Victoria glanced at her watch, trying to hide her growing excitement. In front of them, at the edge of town, stretched a huge gold and silver circus tent, which had appeared here literally yesterday. She and Igor, her best friend, slowly moved in line - all of them talking about the 'Golden Tent Circus' and its bizarre, delightful shows. When they went inside, they were greeted by the smell of candyfloss and popcorn, mixed with something hard to describe - the bittersweet scent of excitement and anxiety. Victoria saw that the arena was illuminated by hundreds of moving lights, casting a shadow of double silhouettes over the audience. Igor looked at her communicatively: - 'See that woman with the green hair at the artists' entrance? I think she winked something at us! Before they had time to comment, the lights dimmed and there was silence, as if the whole world hung somewhere in between. Suddenly, a troupe of acrobats rushed in - their costumes shone and their movements were as fluid as choreography devised by the wind itself. The circus announcer introduced them as the "Air Dancers" and suddenly the ceiling of the tent tilted slightly, revealing a sparkling dome. Gliding over the heads of the audience, the acrobats performed stunts that seemed to break the laws of physics. Gravity had no meaning here. Victoria felt a touch on her shoulder - Igor leaned in in a whisper: - This is no ordinary circus. Look at their hands... Indeed, the acrobats had glittering rings on their fingers. With each movement they emitted tiny flashes of light, as if magic was part of the show. Another performer, who was introduced as Irena 'The Illusionist', appeared in the middle of the arena amid a puff of smoke. She had intense blue eyes and a smile that seemed to see right through. - I need daredevils! - she called out, looking straight at Igor and Victoria. She opened her hand and suddenly butterflies made of shiny paper flew out of her fingers and began to glide around the children. Victoria felt a cold shiver - one of the butterflies touched her arm and disappeared, leaving delicate iridescent marks on her skin. The audience was stunned with delight, but Irene crouched down right next to Victoria and announced quietly: - Are you ready? You are about to see something that you will remember for a long time. The space around them began to change - the smoke thickened, the lights went out, and somewhere in the distance a strange, melodious laughter could be heard. Igor squeezed Victoria's hand and paper butterflies tangled in her hair, making a quiet buzzing sound. At that moment, a figure dressed in a dark red tailcoat appeared in the arena, his face obscured by a mask. He held out his hand towards them and said, in a low but strangely familiar voice: - It's time for a show you won't forget. It is only up to you what happens next....