There’s always a welcoming atmosphere in the Imperial Theater, where many citizens of high stature flock from all over Aethasia every Sunday night to see the finest plays and opera, all contained inside a grand emporium on level nine of Evercity, built to the Emperor’s specifications himself. A true masterpiece, many have called it, fashioned out of stone, brick, bronze plating, and quartz pillars, along with a touch of gold every so often.
However, there’s a slightly different feel to the theater tonight. Instead of the brash talking and boisterous laughter that often filled the grand theater’s halls, harsh whispers and coarse mumbles became dominant throughout the entire theater, as a renowned singer had traveled all the way from No Man’s Landing to grace the theater with his presence.
Yes, technically music was illegal in Aethasia, but it was murmured that the Emperor himself would be attending this performance, judging whether the singer would gain great renown, or be sentenced to the Fogworks for life.
As the attendees got their tickets from the booth and made their way to their seats, they noticed that the theater was packed, even more than usual. Even standing room was filled to the brim with people eagerly anticipating the arrival of the renowned singer.
The people crowded inside the grand theater were all speculating as to the singer’s name, attire, and theme of singing. Some said he was a masterful opera singer, who always wore a suit. Some said he was a rather reckless youth who only song hard rock, and always wore some sort of outrageous costume, ranging from leather vests to suits of armor. After a few minutes of waiting, the lights began to dim, and the crowd went silent with apprehension.
The conductor tapped his baton on his pedestal’s railing, readying his orchestra, and began. A slow, ominously mournful tune began, with a guitar as the backbone of the song, and occasional hard drum beats. The curtain opened after a few moments of this, and a masterfully crafted set was revealed, with trees that looked real, and finely chiseled tombstones, not to mention the decaying, dead grass on the floor.
Fog appeared to be swirling around the stage, shrouding it in an air of mystery, when suddenly, after a few moments, a man emerged from the thickest cloud in the middle of the stage. The citizens of Aethasia who had paid their hard-earned money for the expensive theater tickets were surprised to see a young man of about twenty-five standing on the stage. Not only did his age stun them, but his attire was simply breathtaking. A hand-tailored black tuxedo, with gold trim and red detailing, with white cuffs, not to mention black gloves on his hands, along with a similarly decorated, grand flowing cape.
But, the most stunning detail of all was his mask. The singer onstage wore a highly detailed paper-mache mask of a dragon, with scaley purple skin, a gaping maw, and deep, black eyes.
Just as the theater was able to take in this peculiar attire, the singer spread his arms in front of him and began to sing in a melancholy, mournful, deep voice, just in time with the music.
Ghost in the moon
Walking alone
All these dark empty streets
Not every man has his day
Every dog gets it’s bone
As these words were sung, the man on-stage walked along, stroking various tombstones as he walked past them, and occasionally gazing deep into the audience.
Had the heart of a king
Nothing I touched turned to gold
Now my love holds no splendor
It hurts to remember that I’m a ghost in the moon
After this the man spread his arms wide once more and addressed the masterfully crafted set’s glowing moon, before continuing singing.
I’ll be fine as long as the moon still shines
I know that the day will come soon
Love will come back around but tonight I’m howling with the hounds
A ghost in the moon
Here, a soulful electric guitar cut into the mournful music, replacing the acoustic guitar from before, and adding an electric keyboard, contrasting with what the song had been before, but somehow making it even more deeply mournful, as the man swayed across the stage, as if dancing with a ghost.
It is a beautiful thing
To be held
To be loved
Though I’ve lost more than one
I know the roses will bloom for this ghost in the moon
After this, the man stares up at the set’s sky once more, and addresses the stars.
So I’ll smile at the stars
While they float across the sky
I’ll whistle a tune, all the wishes I’ve made
And oh they’re coming true
I’ll be fine as long as the moon still shines
I know the day will come soon
Love will come back around but tonight, I’m howling with the hounds
A ghost in the moon
The man lowers his arms, then faces the audience, and finishes his sad lament.
It is a beautiful thing
To be held
To be loved
Though I’ve lost more than one
I know the roses will bloom
For this ghost in the moon
The man then bows, spreading one arm to his left and the other across his stomach as the entire audience stands and applauds, before raising his head to the Emperor’s private box.
The Emperor of Aethasia gazes out at the stage with a stern look, before standing and grinning, clapping for the man onstage. The man onstage bows once more, this time spreading his cape wide before the curtain closes, with the audience still clapping.
The announcer runs onstage, and shouts:
“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Drake Lamentér!”
