••• Magic •••

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Flashes of light and voices called out to the man, all attention focused on him at this moment as he simply kept his gaze forward and walked down the hall, making sure to hold onto the hand in his own hand. The weight of the hand in his, even though it was a small hand, was heavier than imagined, reminding him of the oath he had taken when he became a parent. He looked down to the child, offering her a warm smile, wanting her to feel comfortable as she experienced a new type of evening tonight, one of cameras and a commotion of people calling out to him. The woman beside him was one of beauty to be envied, her lips planting a soft kiss on his cheek as they ascended the marble stairs.

As he picked up the child and rested her on his hip, the woman beside him reminded him of what tonight would bring, how it would end, and how the new world would begin. They both knew that the future he was going to bring upon himself would contort their once fairytale life. They both knew the reality that they would face tomorrow, one which even they were unsure of as fear only laced its way through their hearts and scared them. As a child, he was raised to be the best he could and learned how he adorned the idea of shocking others. He realized how to articulate his very career into one of shocking the public, for they wanted entertained, perhaps that form not even science could explain. Having taken the public's desires and molding them with his hobby, he crafted it not only into his career, but into his life as well.

The woman beside him took his hand in hers, her silk gloves causing him to recall the texture of her hair that was pinned back tonight in effortless curls, those black locks mimicking gentle waves. A pair of piercing green eyes, they look towards the entrance of the performance hall, her hand squeezing his tight for reassurance as she knew that tonight had to happen, but she was still unsure how she could go along with her future. She knew of the troubles which would arise within an hour, for it was not just her husband who knew how to work the crowd, but this woman as well, for she was the one who stood by his side every night...who would stand by his side one last night.

Security guards opened a set of doors for the family as they took a turn, the hallway stretched long before them as the doors closed behind them. Not another soul was within the hallway, causing the reporters outside to seem as if they lived in another world, the commotion outside only muffled as the family walked further away from the doors.

Tonight would be a full house, even the president in the audience with a few other world leaders and individuals held in high regard to the public eye. After all, this man was one of the most successful in his field, for he knew how to captivate an audience. His name was internationally famous for even his younger days as a university student traveling the globe he had even preformed for the royalty of Middle Eastern and Asian countries, leading to his fame in the Western world with more world leaders in favor of his performances. The presence of these types of people here tonight did not frighten him tonight, for it was where he would be once the show ended that he was afraid of.

As the family entered into the room, the man set his daughter down on the couch, looking to his wife as she adjusted her diamond jewelry and pushed back a few stray hairs. It was a habit of his wife to do this as a way to calm her nerves, to just stand before a mirror and adjust things to perfection as she would allow herself to calm down. The couple both looked to their daughter for a short second as she kicked off her shoes and closed her eyes. The very definition of innocence within a world of sin. Their daughter had no idea what tonight would bring for the family, for she had no idea she would never see her father again. Her father would be mothering but a memory in just an hour.

The man kissed his wife's temple, whispering words to her as she turned to him, wanting to plead with him to rethink his plans tonight. She could not imagine living a life without him, but she knew that no matter it would break her heart, she had always known this night would come and that this was that night. Her husband had analyzed the ancient writings and legends before applying his knowledge as part of his career and unlike most of the world, he did not believe magic was just a word for something you could not comprehend. Traveling the world for years with only his passport, a backpack, and enough money for a meal, he learned his way around, learned languages thought to be dead, and spells to be merely childish words.

Tonight would be his life's last work here in this world and it was not just some silly prop, but something he had spent many years perfecting. This trick was not just pure magic, but something so real that it would tamper with the fabric of reality.

He had never used it to its full potential, he had never dared try it like he would tonight, but as the minutes passed by and his time with his family grew thin, he knew that the path before him could end in various ways. His wife granted him one last kiss as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a key as he handed it over to his wife. Looking over to his daughter, he whispered the instructions to his wife as she took the key. His daughter would never understand what this item meant to him, why he had to leave it, and why he had to preform the trick which he did tonight, for she would grow up believing her father died in a tragic accident and he was lifeless before help could arrive.

His daughter would grow up believing her father never completed his life's world and that the family name would only hold the value of tragedy after this night. As a man called from the other side of the door that it was time, the wife put on her best smile and her husband took her hand as they said goodbye to their daughter.

As they walked to the back of the stage, he saw on the stage the very object which he would use to take him to another world. The lights blinded the couple as they walked onto the stage, the crowd rising to their feet as they cheered for the man and his wife. As he introduced themselves and the show for the night, his wife walked to the prop, pulling away the black fabric as the crowd fell silent in awe. The simple mirror with engravings of an ancient cult from ancient times in the Middle East, the mirror had a simple look to it, nothing more than what a prop would look like to the average eye.

As the man stepped up to create the final act of his life, he saw, from the corner of his eyes, his daughter, smiling and waving as her father vanished into the mirror...into a realm she would soon enter into as well. 

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