The Aurora Circus appeared in the town as if from nowhere. One day the square behind the abandoned factory was empty, and the next there was a huge tent in scarlet and silver, glittering in the sunset. Mystery artists were hanging around, putting up glittering garlands and setting up stately platforms. Julka, a thirteen-year-old skateboarding fan, and Bartek, her brother, a year younger, immediately felt they had to see this circus. Rumours had already spread among school friends about the amazing shows where objects levitated and fiery circles glowed not only in the arena, but also in the imagination of the audience. They obtained tickets for the evening's performance through a very unusual exchange - they gave away old comic books to a clown in striped trousers who claimed to like reading about superheroes. As soon as they stepped inside the tent, they felt like they were in a completely different world. The smell of candyfloss was in the air and a barely audible but mesmerising melody came from the speakers. Bartek spotted a juggler throwing glowing balls that changed colour with every movement. Rather than looking at the performers, Julka watched the crowd of spectators; some of them looked like ordinary people from the town, but some were surprisingly 'unusual'. When the lights went out and the spotlights flashed, an announcer in a cylinder and a brocade bow tie announced: "Before you - a display of unbelievable skills and .... a bit of magic!" A girl balancing on a rope entered the arena, followed closely by acrobats performing flips so high they seemed to touch the vault of the tent. Everything was going according to plan - until then. Julka noticed that some of the lights around the arena were starting to flicker irregularly. At one point they flared so brightly that the audience went blind for a second. As everyone blinked confusedly, they realised that one of the performers had disappeared from the arena - without any trick, without any announcement of a special effect, she just she was gone. The audience began to murmur and the announcer tried to make an inept joke. Julka looked at Bartek and noticed that the boy was tense clutching an old comic book in his hand, which they had given to the clown earlier. Curiously, the comic book glowed with a bluish radiance that was impossible not to notice on the dark stand. At that moment, a crackling sound came from the speakers and the whole tent was plunged into semi-darkness. For a moment, only muffled whispers and the nervous laughter of the announcer could be heard. In the middle of the arena, like a figure from another dimension, a shadow appeared which began to move slowly towards Julka and Bartek. The children froze. They all watched the shadow grow and take clear shapes. Julka squeezed the glowing cartoon tighter. Tension grew in the stands as the figure approached inexorably and the circus lights went out one by one.