose everything. As his thoughts spiralled, a lone figure was caught in the corner of his vision.

Floating in solitude above the roaring fire, a slender man stroked his thick black beard, his expression unreadable. His loose garments fluttered like a dragonfly as the man slowly raised his right palm high into the sky. The flames surged. The sky howled, filling the air with a sharp, metallic tang of ozone. A wall of pressure blasted outward, fighting against everything in its path. Evel slammed against a fence, his fingers locking around the wood just to stay upright as he got pushed back.

Nearby, the rare, stubborn trees creaked, getting bent from the pressure, straining away from the inferno. And then, nothing. The howling gale vanished, and with it the flames. Evel took a sharp breath. A hero. A true, genuine hero like those in the newspapers. A hero had come to save them all! The figure slowly descended, and a cold, foreign voice entered directly into Evel's mind. [Nine dead. My condolences.] Huh?

After escaping the burning heat, it felt as though his head had been shoved in ice cold water, pressed down by an invisible hand. His lips quivered, but the only noise that exited him was a soft creak. The hero turned to leave. He opened his mouth wider and finally managed to croak out the two names at the forefront of his mind.

"J-Julius? Rick?" The hero looked back. [The magician lives. I'm unfamiliar with anyone else by name.] Evel heaved, and his eyes travelled back to the remnants of the circus. Julius was still alive. Rick might be, too. He scanned the destroyed rooms. Ash, smoke, shattered wood. No Rick.

"He can't die," Evel whispered.

"He still needs to stop Aphix and go to the ocean." The winds shifted, and a wave of cool air washed over Evel's face, causing his and the hero's clothes to dance in the wind.

"Oh?" The hero asked with a deep, comforting voice.

"Would you tell me more?" Taking a deep, shaky breath, Evel turned to face the hero. Maybe this god-like figure could help.

"I don't know much," he admitted. A-All I know is that he knows something about Aphix and h-how he'd stop them from stealing. Nobody else kn-knows, ex–""Evel!" Julius's voice shattered the air, instantly lifting the heavy hand pressing Evel's head underwater. Eyes widening, Evel spun. Julius! But his mentor's face had transformed entirely. Around a forced, feeble smile, Julius's facial hair had charred a brittle black, matching the thick layers of ash settling over his ruined skin.

"Y-you're okay!" Evel's voice was a hollow creak.

"And…? Julius lowered his eyes.

"Rick didn't make it." Julius' eyes dashed to the man who floated just a few meters away from Evel. He immediately fell into a rushed bow.

"We are eternally grateful for your aid, Mayor!" Rick didn't make it. Evel repeated Julius's words in his mind, trying to make sense of them.

"He died before I arrived, unfortunate." The Mayor coldly stated.

"I won't disturb your grieving any further." Rick didn't make it? Sure, Rick was old, but he was still energetic sometimes. He could have run out of the fire. At the very least, I'm sure he could have yelled for help; his voice was super powerful. Maybe Julius just didn't see him? Mayb– Julius bowed again, this time pressing Evel's body down to bow with him. When they looked back up, the floating figure was but a speck in the distance. Julius squeezed Evel's face, forcing his hazy gaze to meet his own.

"What did you tell the Mayor?" He rushed.

"What?" The world was spinning. Rick…

"Evel." Julius' grip around Evel's face tightened, staring deep into his eyes. His lips quivered, and his chest pulsed from a series of rapid, shallow breaths.

"What. Did. You. Tell. The. Mayor."