Chapter 87 - Mirror illusion

The help he received from his friends actually eased the burden Gustavo was carrying. However, hell still existed when he was at home.

His parents' arguments continued as his mother became increasingly suspicious of her husband's fidelity. All because she said had seen him talking to a woman with blonde hair and formal clothes in front of the house in the middle of the night. No matter what explanations he gave, the woman didn't listen.

And so Gustavo preferred only to return home in the evening.

Thanks to his friends starting their internship at Dreamland Circus, he could hitchhike and spend the whole day rehearsing with the band. Because the schedules didn't match up sometimes, the boy walked around the park like he does now.

On weekdays it was less busy, but it was more common to see school trips and groups walking through the park. That day, it had rained in the morning and by the afternoon the sun was shining brightly without scaring away the customers.

— Well, are you walking through the park again?

— Aaah! — Gustavo shouted, jumping up and down — What a fright!

— Hahaha, I'm sorry. I saw you lost in thought and couldn't resist.

It was that guy with the black hair and red eyes.

They often bumped into each other when Gustavo spent his break alone. They would chat for a while, with the guy chatting the most about his mirror show. Gustavo didn't mind being the least talkative, it was fun to see someone so cheerful.

Sometimes Gustavo would return to rehearsals a little more energised thanks to the cheerfulness that guy radiated.

— Are you on break too?

— Not really. One of the mirrors broke, so I was going to call someone from maintenance. 

— Broken? How did it break?

— Hm... I can't say for sure. It looked like someone punched the mirror.

— That's dangerous — Gustavo sighed worriedly — Not only could you injure your hand, but it could spoil your presentation.

— That's what I thought! There are always people who don't care about other people's work.

Not everyone who visited Dreamland was a good person. Gustavo felt sad to realise this. And even sadder that someone had the audacity to destroy the hard work of a labourer.

— And where do you find the maintenance team?

The boy spun on his heels and pointed towards the circus tent.

— They're the circus foremen, since there's more space for them to handle the equipment and they're close to the warehouse.

Ah, so Rafael and Juliano could help, couldn't they?

— I have two friends who are doing internships there. I can send them a message asking them to come and have a look for you.

The guy raised his shoulders in surprise.

— Can you really do that? Wouldn't that be a nuisance?

— Of course not — Grabbing his mobile phone out of his pocket, Gustavo quickly sent a message to Rafael briefly explaining what had happened, and the reply didn't take long to arrive — Ah, they're going to talk to Mr. Barley and they'll be there soon.

— What good news. It's a good thing I closed the attraction for repairs, otherwise someone might get hurt while we're waiting.

What a kind person, Gustavo thought. He thought of the customers' wellbeing first and foremost. But how broken was the mirror for such a measure to be taken?

— Won't that spoil your show? 

— Oh, no! In fact, even if it was broken, I could put on quite a show — The guy's eyes suddenly seemed to sparkle as he abruptly approached Gustavo — Do you want to see it?

— Huh? Your mirror show?

— Since your friends are coming, it's fine if we wait there, don't you think?

Looking at his mobile phone to check the time, he still had a while until the end of his break. Nodding his head, Gustavo barely had time to reply when he was dragged away by the bloke.

— Come on, come on! It'll be fun.

The guy grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him quickly across the park. Was he that anxious to show off his show? Gustavo wasn't important for that. Still, he felt a little happy.

Gustavo let himself be dragged through the park until they reached a black and red tent. After the bloke unlocked the door and they entered, Gustavo was surprised by the darkness surrounding him.

— You see, this is Diablo's show.

— Diablo?

— That's my stage name — laughed the guy even more excitedly — If you walk straight, you'll soon reach the mirrors.

— Oh, right.

Staring at him briefly, Gustavo had to hold back his laughter at seeing that tall man acting as excited as a child. He wanted his show to be appreciated? Well, he must be proud of what he had prepared, isn't that how these artists feel?

Shrugging, Gustavo followed the instructions and walked in a straight line. Magically, he no longer saw Diablo and the entrance to the tent; it felt like walking in the dark in an endless void. Still, it wasn't scary.

It took about twenty steps before Gustavo came across the wall of mirrors. As he approached it, all around him seemed to be mirrors that reflected various Gustavos endlessly.

— Wow.

— Interesting, isn't it?

Looking behind him, Gustavo didn't see Diablo physically, nor did he feel his touch on his shoulder. But in the mirrors he was standing behind him with his hands on his shoulder, which made him even more curious about that magic trick.

— Hey, but you're not behind me. How do you do that?

— It's magic — he whispered in her ear. It felt strange. Even though he wasn't behind him, Gustavo still heard his voice as if he were — Now, let's see the secrets that are hidden in the mirror of your soul. 

— Secrets? Mirror of the soul?

— Oh, there's no need to fear. It's just you and me here. And remember — Diablo hugged Gustavo's shoulders and stroked his head, a warm and cosy touch — I can make you experience beautiful things here.

Was he talking about illusions?

When they met on the bench in the park, he had commented that he showed his clients their greatest desires. 

Come to think of it, Gustavo had no idea what her greatest wish was. He might have known about the secret he was hiding, but what did he want most? Realising this left a strange feeling in his chest.

Raising his head to face the mirrors, he saw something.

He saw his family fighting and his sister covering his ears.

Oh, how he imagined it.

Was that his secret?

In fact, he hid it from his friends so as not to worry them. And also because he felt ashamed of not having a harmonious family. 

Facing such a nightmare reflected in those mirrors made his body tremble. Unlike everyday life, there was a mere spectator Gustavo could see his parents' faces. The fury in their expressions, the weariness of having to fight again and again for the same reason.

Like an endless nightmare.

And then the mirrors went dark, reflecting nothing. 

Were they now going to show what he wanted most?

Gustavo waited.

And waited.

And waited.

But nothing reflected in those mirrors.

— Huh?

Looking around, he couldn't see anything. It was as if he had returned to that emptiness he felt when entering the tent of mirrors. He even dared to take a few steps, trying to find something. 

But nothing could be found.

Didn't he have dreams?

Did Gustavo have no ambitions?

Why?

Perhaps if he walked a little further he might find something.

And so he did. Gustavo began with timid steps that evolved into a desperate run. Where were his dreams? What was he living for? Why was he trying so hard? It was despairing to walk on empty.

Gasping for breath, his legs trembling as if he were about to miss his stride, Gustavo found a shiny door.

There was his dream.

He wanted to know what it was. He needed to discover his greatest dream. Perhaps it was his goal in life.

Reaching out to grasp the handle, a small hand stopped him from reaching his dream. Startled by the sudden presence at his side, he was surprised to see a dark-haired, dark-eyed boy with familiar features, wearing a cloak.

— I wouldn't recommend opening that door, you know.

— What...

— That person is trying hard to protect you, so how about you go back?

Who was that boy?

He was familiar...

And then the boy stood on his tiptoes and used his free hand to cover Gustavo's eyes. When the drummer opened his eyes again, he was surrounded by mirrors, one of which was broken. In front of the broken mirror, Diablo was crouched down holding tightly to his hand. 

Opening his eyes wide, the boy despaired.

— What... Is that blood? Blood... Blood, wait a minute... 

Gustavo was completely confused. He needed some kind of cloth to wrap the boy's hand and stop the bleeding, but there was nothing there that could be used. Running over to Diablo, the drummer grabbed a piece of his shirt and quickly wrapped it around his injured hand.

— How did you get hurt? — Raising his eyes to the broken mirror, he saw bloodstains there — Did you try to change the mirrors yourself? Without gloves?

— Hahaha, it's no big deal...

— Of course it is, you're bleeding! — Gustavo shouted, taking care not to squeeze the wound too much — What if you get an infection or...? 

— Calm down, kid, I'll be fine, relax.

Gustavo couldn't believe those words, because they were the same words his father had whispered when his sister fell down the stairs. Other people might have got up from the ladder and considered it a minor accident. But she hit her head and never opened her eyes again.

Small accidents could also be dangerous.

— Gustavo.

— What?

— My name is Gustavo — murmured the boy, raising his watery eyes to the illusionist — And please, don't hurt yourself any more. It's dangerous. Your life is precious too.

Gustavo didn't see when Diablo's countenance darkened, nor would he have imagined that this display of genuine concern had spawned a new obsession.