The Kingmaker System-Chapter 145 - 144. Allies Or Foes (3)

Two weeks after receiving the invitation to a show, I was standing outside the theatre looking at the looking at the poster of the play as the evening was settling.

"The Missing Pianist."

There was a man who was slumped over the piano along with a couple and there were various dark silhouettes around which gave the play a mysterious air.

There were a lot of people around who seemed like they were also heading inside the theatre. I walked in along with them and stopped once at the reception as my ticket was a VIP invitation.

"Pardon me." I turned my head to see a middle-aged attendant who was dressed nicely looking at me.

"Yes?"

"Are you perhaps, Lord Dragon?" He asked and I nodded.

He bowed to me with a polite smile before saying, "This way please, My Lord awaits you."

He gestured me to come along and I followed him watching as the other people were heading towards the large double doors while I was headed up the stairs.

The large corridor lay in front of us with red carpet and various posters of the famous plays displayed on the walls of both sides along with the double doors.

"This way, please." The attendant said with a smile as he led me towards the double doors which had the sign of the ram with inverted horns.

He opened the door slightly before poking his head in and then opened the doors fully gesturing me to enter.

I found the two comfy arm chairs inside along with a table and a good view of the stage.

"Please enjoy the show." He bowed before he left and I walked in finding the man who had invited me. He was dressed in a black suit with silver accessories and a black mask with silver markings. He was the living example of an enigmatic persona.

"Lord Dragon, I’m so delighted to see you again." Lord Devil smiled, his way of speaking was still the same slow and heavy.

"Thank you for inviting me, Lord Devil. I was indeed busy with work so, I needed this little break."

"I’m glad I was of some aid to you." He said and then gestured for me to have a seat.

"I hope you do invite me in future if there are some interesting plays." I said as I sat down looking at the stage and then at the audience sat on the first floor bathed in the dim lighting.

"I’ll surely do." He said.

There was the sound people chattering and moving about looking for their seats below us and I saw a few VIPs sitting in the balconies around us ready with their binoculars and wine glasses.

"A lot of people seem to like this play." I mumbled.

"The playwright is quite famous and his plays usually attract a lot of people." Lord Devil explained.

"What’s his name?" I asked and he hummed.

"His name... It’s Lord Oberon." He spoke and I nodded.

"His stories must be really interesting." I mumbled watching the people rushing to their seats as the announcement of the show soon starting was made.

"The story is really interesting, it’s about a famous Pianist who mysteriously goes missing after his show and his friend along with the Pianist’s sister set out to search for him."

"Sounds like a thriller." I mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"It’s starting." I said as the lights over the stage dimmed and we both fell silent and relaxed in our seats.

Two spotlights illuminated the stage and the clapping started welcoming a man dressed in a black swallowtail suit. One spotlight was focused on a large piano and the other was following the man as he walked over to the piano. He bowed once to the audience before he took a seat in front of his piano and his fingers flew over the ivory keys.

The deep and sombre music flowed across the large hall making me lean slightly ahead as the melancholic melody draped itself around the walls engulfing the people into its cold embrace.

I wondered what this song was, it seemed like it was a silent cry of the pianist, the unspoken story of the turmoil that stormed within his head and made him suffer in the darkness. The kind of suffering which was invisible to other’s eyes but which was like a ghost haunting the pianist.

The music ended and the sounds of claps resounded across the theatre before there was silence and the actors stepped on the stage.

The story was a mystery story indeed, it was to look for the pianist who was at the peak of his stardom suddenly disappeared right after his biggest performance.

Everyone was confused and started creating stories about him and his life. Some said he eloped, some said he was kidnapped, some said he must be murdered but the protagonist who was his friend wasn’t able to believe all this.

The performance of the actors was quite amazing and I couldn’t help but feel drawn into the story.

Slowly, the protagonists unraveled the life story of the pianist, the mystery that revolved around him and started slowly finding the answers to the questions that stood before them.

Till the end of the story, the protagonists of the story set on the path which the pianist walked on and finally, found where he went.

The pianist had been suffering from depression and slowly even his body was deteriorating. He had contracted a disease which was starting to harden his muscles, each movement was painful for him. He had managed to hide it for months but the disease was progressing quite quickly.

He consulted his trusted doctor but even after researching there was no clue about the disease let alone its cure. It was an incurable disease and it would slowly make his whole body stiffen up eventually killing him.

He didn’t have the heart to tell his sister or his beloved friend about his condition so, he decided to disappear. He hired a carriage and some helpers who as soon as the performance ended brought him away from the stage and put him in the carriage.

All of this was found out by the protagonists who at the end of the story reached at the small cottage in a countryside where they found a diary written in the last days of the pianist.

There was also a music score which was the last creation of the Pianist.

The story ends with the Pianist’s friend playing that very piece as per the last wish of the Pianist.

The deafening applause encompassed the theatre and I couldn’t help but feel impressed by the immaculate storytelling of the playwright.

The story had all the elements that would draw the audience in and make them empathize with the protagonists. I could see some ladies sniffing and wiping their tears as they cheered for the actors who now appeared on the stage and took a bow to their audience.

I stood up as this deserved a standing ovation, along with me the people on first floor also were standing and applauding loudly.

The play ended and I and Lord Devil stepped out of the VIP balcony.

"Would you like to have dinner, Lord Dragon?" He asked and I hummed.

"Sure,"

We walked up to the restaurant nearby and were led to the reserved table in a private section.

"Lord Oberon, you said was the playwright, right?" I asked after we had given our orders.

"Yes,"

"He’s a gifted writer." I said with a smile, "I’ve read many books and watched various shows but, I guess none of them were as incredible as this play."

He smiled, "I’m glad I invited you then."

"I would love to meet the playwright someday." I said and he looked at me.

"Are you acquainted to him, Lord Devil?" I asked.

"I’m afraid not, he’s a... secretive person and not many people know him."

"Must be good for him," I mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"A writer takes inspirations from the people around him, if many people know him then it would be hard for him to move around freely and observe people." I said.

The food was served before us and I couldn’t help but hum the music that I heard at the theatre.

"I wonder if he wrote this piano score himself, if he did then I can say I’m his fan." I said with a smile.

Lord Devil chuckled, "You seem to know a lot about writers."

"I do. It’s not quite easy to coax the readers into the world on someone else’s imagination. Lord Oberon has one more follower now, I’d love to see more of his plays. Also, if possible, I’d like to arrange his shows in my territory as well so, could I ask for your assistance in that Lord Devil?" I asked making him smile.

"Why not?" He replied making me smile.

The food was good but I couldn’t help but keep thinking about the characters and the disease which I had learned about in my past life.

"He must have known someone who had that disease and that’s why he made such a character." I mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"It’s really depressing to see someone whom we know suffering from such a condition, knowing that we can’t do anything but just watch them suffer before they start feeling death creeping up on them." I spoke feeling the nostalgia creeping on me.

Not because of the disease but because of the helplessness of the person who watches the one who suffered.

"It is depressing indeed, even after one has all the money and power in the world yet, they couldn’t do anything about the impending death." Lord Devil spoke.

"We could never be enough for a person who succumbs to their suffering." I added.

"One couldn’t ever embrace the other person’s pain wholly, it’s impossible to understand humans."

"It is." I agreed.

We both stopped talking after that as the air around us seemed to have darkened. It wasn’t an unknown emotion but it seemed to have taken a hold of us.

After finishing food, I took my leave and Lord Devil saw me off with a smile and the promise of inviting me again for another show.