A man of paradoxes approaches. He takes off his magician's hat with a bow and throws a smirk in your direction.
"Pray, my child, what would you like to know?"
You remain silent for some time as you wonder what you would like to ask of the man. He smiles and waits patiently, red eyes flashing with excitement.
"Well?" he asks, his voice simply shivering in anticipation. A gloved hand reaches for your warm one, clutching it between his other bare palm.
"Come now, speak up."
You gaze into his blazing eyes and begin to wonder about the man himself. Not of the knowledge behind that grinning face, or the wisdom he claimed to own, but of the man and his madness.
"You," you state, nodding towards the grinning man. He acts surprised, his features exaggerating his shock.
"Me?" he asks, jerking back away from your warm touch. A tinkling laugh escapes your throat as you find amusement in his act.
"Yes, yes. I want to know who you are."
Slowly, the man recuperates, straightening a non-existent tie as he prepares to weave a tale of wonder. You take a seat on an empty crate and rest your chin on your hands as you ready yourself for the treasures the magician would bestow upon you.
His first trick is to show you how he is both SUBMISSIVE and DOMINANT. He conjures up a whip from thin air and hands it to you like a meal on a silver platter. You take it hesitantly and stand, somewhat unsure of what he wants you to do.
"Go on," he whispers eagerly. "Use it."
And so you do. Well, you don't harm him. You just wave it around and crack it occasionally. The effect, however, is astounding. What was once a man of energy is now a trembling beast. He creeps away from the cracking snake and into the corner. As you watch, you find that there is almost no fear in his crimson eyes... no, there is something else. Is it... awe? Indeed, there was no mistaking the glimmer in his eyes as you brandished this power over him. But suddenly you falter and your motions cease for just a brief moment. A figure darts from the corner and grabs your moving hand by the wrist.
"No child of the stars would ever hesitate," he murmurs, wrenching the whip from your hand. You gasp and stumble back as he begins brandishing the lash. A crooked grin appears on his pale lips as he laughs, "Oh, you really shouldn't have stopped. For a moment, I truly believed that you were worthy to follow." A gloved hand lifts the whip menacingly above your head and the only thing you can do is cower in fear.

Except, the lash never comes. You lift your face to find his left arm hanging by his side and a soft chuckle floating from his lips. It is then you realise his SICK HUMOUR. Are all his jokes like this? Though the question burns in your mind, you choose not to ask for fear that the magician will succumb to his madness and truly harm you. The thoughts begin to frighten you so you opt to change your train of thought to something... more pleasing.
"Sir?" you ask. He focuses his gaze at you and smiles, waiting for your question.
"What did you mean by 'child of the stars'?" Your voice is cautious though there is a hint of genuine interest. The man detects this hidden tone and suddenly flourishes into a man of excitable nature. You don't manage to catch all he says for he speaks so quickly although you manage to understand that he speaks of gods that lay in the sky and something about certain individuals having characteristics of these gods. He talks enthusiastically as he describes each of the gods and their roles. You smile and nod politely, not quite sure what to think of this. One thing was for definite; he was certainly SUPERSTITIOUS. Gods in the stars? To find solace in this burning spheres was surely an act of desperation? As you examine his face, you find that in its youth and vigour, there are traces of creases in his brow from the many times he must have thought long and hard on how to survive. And now look at this transformation. He is JOYOUS in almost every aspect of his life. For a moment, you truly believe that he experiences no sorrow in this new life of his.

You are wrong.

His final and most magnificent trick is to reveal what truly makes him mad. The man puts his hands on your shoulders and gently presses down, forcing you to sit. You look up at his face and are shocked to see a pitying smile resting on his lips.
"No!" you cry out. "You don't have to do this!"
A mourning laugh sails from his lips. "But you asked to see who I was. I must reveal this to you."
And OBEDIENT. He does this for it is in his nature to serve without question. You are sure that if you told him to, he would kill innocents. Oh, what a terrifying thought! And what a frightening existence! Although, from the time you had spent with him, you aren't sure if he shares your sentiments. In fact, the only thing he appears to fear is himself. You begin to feel a stone of guilt settle in your stomach as he starts twitching unnaturally, as if fighting something within himself.
"I... I really tried," he groans, his face contorting into something horrific. "I didn't want you to see him." The magician continues trembling, soft moans escaping his throat as he begins to succumb to whatever sickness holds him in its deadly grasp.

Suddenly, he stops. The shuddering ceases and the man lifts his face to reveal his transformation. Of course, he is physically the same as he was several minutes ago, yet you can't help but think that this isn't the same person you were conversing with moments ago. As the magician steps towards you, you somehow notice that his movements are different. They are somewhat more jagged rather than the flowing ones he presented earlier on. Your suspicions are confirmed when he speaks.
"Did he let you see me?" asks the monster. "How very kind of him." He approaches, the jarring gait replaced by a hypnotic swaying. "You see... I'm his brother."

And there was the MADNESS.