Even though he finished his breakfast and was ready for the day, Jane still had nothing at all to do. Normally, he would be helping his brother out with some menial task or finding a way to make money, but it was not his laziness that deprived him of productive activities today. It was the last day of the month, after all.
His brother, who worked himself down to the bone every single day, was currently sipping a cup of tea while looking outside the window. There was no trace of agitation in his expression, and his legs seemed as if they were perfectly content going nowhere. Even the food he had just enjoyed was prepared yesterday, and begrudgingly warmed on the stove this morning.
Even those who lived in the lowest castes of society were not treated like complete animals. In this small and sparse village, a full day of uninterrupted rest was given to all the villagers on the last day of every month. They were freed from all of their regular responsibilities, all of their quotas, and allowed to forget everything for a single day. That was not to say they didn't have work to do, however.
Jane joined his brother in looking outside the window. There were small groups of children loitering about the patted-down grass, discussing what sort of entertainment they would find that day. In the seriousness with which they discussed the topic, there could be seen a sense of duty, and also responsibility. Those villagers were composed of those who worked hard, and played even harder. Just like his brother's careful sips of the morning, those children were searching for the most sublime way to rest themselves.
"I'm just saying, you have to think about it. Even my parents haven't seen him before, so there's no way we're going to get another chance before we're adults!"
"What's so great about a magician anyways? Can't we just go do what we said we were going to do?"
"You might not even see him in your entire life, you know?"
"Okay, I honestly kind of want to see the magician instead."
"You traitor!"
They bickered back and forth about what they wanted to do, in voices loud enough that Jane could even hear them through the walls of the house. While he had no reason to be interested in the conversations of children, the little girl who was trying to convince her companions had a decent point.
The curiosity which had long since dulled within Jane's heart began to flare up slightly at the mention of magic. The greatest possible escape from his mundane life sat within that simple word. It was also the most heartbreaking thing to him, as well. That which he had achieved, all of his concerns, what did they mean against someone who could solve them all with a simple flick of their wand? It wasn't an escape, in reality. It was just the idea of one.
Despite his well-honed pessimism, Jane still entertained the idea of a visit, just for a single reason. He really, truly, had nothing better to do. He was not enough of a masochist or social outcast to work today— he might've been too lazy, as well— and he did not have enough interests to take up the daylight hours. Jane carefully weighed the options in his mind.
'Would I rather be depressed, or bored?'
Seeing as he had resorted to such stupid thoughts in order to entertain himself, he already had his answer.
---
No matter how much of a miser he was,, there were certain things Jane wouldn't do for money. One of them was testing exactly how merciful a magician would be to a commoner who didn't pay for a show. So despite the pain in his heart, he ultimately chose to pay the full fare for the performance. Taking a healthy amount of his hard-earned coins with him, he left to go find where the magician was performing.
"GREAT MAGE CALEX"
In front of a humongous red tent, those words formed the arch of an entrance, with carpets and embellishments creating a sense of mystery about the inside of the tent. Droves of anxious villagers formed several lines leading to the entrance, all while marveling at the intricately assembled decorations. Jane found the shortest line among them, and quietly joined its tail.
Soon enough, the back of the person in front of him disappeared into the folds of the tent, and it was Jane's turn to buy a ticket. The enigmatic teller stared at him, waiting for his money. Next to him, there was a sign that read "50 CERIES, TWO TICKETS" and "30 CERIES, ONE TICKET". However, he could not focus on the contents of the sign.
'Is that a goddamned rabbit?'
The person waiting to give out tickets was a large, slightly anthropomorphic rabbit, in gaudy clothes and perching a top hat on one of it's ears. It looked at Jane with a slightly irritated expression.
"Excuse me."
"Ah, fuck!"
Jane jumped, and almost ran off, but hesitantly looked back at the person who had tapped his shoulder. It was a vaguely familiar villager, who wore the familiar signs of poverty. He pointed at the sign detailing the prices for tickets.
"Sorry about that. It's cheaper to buy two tickets, so do you want to go in together?"
Jane saw no reason to hesitate. After all, he had only brought 27 Ceries. With that, he and the man each gave 25 Ceries to the teller, who begrudgingly handed over two gilded red tickets. Jane snuck one last look at the rabbit before walking into the tent.
"There's rabbit on that guy's breath..."
Unbeknownst to him, the rabbit muttered quietly.
---
He could not have bought anything within the tent for 2 measly Ceries, nor was he willing to spend the tiny dredges still remaining in his pocket. Thus, Jane headed directly to the performance hall, and sat in one of the seats with a better view. Another well-dressed rabbit came near him with a trolley of snacks, before tsking at him and walking away.
'Seriously, what is it with all of these rabbits? Can they tell I just ate one of them?'
A slightly more shabby rabbit was making the rounds, as well, holding a basket of carrots. This one was not as popular with the audience members, but often found patronage by the other trolley-driving rabbits. Suspended by a string around his neck, a sign read "FRESH CARROTS, ONLY 2 CERIES". Now, they were not just regular carrots, which would be criminal to sell for two whole Ceries. These carrots were indeed the sweetest and crispiest Jane had even seen, which he knew without even taking a bite. Their skin lacked the usual ruggedness of carrots, possessing a luster like the surface of gold. It was as if it was not grown on in the ground, but instead raised in a loving household with infinite joy and care.
As Jane munched on his carrot, he was once again reminded of the rabbit from his dream. It seemed he was a little guilty over the rabbit's death, and had a dream about it because of that. However...
'I don't know that much about rabbits, so how did I have such a vivid dream? That rabbit had a whole history, too...I even recalled its mother's face.'
Within his mind, there were two lines of history. One was of his own life, and the other was of the rabbit. The worst thing was, he was having difficulty seperating them. He had to think quite hard about the perspective from which he perceived the world in his memories to determine if they were his actual experiences.
Perhaps this was the rabbit's revenge on him, although he had no idea why that rabbit in particular would have this effect. It was not all bad, though. Jane felt a little enlightened by remembering an entire other creature's life, even if they were most likely delusions. The rabbit was him, and he was the rabbit. As he was chuckling at his thoughts, the lights around him dimmed, and the stage began to glow brightly. The rabbit hawkers stepped back, looking onto the stage with anticipation.
---
Jane more or less did not remember anything about the show. The parts which he did understand were applied in ways which escaped his comprehension, and that which he did not understand simply became mysterious effects onstage. The magician Calex, beads of sweat dripping from his face, nonetheless maintained the utmost showmanship within his performance, entirely confident that his every trick and demonstration would dazzle the audience. Once the magician performed his final act and the stage began to dim again, Jane's eyes ached and his ears rang with the aftershocks of flashy explosions. Even then, something inside him was stirred, and a subtle restlessness overcame his expression. He wanted to know if even a little bit, what the person onstage knew.
As he walked out of the tent along with the other dazed audience members, he felt that his life may very well never be the same. As he thought this, a blow to the back of his head robbed him of his consciousness.