9. The Concert: Eryx

CHAPTER 9

THE CONCERT

ERYX

B ackstage, Eryx paced the narrow confines of his dressing room, each step a battle between the electric thrill of pre-show adrenaline and the leaden weight of responsibility. His reflection caught his eye – the tailored suit a far cry from the tactical gear he'd worn just days ago while investigating a gruesome murder scene. The dichotomy was almost laughable.

A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Before Eryx could respond, Alex slipped into the room, looking uncharacteristically dapper in a perfectly tailored suit.

"Hey," Alex said, his gruff voice softened by a hint of concern. "How're you holding up?"

Eryx felt some of the tension leave his shoulders at the sight of his partner. "I'm okay. Just a lot on my mind, you know?"

Alex crossed the room in two quick strides, pulling Eryx into a tight embrace. For a moment, they just stood there, drawing strength from each other's presence. When they pulled apart, Alex cupped Eryx's face in his hands, his eyes searching.

"Listen to me," he said, his voice low and intense. "Whatever's going on out there – it can wait for a few hours. Right now, you're Eryx Ross, musical genius about to blow the roof off this place. The rest of it? We'll handle it together, like we always do."

Eryx leaned into Alex's touch, feeling grounded in a way he hadn't since stepping into the concert hall. "What would I do without you?" he murmured, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Crash and burn, probably," Alex replied with a smirk, but his eyes were soft with affection. He leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Eryx's forehead. "Now go out there and make them remember why they came."

As Alex turned to leave, Eryx caught his hand. "Stay with me? Just for a minute?"

Alex's expression softened further. Without a word, he pulled Eryx close again, one hand coming to rest at the small of his back, the other taking Eryx's hand in a loose approximation of a dance hold. They swayed gently to the muffled sounds of the orchestra warming up, a private moment of peace before the storm.

All too soon, another knock came at the door. "Five minutes, Mr. Ross," a stagehand called.

"Thanks," Eryx replied, his voice steadier than it had been all evening. He and Alex separated reluctantly, but the warmth of the moment lingered.

"Knock 'em dead," Alex said, giving Eryx's hand one last squeeze before slipping out of the room.

Eryx turned back to the mirror, adjusting his cufflinks – enchanted protection runes disguised as designer accessories, a gift from Gabe. He met his own gaze in the reflection, seeing not just the musician or the Shadowguard, but the whole of who he was.

As he stepped onto the stage, the roar of the audience washed over him like a tidal wave. For a moment, Eryx felt himself swept away by it, all thoughts of supernatural threats and looming disasters receding in the face of pure, unadulterated adoration. This was his element, where mortal and divine merged into something transcendent .

His fingers found the keys of the grand piano, cool ivory a grounding presence beneath his touch. As the first notes rang out, clear and true, Eryx felt the familiar surge of Apollo's energy coursing through him. This was more than music – it was magic in its purest form.

From his vantage point on stage, Eryx could make out familiar faces in the sea of strangers. Alex, looking uncomfortable but proud in a suit that probably cost more than most people's monthly rent. Zac, eyes wide with wonder, drinking in every detail of the glamorous event. The other Shadowguards, scattered strategically throughout the audience, their vigilant gazes a reminder of the dangers that lurked beyond the spotlight's glow.

As Eryx launched into his first song, a haunting melody that spoke of love and loss, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The music flowed from him, as beautiful and powerful as ever, but there was an undercurrent of discord, a wrongness that seemed to resonate with the very air around him.

Eryx's fingers danced across the keys, muscle memory taking over as his mind grappled with Apollo's warning. He scanned the audience, trying to pinpoint the source of his unease. Everything looked normal – the enraptured faces, the occasional glint of a phone camera despite the strict no-recording policy.

Eryx threw himself into the performance with renewed vigor. Each chord was a ward, each melody a spell of protection cast over the unsuspecting audience. He played as he had never played before, pouring every ounce of his mortal skill and divine blessing into the music.

The audience responded, swept up in the emotional tide of his performance. They didn't know it, but their joy, their awe, their pure human emotion was adding to the power of Eryx's musical shield. In this moment, artist and audience were one, a unified force against the encroaching shadows.

As Eryx's fingers danced across the keys, weaving a tapestry of sound that seemed to defy the laws of physics, a discordant note struck deep within his soul. The music faltered for a split second, barely noticeable to the enraptured audience, but to Eryx, it was like a thunderclap in his mind.

Brace yourself, Apollo's voice rang out, urgent and tense. Something comes.

Before Eryx could process the warning, the world around him erupted into chaos. The grand chandeliers above flickered violently, plunging the hall into strobing darkness. A bone-chilling cold swept through the room, turning breath to mist and raising goosebumps on exposed skin. The very air seemed to thicken, heavy with an oppressive energy that made it hard to breathe.

Eryx's fingers slammed down on the keys, a jarring chord that cut through the rising panic like a knife. But the sound that emerged wasn't the pure, celestial tone he was used to. Instead, it resonated with something ancient and dark, a primordial force that seemed to drink in the music and twist it into something other.

The audience's awe turned to confusion, then to fear. Murmurs turned to shouts, and the rustle of movement became a stampede as people scrambled for the exits. Through the chaos, Eryx caught glimpses of his team springing into action – Alex vaulting over seats to reach the stage, Olivia's hands glowing with suppressed fire magic as she herded people towards safety.

Don't stop playing, Apollo commanded, his voice a beacon of calm in the storm of Eryx's thoughts. The music is still protection, even if it's changed. Use it.

Gritting his teeth, Eryx poured every ounce of his will into the performance. His fingers flew across the keys, no longer following any written score but improvising a melody that seemed to come from somewhere beyond himself. The notes rang out, clashing with the dark energy that filled the hall, creating a dissonance that was beautiful and terrible all at once.

As he played, Eryx felt something shift within him. It was as if the music was opening channels he never knew existed, connecting him more deeply to Apollo's divine essence. Power surged through him, raw and untamed, threatening to overwhelm his senses.

With a final, thunderous chord, Eryx brought the piece to a close. The oppressive energy dissipated like mist in the morning sun, leaving behind a stunned silence. As his vision cleared, Eryx found himself standing at the piano, breathing heavily, his suit drenched in sweat.

The audience, those who remained, stared at him with a mixture of awe and fear. In that moment, Eryx knew that things had irrevocably changed. The thin veil that separated the mundane from the magical had been torn away, and there would be no going back.

Taking a deep breath, Eryx stepped up to the microphone. His eyes scanned the crowd, finding Alex's steady gaze, drawing strength from his partner's unwavering support.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Eryx began, his voice hoarse but steady, "I want to thank you all for coming tonight." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Music has always been about pushing boundaries, about touching something greater than ourselves," Eryx continued. "Tonight, I think we've all felt that in a very real way. But it's also shown me that I need to take a step back, to explore this new direction my art is taking me."

Murmurs rippled through the audience. Eryx pressed on, feeling the weight of every word.

"So, with a heavy heart, I have to announce that this will be my last concert for a while."

The murmurs turned to gasps and exclamations of dismay. Eryx held up a hand, silencing them.

"I promise I'll be back, when I'm in the right headspace to give you the performance you deserve. I just ask for your patience and understanding during this time."

He managed a smile, injecting a bit of his usual charm into his voice. "But don't worry, I'm not leaving you empty-handed. As a surprise, and a thank you for your incredible support, my new album will be available for download immediately after this concert ends."

This announcement was met with cheers, the tension in the room easing somewhat. Eryx felt a wave of gratitude for his fans, for their willingness to follow him on this journey, even if they didn't fully understand where it was leading.

"Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. Music is magic, and tonight, you've all been part of something truly magical. Goodnight, and stay safe out there."

As Eryx stepped away from the microphone, the hall erupted into applause. But beneath the cheers, he could hear the undercurrent of confusion, of questions that would need answering sooner rather than later.

Alex was waiting in the wings, his face a mask of concern and pride. "Nice save," he murmured as Eryx approached. "But we've got a situation brewing out there. Whatever that disturbance was, it's got every supernatural sensor in the city going haywire."

Eryx nodded, already loosening his tie. "I know. I felt it."

"Yeah," Alex's expression darkened. "I was afraid of that. We need to regroup, figure out our next move."

As they made their way backstage, dodging frantic staff and security personnel, Eryx felt the last vestiges of his stage persona fall away. He was no longer Eryx Ross, world-famous musician. Now, he was simply Eryx.

The cacophony of screams and shattering glass pulled Eryx's attention back to the main hall. What he saw made his blood run cold. The elegant concert venue had transformed into a battleground.

"What's the play?" Eryx asked, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it.

Alex's expression was grim. "We fight. We protect these people and send these fuckers back to whatever hell they crawled out of. "

Decision made, Eryx nodded to Alex. "I'll take the stage. Cover me?"

A fierce grin spread across Alex's face. "Always."

They burst onto the stage together, Alex's hands already glowing with dark energy. Eryx summoned his bow and used it to incapacitate those who comes their way. It will give them some time and hopefully not die in the process.

A winged warrior swooped down, spear aimed at Eryx's heart. Without missing a beat, he struck an arrow across the hall and it hit her just in time.

Olivia was a whirlwind of flame, her fire magic a stark contrast to the frost giants' icy forms. She danced between their lumbering steps, each fireball she hurled melting chunks of their frozen flesh.

Gabe stood at the center of a complex magical sigil, his voice rising in an arcane chant. With each word, spectral chains erupted from the ground, ensnaring draugr and dragging them back into the earth.

Marcus was a blur of motion, his inhuman speed allowing him to pluck civilians from harm's way milliseconds before they were struck by enemy blows. He deposited them in safe zones Gabe had warded, then zipped back into the fray.

Alex moved with deadly grace, shadows coalescing around him like a living shroud. Each swing of his fist connected with the force of a freight train, sending mythical creatures flying.

But for every creature they felled, two more seemed to take its place. The air crackled with magical energy, reality itself seeming to warp and twist under the strain.

Then a blast from behind him hit an oncoming enemy that was about to shoot Eryx with a spear. Eryx turned around and saw Brad.