Regulus opened his eyes to soft lights and murmured chatter.
He was standing in the middle of a vast theater, golden and red in color, with velvet curtains and glowing chandeliers above. The seats were filled with people, well-dressed and speaking in soft voices. A quiet violin played from somewhere behind the stage.
It looked beautiful. Comforting, even.
Regulus blinked. He didn't remember walking in.
The usher at the door gave him a polite nod, then turned and vanished behind the velvet curtain. Regulus stepped forward, his footsteps muted on the plush carpet.
Something felt off.
He walked toward a nearby seat but found none of them vacant. The crowd was smiling, nodding gently as if watching something on stage. But there was no one there yet.
Regulus turned, and now the stage had changed. Puppets dangled from the ceiling, their limbs twitching unnaturally. He hadn't noticed them before.
The curtains drew back slowly. A show began.
A narrator's voice echoed out.
