All curtains drawn- Chapter 7
After my long unannounced break, I come back with this? Warning guys, it is very long, and a little bit confusing so if at any point you go, “wait what?” just know that I’ll try to get the point across better soon. You’re about to see why this chapter took so long to write. :P
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All in with nothing down
Marvin didn’t get much sleep after his shift. He didn’t have work the next day, luckily, but Zach did. His brother was snoring loudly, fast asleep, while the young bartender was just caught in though. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to sleep, but his mind was reeling. Normality was out the window at this point. Magic, deals, kagunes, people attacking him at his work. He’d have to listen to what the note told him and go to them. If not, Marvin had a feeling that they’d come to him. He made the decision and closed his eyes, keeping them shut for a long time before finally drifting to sleep.
Marvin decided to keep this secret from Zach for the time being. He didn’t need his brother dragged into the mayhem too. He looked down at his watch, it was quarter till midnight and he was standing outside somewhere he used to fantasize about working at. There was a place close to Boston that was an old theater that him and Zach tired so desperately to work at. He’d heard that the owner was extremely strict on his hiring process, hardly ever hiring people that weren’t family, or that he didn’t personally know. Why would they want to meet him here?
Before Marvin could even contemplate going in for any longer, someone opened the front entrance from the inside. “Why hello again,” A familiar voice called from the door. Marvin took another step closer, recognizing her immediately.
“I think our last time meeting was a little unorthodox,” She held out a hand for him to shake. “The name’s Cris. Pleasure to finally meet you.”
Marvin just kind of stared at her, unsure if any of this was actually happening. He hesitantly shook her hand, but could feel her trying to worm back into his mind, so he quickly pulled back. Cris smirked at this. “Well now I can see why Phantom has taken an interest in you. Why don’t you come in, he’s waiting just for you,” Cris opened the door further, after a beat Marvin followed behind her.
Marvin marveled at the interior of the theater, murals painted all throughout the halls, performing rooms, stages, lights, sound board. Every little detail and cracked door caught his eyes. “Keep up,,” Cris scolded as he stopped to peak into a slightly opened door.
Cris finally stopped at a door, standing to the side of it. “He’s right inside. If I were to give you some advice, don’t piss him off,” That was all she said before knocking on the door, letting him know she was there.
After a moment, a faint voice called from within. “Come in,” Marvin could make it out enough to tell it was his voice. Cris gesture for him to go in, so the young bartender breathed in deeply before entering the man’s office.
Marvin recognized the place as the one from his dream immediately. Skulls, jars, different artifacts lining the walls. The man was sitting there at his large, darkly stained desk, leaning back with one hand tapping against the wood. He gestured to the seat across from him. “Have a seat Marvin,” He invited.
The young bartender sat down, deciding he was too far in this to be hesitating, but his eyes couldn’t help but wander around more. He looked behind Phantom as his gaze was caught on the books lined behind him. They looked just like the one he had.
Phantom coughed, catching the boy’s attention again. “Let’s chat now shall we,” Phantom leaned forward on his elbow, hands folded in front of him. “I don’t think you understand the power you’ve stumbled upon. You have something of mine that I want.”
Marvin knew he couldn’t hide anything now, the best he could do was work his sly conman magic. He relaxed in his seat, keeping as much control as he could. “You mean the book right? It was left unattended at my bar. And frankly if someone leaves something at my bar I will take it”
“That book was stolen. I’ve been looking for it for months, along with the individual that had it,” Phantom told. “That’s not all,” He reaches behind him and pulls one of the off looking books down and begins flipping through it. Finally stopping at one section reading it aloud. “Law 4 Section 3, Paragraph 5: Use of stolen magic for an elongated period of time is punishable for 20 years to lifetime,” Phantom flipped the pages further.“Law 7 Section 8 Paragraph 3: Entering the Overlay realm unprotected and/or without notifying nearest Primary sorcerers can lead to temporary/permanent restriction on powers. Paragraph 7: While in the Overlay realm, entrance of another’s conscious without consent is strictly forbidden and will be trialed as a Class 5 offense. Punishment dependent on particular action taken within the victim’s conscious,” Phantom folded his hands on the opened pages, looking up at Marvin. “All these laws are forcible even with your ignorance of their existence, are you starting to understand why I am so keen on getting you and that book back?”
Marvin’s breathing went funny for a second. He didn’t realize that it would be this serious. There was this whole other world of magic and sorcery that he’d never known about, he didn’t even think that what he could be doing would be this bad. “You know Marvin,” Phantom said, interrupting his thoughts. “A lot of these crimes are hard to spot. Most sorcerers have a good enough control on their abilities that they don’t need to worry about being detected. But an amateur like you, someone who doesn’t have any clue what he’s doing. I could smell a thief like you a mile away. I should turn you in or kill you right where you sit,” He said with cold eyes.
Marvin knew that the ball was no longer on his side, he wondered if it ever was, but there was one thing he knew for a fact; he was alive. Phantom could’ve killed him in the Overlay realm but he didn’t. He was still breathing now, and there was a reason for that. He had one bargaining chip left, and he had to play it. “So why don’t you,” Marvin said with a shrug of his shoulder. “Sure we had some good back and forth at the bar, but you said it yourself. I’m a thief, so tell me Phantom, why am I still alive?”
Phantom leaned back and smiled. “I can see potential in you Marvin. Tell me Marvin, have you ever heard someone else’s voice, but when you check, they haven’t said anything?” Marvin didn’t respond, just remembering that day with Zach, where he heard his conflictions about Uni.
Phantom noticed the look on his face and kept going. “Or what about feelings? Have you ever felt, or even seen the emotions seeping off of someone?” Again, Marvin saw that with Cris. The rage coming from her when Marvin broke from her hold.
“That power you have is strange Marvin,” Phantom stated thoughtfully. “When you entered the Overlay, you went far from your body. Sure in this realm it was just a room over, but time and space is different there, as I’m sure you’ve seen. Hearing and seeing what others feel, not many can do that. The book of Daydreams and Nightmares held an ancient power that you’ve now awakened. It now rests in you. But without the proper guidence, you’ll only find yourself lost and confused. It could even drive you mad.”
This was so much for the young bartender to comprehend. He was having a hard time keeping up. “So what do you want from me? To teach me?”
Phantom closed the book with a snap of his fingers. Flicking his wrist as it began floating away, back into it’s spot on the bookshelf. “I want to help you. I know you and your brother want something, you want to leave right? Well what if I gave you the power to do that. Instead of your untamed, outdated magic, I could give you something new. Something that you can adapt to and make your own. Whatever you want it to be.”
“What’s the catch?” Marvin asked, knowing that these types of deals were usually too good to be true without a catch.
Phantom smirked. “Nothing gets past you. All I want is for you to return the book and come work for me at the Theatre.”
Marvin’s eyes went wide. Phantom was the owner? He’d be actually working somewhere that he enjoyed. Sure he’d probably just start off taking tickets and showing people to their seats but it would be a start. The pay would probably be better too, then he could catch up with Zach.
Marvin’s face dropped. “What about my brother?” Marvin asked. “Can he work here too?”
The man in red sighed heavily leaning in on his elbows. “I only hire people that do business with me. I don’t give people these opportunities often Marvin. So come on, what do you say?” Phantom asked, a red twinkle in his devious eyes.
There was a long moment, where no one said anything. The two just sat in silence while Marvin thought through it all. Everything was looking in his favor. A better job, a way to help get to where he wanted, and he’d get to shape his own powers? There didn’t seem to be a downside. Except he’d be leaving Zach. He loved his brother truly, but Zach was already ahead of the schedule. He was ready to go to college, Marvin was just slowing him down. If it was the other way around, Marvin would want to go immediately, why keep holding his brother back.
Finally, Marvin sat up straight in his chair, looking deep into red demon eyes. “Okay,” He finally said. “Let’s make a deal.”
