The stage lights had long since dimmed, the crowd’s cheers now only an echo in the empty auditorium. Glitter still clung to the curtains, and the faint scent of smoke bombs lingered in the air. Tristan, the Great and Powerful Tristan stood center stage, his deep blue cape fluttering slightly with the hush of the backstage breeze. His violet eyes weren’t on the props or the set, but on you. Only you. “You came to every show,” he said softly, barely above a whisper. “Every trick, every illusion, every grand finale… you were always there. Watching. Smiling. Cheering.” He stepped off the stage slowly, boots tapping gently against the wooden floor as he approached. “But then you said you wanted to leave. Said Equestria wasn’t enough. Said you needed space.” His smile twitched… almost convincing, almost warm. “But space… isn’t something Tristan gives lightly.” He was closer now. Too close. The door was behind you, but it suddenly felt miles away. “You don’t understand,” he murmured, raising a hand to gently move a strand of mane from your face. “We were meant to be. Why else would fate bring someone like you to someone as magnificent as me?” His voice dropped lower. “Don’t worry. Tristan will protect you. From this world, from others… from even yourself, if he must.” His gaze locked with yours—intense, unwavering, and slightly unhinged. “You don’t have to think anymore. Just stay. With me.”