Vraxi rested her chin on two of her hands, looking as unimpressed as ever. "Dax... why did you drag down me to this 'performance?'" she asked via her Voice, a unique crown with a neurological connection to her thoughts. She didn't even bothering to make eye contact with her spouse.

"It's a good opportunity to show you the positive side of extraterrestrial life. It's all about fun and entertainment," Daxtra explained, replying using their very own amulet-shaped Voice.

"I'd prefer you didn't try to coach me on how to get along with aliens."

Daxtra sighed. Even though the two were a loving couple, Daxtra still acknowledged that Vraxi was at the very top of the genofexian hierarchy. Questioning her was hardly an option, and they both understood that.

The two royal genofexians sat at the front row of a magic show performed by a very tall and portly man by the name of Belmont, wearing a red and black circus conductor's outfit, white undershirt, dark blue leggings, and a black top hat. He had two peg legs for feet and what looked like an apple for a head; was he even human? Vraxi doubted it, but she didn't care enough to think too much about it.

The show had been pretty underwhelming so far. There was no grand seat fit for someone like Vraxi. Instead, she had to sit in front of a plain wooden stage with the human commoners of the local area, which already agitated her well enough. That, coupled with the simple and predictable tricks she'd seen so far...

While Daxtra patiently watched the show, Vraxi spent her time contemplating how she was going to chew her spouse out for this humiliation.

"Now, for my next trick..." the big apple man announced, "I'm going to need someone from the crowd!"

Daxtra glanced side to side, and then back to the Belmont, seeing who he had his eyes on. Vraxi kept her glare transfixed on the charismatic performer.

Belmont scanned the front rows of the audience with an outstretched finger. Eventually, he met Vraxi's leer with a gleeful face.

"My partner would like to volunteer," she said as flatly as ever, just before Belmont had a chance to pick her.

Daxtra spun their head around and faced Vraxi with a look of fear and confusion. However, there was no arguing with the Queen. Daxtra was to go up on stage.

"Sure, sure! Come on up!" Belmont replied with a chipper voice, beckoning Daxtra up to the stage. Much to Vraxi's enjoyment, Dax did just that, standing up and walking over to the magician.

Vraxi couldn't help but notice Belmont's height once Daxtra got on stage. Adult genofexians tower over humans, yet this apple man was almost as tall her partner. She found it just a little bit interesting.

"Could I get your name, uh... sir?" Belmont asked.

"Call me Dax." Luckily for Belmont, Daxtra was more lenient about being called the wrong gender than Vraxi was.

"Okay, Dax! Your role is simple. You all may have been wondering what this big glass box is for, yes?" Bel held his hands out to the tall glass cage that had been sitting off to the side of the stage during the whole show. He walked over to it and carefully started dragging it over. "Well, the moment you've been waiting for is here!" It took him a couple seconds to finish moving the box to the centre of the stage. Once he did, he turned back to Daxtra. "What I need you to do, Dax, is step into the cage here." He directed Daxtra to the backside of the glass box, which was apparently open.

Out of nowhere, a glass pane fell down from the air and slid directly into the back of the cage, locking Daxtra inside. Vraxi flinched and leaned forward in her seat, fearing for Daxtra's safety.

"Dax, can you confirm for me that you are locked inside the box? There are no holes, no secret switches or escapes..."

Daxtra raised one of their left hands up beside their head after taking a good look around. However, Belmont didn't seem to understand the gesture. Dax replied with an audible "yes" before the awkward silence became too strong.

"Now, prepare to be amazed..." Bel started, raising a thick black sheet in front of the cage. Where did he even get that from? Once the cage was completely obscured by the sheet, he continued, "as our wonderful volunteer, Dax, is free in an instant!"

With one swift movement, Belmont swung the sheet to the side of the cage, and slowly let it fall to the floor. Daxtra was now standing just beside the cage, looking even more confused than when Vraxi forced them to volunteer. The crowd applauded and shouted, however, Vraxi was frozen stiff from both bewilderment and fear. How did he do that? Even if there was a hole in the cage, there was no way Daxtra could've gotten outside it so quickly...

Belmont thanked Daxtra and politely ushered them off stage.

"What happened? How did he do that?!" Vraxi barked to her partner, showing a rare bit of emotion aside from her usual xenophobia.

Daxtra sat back down, eyes wide. "I don't know! He just... I was just... there, suddenly! I don't know. That was unworldly."

Vraxi tilted her head up and to the side, still keeping a close eye on Belmont as he bowed to the excited crowd. "We have to figure out how he did that. That kind of knowledge would be invaluable."

"Surely there's a reasonable explanation for it."

"Daxtra, he teleported you. There's nothing reasonable about that. I don't see any slipspace engines on that cage."

"You're right. But, I think I'll worry about that after the rest of the show."

Vraxi hummed with discontent. She wasn't about to leave in the middle of a show, but she was determined to find out the truth behind that apple's trick.