Chapter 60 - Rohan's contract

That dawn seemed to be a long one. He should be sleeping and recovering from his injury, but even if he laid his head on the pillow, Leonardo would still be thinking about it. It would be better if they talked so that his conscience could be at peace for once.

Or even more disturbed.

Sitting in his office chair he stared at the picture frame, immersed in silence. More precisely at the image of his father, who was smiling all happy for the camera. Definitely Vicente had said that his father was involved in that matter. What else would he have left behind, imprisoning his own son to his dream?

Resting his head on his hand in a slouched pose, Leonardo couldn't imagine what might be ahead of him.

The office door had been opened by Benjin, who was smiling as he showed behind him the other three people responsible for the park. As soon as he handed a bottle of water to Leonardo, the trapeze artist leaned against the desk and crossed his arms while the others looked a mix of anxiety.

Leonardo watched them attentively while he finally quenched his thirst. Vincent and Aslan were the ones who looked most worried, they stared at him with regret. Unlike them, Ray had that mischievous smile on his face, as if he didn't care what the reason he was called to the office was.

Leaving the bottle on the table, the university student crossed his arms.

— I'll get straight to the point, who are you exactly? Demons? Illusions?

— We are nothing, yet we are everything. Isn't that wonderful, young master?

— Was it supposed to make any sense? — Leonardo complained, arching his eyebrow against the magician's overbearing smile.

— There isn't a word that can describe what we are, young master — replied Vicente calmly.

Looking at Aslan, Leonardo looked for a third opinion that could help him understand, but the boy only denied with his head. Good, he found your first dead-end street.

Drumming his fingers on his arm, Leonardo didn't feel like letting it go. If he didn't understand who they were, he would be blind to their actions. He had to know everything to avoid being manipulated by them.

— You can start telling me about your involvement with Dreamland. Did my father know about you?

— But of course he knew, we came about because of him — Ray had taken the lead as he walked through the office until he approached the desk where Leonardo was — To make a dream come true, you have to pay a price, you know?

So your father was really involved in that.

— Someone raised you?

— Bingo! — Ray applauded, increasing Leonardo's irritation — Until our young master is not as stupid as I thought he was.

About to start swearing at the magician, Leonardo was stopped by Aslan's nonchalant whisper.

— Diablo.

— What?

Raising his head, Aslan had repeated.

— The one who created them was a being called Diablo.

— A... being? — Leonardo had looked at the others who hadn't answered, and when he faced the boy again, he arched an eyebrow — You mean... Like in the puppet show?

— Wow, the young master is really smart — Ray laughed leaning over the table — That's right, young master. Dreamland's entire most successful show was based on a secret truth.

— A secret truth?

He had mentioned the show only because of the similarity to the name of the demon that broke the toys in that fantasy world. Pondering over the show, it was more about a boy who really liked a toy. Leonardo couldn't imagine that really had any connection.

As he thought, his gaze was directed to the picture frame once again. He stared at his smiling father for a few seconds, until he remembered the diary he had read once, shortly after arriving at the mansion. It was his father's childhood dream to create that circus.

— Would that have anything to do with my father founding Dreamland?

— Bingo again!

— But... how?

Vincent approached cautiously, maintaining his elegant and respectful pose.

— Young master, would you like to accompany me to Bluemoon Plaza?

— Aslan's shopping mall? — Watching Vincent agree, Leonardo looked at Benjin, who smiled at him in silent assent — Hm... All right.

And so the five of them left the mansion at dawn. They walked through the mist and crossed the huge Dreamland grounds to reach the open-air mall, completely deserted. No one had dared to say a single word along the way, which added to the secret impression of that moment.

Between the castle where the ticket office was located and the beginning of the mall, there was a wall where picture frames with images of the circus seemed to tell the story of Dreamland. Standing in front of the image of two men hugging in front of a circus tent, Leonardo recognized only one of them. With more youthful features than the last time he had seen him, he felt his chest tighten.

— Father... — Leonardo murmured, touching the glass — And that one next to him...

— Mr. Douglas, I think I already told you about him.

Leonardo nodded. He remembered Vincent's comment when they discussed the will.

— Is he Ben's father?

— I beg your pardon, but I lied — Receiving a surprised look from Leonardo, Vincent smiled embarrassed — Master Douglas never had children.

— Then why the hell did you say Ben was his son?

— So that you would come to Dreamland.

Leonardo wanted to choke him. If his hand wasn't hurt, He'd gladly wring his neck.

— So all that ridiculous marriage stuff...

— We will get to that part soon — Vincent laughed, trying to calm his young master with a stroking of his shoulders — What you need to understand first is that master Rohan and master Douglas headed the idea of the circus and would start performing in the countryside to small towns until they got permission to perform in the big cities.

Leonardo crossed his arms facing the pictures again.

He knew that story. He remembered when his mother told it to the twins while that part of the circus was still being built. His father used to travel by train with the circus artists to visit the cities and give performances. Over and over again Rohan would tell his children of the adventures he had experienced on his travels, of the muggings they had suffered, of the crimes they had been wrongly accused of, of the letters from the children thanking him for the show. Whatever memory their father had, he would tell the twins with joy and nostalgia regardless of whether it was something good or bad.

— And then he found a sponsor who helped him create Dreamland, didn't he? — murmured Leonardo — I remember my father had said about that, but he never commented in detail about this sponsor.

— Well, of course he wouldn't tell...

— A great businessman knows how to trap his victims in a contract, hahahaha — Laughed Ray leaning on Aslan's head.

— What do you mean?

— Think it over, Leo — Aslan muttered with his arms crossed — When your father and Master Douglas found this sponsor, Dreamland immediately began to prosper to where we are today.

What? Had your father sold his soul to the devil himself to make Dreamland grow? Heh, you've got to be kidding...

Looking at his eyes, Leonardo took some time to associate the information he had so far.

They said about the puppet show being based on real facts.

His father and his friend found a guy who was willing to make their dreams come true.

And the fact that those three were not human...

Leonardo's whole body shuddered.

— D-Diablo? — Looking at Vicente, Leonardo could only feel his skin shivering — Y-You are saying that those two literally made a contract with the devil himself?

— Bingo! — laughed Ray, still leaning lazily on Aslan's head.

— You're kidding. Okay, aside from the fanciful part, what were the terms of the contract?

— Only that the sponsor would provide any resources to make Dreamland thrive as the owners planned.

— And in return? In return for what? He wanted their souls?

— Master Douglas', precisely — Vicente continued, staring at the framed photos — We don't know why, but that guy was thirsty for Master Douglas' soul.

His head was starting to throb. Were they really saying that Dreamland, in all its magnitude, was the fruit of a contract with the devil himself? And all because of the soul of a single person?

— That's just weird. Why on earth would a demon keep Dreamland ever thriving for just one soul that was already devoured?

Ray, Vincent and Benjin have changed their appearance. Those terrifying eyes returned, just as their skins paled. It was in this way that Leonardo realised that it wasn't just one soul that had been delivered. No demon would ever be satisfied with a single soul for a job as large as that.

The biggest source of his headache in the last few months was the payment for such a contract.

— You... Are you kidnapping people to feed him?

— As I told the young master earlier, it's all part of a contract that Master Evilian signed.

— Why on earth would my father agree to take the lives of innocent people? What the fuck?!

— The park is not always full of innocent people, Leo — Aslan murmured with a sombre countenance, — Your father was looking for those who wanted to use Dreamland as a mere fantasy to disguise their sins. Isn't that what happened to your brother?

Leonardo's every muscle stiffened.

Yes.

An abuser who was hired as a trapeze artist and ended up taking your brother's life...

No...

It wasn't the abuser.

It was that shadow that always chased his dreams.

Covering his mouth feeling his whole stomach turn, Leonardo crouched without having any strength to stand up. Once again he was terrified.

That shadow... smiling maliciously... Could it be him...

— It's ok, Leo — whispered Benjin hugging Leonardo from behind — I'm here to protect you, nothing bad will happen.

Closing his eyes, Leonardo felt the warmth of Benjin's arms involving him, dispelling those annoying shivers. Holding the trapeze artist's arms, the brunette could find his chance to not feel afraid of that crazy fantasy story.

Right, they still had loose ends in that whole story.

— The children that Giovani looked for, that Lucas... What sin could they have committed to be caught by you?

At that instant, they all fell silent and looked away. It was definitely not a good sign, but Leonardo didn't give up. He kept staring at them until Vincent crouched in front of him and finally returned his gaze.

— That's why we want you to stay here. With the absence of an heir, Diablo will devour anyone, and we have no choice but to obey him. But if you stay here...

— Will he have to follow the contract?

Vincent silently agreed.

— Since the contract was signed with the blood of the two partners, and the young master is the son of the contractor, Diablo is obliged to keep his part.

It made sense now. When his father died, that damned demon must have thought he got rid of the contract and dragged innocent people into the park only to devour them. He wasn't surprised that Vicente seemed so desperate for him to inherit the park.

There were still many loose ends, the story had not been fully told. However, it was enough for Leonardo to hold Vincent's shoulder and say with determination.

— I accept being announced as Dreamland's heir.