Chapter 4

  Shining City Park was bright beneath the clear sky.

  A gentle breeze drifted through the open space, rustling the leaves of tall trees and carrying the faint laughter of children playing across the lawns. The atmosphere was peaceful—comfortable in a way that made the city’s deeper dangers feel distant.

  Near the entrance, however, that peace was interrupted.

  A small boy was crying loudly while his mother crouched beside him, trying to calm him down.

  “Shh… there, there… calm down, Michael,” she said gently. “Don’t cry. Didn’t you say yesterday that you wanted to go out and play?”

  Michael sniffed loudly and shook his head.

  “Hng… but I want to go to the amusement park! There are lots of fun things there… waaah… waaah…”

  “This place is fun too,” his mother insisted patiently. “You can play here as well. Look, there are plenty of other kids inside that you can play with.”

  She tried again to comfort him.

  But Michael refused to stop crying, and irritation slowly crept into her expression.

  Just as she was about to give in—

  Cring… cring…

  A soft sound of bells drifted through the air.

  Footsteps followed.

  Slow.

  Unhurried.

  The mother turned toward the sound.

  And saw a man dressed like a clown walking toward them.

  His hat resembled a crown, with small bells dangling from its pointed tips. His face was painted white, diamond patterns drawn around both eyes, and a calm smile rested across his lips.

  “My little friend,” the man said warmly, “on such a beautiful day… why are you crying?”

  Michael looked up.

  For a moment, the tears stopped.

  “I—I want to go to the amusement park…” he muttered between sniffles. “But Mom brought me here instead… huu… I’m bored with this place…”

  The man tilted his head thoughtfully.

  “Hm…”

  Then he smiled.

  “How about this?”

  “What if I entertain you instead?”

  Michael blinked.

  “Would you like to see… magic?”

  Curiosity slowly replaced the tears in the boy’s eyes.

  He nodded.

  Seeing her son calm down—and sensing that the stranger meant no harm—the mother relaxed slightly.

  The man snapped his fingers.

  Instantly, a deck of cards appeared in his hand, spreading open like a folding fan.

  Michael’s eyes widened.

  “See?” the man said gently. “The cards appeared out of nowhere.”

  “And now…”

  He leaned closer to the boy.

  “I can make them appear inside the bag you’re wearing.”

  Both mother and child stared at him in disbelief.

  The man chuckled softly.

  Then he clapped the deck sharply with his other hand.

  Clap!

  When he spread his hands again—

  the cards were gone.

  “Look,” he said lightly. “With a single clap, the cards disappeared.”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “And if we clap together…”

  “They’ll appear inside your bag.”

  He raised his hand toward Michael.

  “Come on. High five.”

  Michael hesitated.

  Then slowly tapped the man’s palm.

  The clown shook his head.

  “You’re still unsure.”

  “Come on. We need a stronger high five, or the magic will fail!”

  This time Michael slapped his hand loudly.

  Pak!

  “Now,” the man said, smiling again, “open your bag and see if the cards are there.”

  Michael immediately unzipped his backpack.

  Inside—

  a full deck of cards rested neatly.

  His eyes widened.

  “W-Wow!! How did you do that?!”

  “How did it get into my bag without opening it?!”

  Even his mother looked stunned.

  The man simply laughed.

  “Didn’t I tell you?”

  “I’m here to show you magic.”

  “Woahh! Do it again! Again!”

  Michael, who had been crying just moments earlier, was now bursting with excitement.

  The man leaned slightly closer.

  “Weren’t you the one who wanted to go to the amusement park?”

  Michael shook his head immediately.

  “No! I don’t want the amusement park anymore!”

  “I want to see your magic!”

  The man smiled.

  “How about this?”

  “I’ll be performing deeper inside the park.”

  “Why don’t you come watch?”

  Michael nodded eagerly.

  “Yes! I’ll definitely come!”

  “Then I’ll be going now.”

  With that, the man walked into the park.

  The bells on his hat chimed softly with each step.

  Michael tugged urgently at his mother’s hand.

  “Mom! Mom! Hurry! Let’s go inside or we’ll miss the show!”

  His mother laughed softly, relieved to see her child cheerful again.

  “Alright, alright. Let’s go.”

  She took his hand, and the two of them followed the clown deeper into the park.

  [Congratulations! Host has gained 30 Points from your performance.]

  Jack glanced briefly at the notification floating in his vision.

  “Thirty points from that small trick…”

  “That’s quite a lot.”

  He considered it for a moment.

  “Maybe because the child’s emotions changed so drastically.”

  “Hm…”

  “Well, whatever.”

  He shook the thought aside.

  “Better focus on the main performance.”

  Jack walked toward the center of the park, where a fountain stood surrounded by open space.

  Then he clapped his hands loudly.

  “Ladies and gentlemen!”

  “My name is Grim Mirth.”

  “And I ask for just a moment of your attention.”

  Jack bowed slightly.

  “On this wonderful day, I’d like to offer you some entertainment here in this park.”

  Several people nearby turned their heads.

  Curiosity spread.

  Within minutes, a small crowd began forming.

  “Without further ado…”

  Jack lifted a hand to his face.

  “Let the show begin.”

  With a smooth motion—

  a mask appeared across his face.

  Gasps erupted from the audience.

  Several people immediately pulled out their phones to record.

  Jack snapped his fingers.

  A deck of cards appeared.

  He began shuffling them with smooth, elegant movements that seemed almost hypnotic.

  Then he spoke.

  “For the first trick…”

  “I need a volunteer.”

  Among the crowd stood a young woman watching with her friend.

  She had only been observing out of curiosity.

  Yet somehow—

  she stepped forward.

  “Hello, miss,” Jack said politely. “What is your name?”

  “…Rea.”

  “Thank you, Rea, for volunteering.”

  “Now please take one card from my hand.”

  “Don’t show it to me.”

  “And don’t show it to the audience.”

  Jack extended the deck.

  Rea pulled out a card.

  Three of Hearts.

  “Have you seen your card?” Jack asked.

  “Yes.”

  Then—

  Clap!

  Jack clapped his hands together.

  Every card vanished instantly.

  Only the one in Rea’s hand remained.

  “Now,” Jack announced, “for this trick…”

  “I want everyone to clap three times with me.”

  He demonstrated.

  Clap.

  Clap.

  Clap.

  The crowd followed.

  Clap.

  Clap.

  Clap.

  “Alright,” Jack said calmly.

  “Now check your bags.”

  “Or your pockets.”

  The audience immediately began searching.

  “What?! There’s a card in my pants!”

  “I found one in my bag too!”

  “What card did you get?”

  “Mine is the Three of Hearts!”

  “Huh?! Mine too!”

  Some people found cards.

  Others found nothing.

  “I didn’t get one!”

  “Me neither!”

  The crowd grew louder.

  Some stared at the cards in disbelief.

  Others exchanged skeptical glances.

  Among the audience, however—

  one man did not clap.

  He did not smile.

  He simply watched.

  Then he slowly pulled out his phone.

  And began making a call.

  Meanwhile, Rea stared at Jack in shock.

  Jack laughed.

  “Hahaha… surprised?”

  “But the trick isn’t over yet.”

  “Rea, please show everyone the card you chose.”

  She raised the card.

  Three of Hearts.

  The crowd erupted.

  “So he didn’t give us random cards!”

  “How did he know what she picked?!”

  “Hey! Are you a planted audience member?!”

  “What do you mean planted?! Your family is planted!”

  “What?!”

  The noise escalated quickly.

  Jack clapped sharply again.

  “Alright, everyone, calm down.”

  “It’s only a small trick.”

  “No need to fight.”

  The crowd gradually quieted, though curiosity still burned in their expressions.

  Rea leaned closer to Jack.

  “How did you know my card?”

  “And how did you put cards into everyone’s pockets?”

  Behind the mask—

  Jack smiled.

  “That…”

  “…is a secret.”

  After thanking him, Rea returned to her friends.

  [Congratulations! Host has gained 300 Points from your performance.]

  Jack’s eyes gleamed faintly.

  But beneath the mask—

  a subtle pulse throbbed at his temples.

  Sharp.

  Persistent.

  The strain had come faster than he expected.

  Dozens of cards.

  Different pockets.

  Different bags.

  All at once.

  His mind felt stretched thin.

  Like invisible threads pulled too tight.

  Jack inhaled slowly.

  Steady.

  Calm.

  The mask hid everything.

  The audience must see confidence.

  Not weakness.

  Not hesitation.

  So he continued.

  “Alright!”

  “That was my first trick.”

  “Are you satisfied?”

  “Or do you want to see more?”

  The crowd shouted immediately.

  “Yes!”

  “We want another trick!”

  Jack spread his arms.

  “Very well.”

  “But for the next act…”

  He paused.

  Letting the anticipation rise.

  “Let’s raise the excitement.”

  “And the tension.”

  The audience leaned closer.

  Waiting.

  Then—

  Jack reached into his inventory.

  And pulled out a set of throwing knives.

  Sunlight struck the steel.

  Sharp.

  Cold.

  Real.

  The cheerful murmur of the crowd faltered.

  Several people standing closest instinctively stepped backward.

  One step.

  Then another.

  The circle around him widened slightly.

  The earlier laughter faded.

  Curiosity turned cautious.

  Finally, someone in the crowd spoke.

  “Wait…”

  A nervous pause followed.

  “Is this safe?”