Chapter 113: Ruining the enemy''s career

    (Caleb Diamond POV)

    A few injuries weren''t gonna stop me from putting on a show! Thanks to my dad''s connections and my deep pockets, I healed up in just two days a few weeks back. Now, I''m ready to rock like nothing ever happened.

    And man, those tickets flew off the shelves in days! That''s star power for you!

    Decked out in my favorite suit, makeup on point, I headed backstage, ready to bring the house down.

    I was all set to hear the crowd chanting, "Caleb! Caleb!" like always, but...

    It was dead quiet.

    "Hey, what gives? Why''s it so quiet out there?" I asked one of the production guys.

    The imp demon looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. "Um..."

    I shooed him away with a sigh, and he scampered off like his tail was on fire.

    "No worries," I told myself. "I''m sure they''re just holding their breath, waiting for me to blow their minds!"

    ***

    (3rd Person POV)

    The band kicked off, but Caleb was nowhere to be seen. The handful of fans and journalists in the seats squirmed uncomfortably.

    June, a demoness and devoted Caleb fan, exchanged confused glances with her friends Bucky, Hill, and Rain.

    "What the hell''s going on?" Rain whispered. "Why''s it so empty?"

    Bucky nodded, doing a quick headcount. "Including us, there''s maybe only a dozen people here..."

    Hill''s voice held a hint of doubt. "Didn''t the news say Caleb''s tickets sold out?"

    As they puzzled over the situation, Caleb finally made his grand entrance.

    "I''m here, everyone!" He threw his arms wide, ready to embrace the adoring crowd - only to have his excitement evaporate as he took in the sea of empty seats.

    The silence was deafening. Caleb''s confident grin faltered, replaced by a look of utter disbelief. This wasn''t the packed house he''d been expecting. Far from it.

    Besides the band playing their music, the theatre was awfully quiet.

    Caleb''s welcoming arms froze mid-motion, his smile twitching uncontrollably as the awkwardness set in.

    "..."

    The concert came to an abrupt halt due to Johnny''s injury. Pressure Records, Caleb''s label, quickly promised to refund all ticket purchases.

    Backstage, Caleb''s frustration boiled over. He hurled the mic at the mirror, shattering it. "Damn it!"

    Staring at the broken glass, realization dawned on him. "Something''s not right..." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "Someone must be behind this shit!"

    ***

    The next day, shocking headlines splashed across the front pages of daily newspapers, captivating readers at newsstands everywhere.

    "Horn Superstar Caleb Diamond''s Concert: Empty Seats and Injured Fan!"

    Similar headlines screamed from other major dailies.

    Curious onlookers gathered, murmuring as they read.

    An elf turned to his friend, "First Caleb gets assaulted, then he''s accused of beating up rising stars, and now this? His name''s getting more controversial by the day."

    His friend nodded, "Getting injured at a concert? And Caleb performing to an empty house? How''s that even possible?"

    As confusion spread, a demon who''d attended the concert spoke up, "I was there. The place was really empty!"

    "Did someone actually get hurt from Caleb''s performance?" someone asked incredulously.

    The demon nodded, "Yeah, though I can''t explain how Caleb''s singing injured him, but he definitely got hurt."

    "How''s that possible?"

    The demon sighed, "I don''t know... Maybe Caleb used some magic in his singing that affected that feline demon?"

    A curious dwarf chimed in, "Why would Caleb do that?"

    The demon elaborated, "Actually, that injured guy had humiliated Caleb when he froze up at the start. He shouted at Caleb to perform, but then got hurt during the show. Maybe Caleb was angry and lashed out magically."

    "Caleb can do magic in his performances?" The crowd''s unease grew. "That''s terrifying."

    Word spread like wildfire. The few concert attendees shared their experiences with friends and family, and within hours, thousands were talking about Caleb''s supposed ability to use magic in his performances to attack those he disliked.

    The rumors gained traction rapidly, further legitimized by newspapers quoting these speculations.

    What the public didn''t know was that Johnny, the supposedly "injured" feline demon, was actually an actor hired by Arthur and his team. Johnny had used an expensive scroll spell to inflict injuries on himself, all part of a calculated plan to ruin Caleb''s career.

    While Caleb''s team scrambled to investigate the empty concert and Johnny''s incident, the damage was already done. Public opinion had shifted, with many now viewing Caleb as a cruel and dangerous individual.

    Meanwhile, Arthur received refunds from Pressure Records for the tickets he''d bulk-purchased. Though he didn''t recoup all his expenses, Arthur considered the thousands of dollars well spent. To him, it was a small price to pay for potentially derailing Caleb''s career.

    As the rumors continued to swirl and Caleb''s reputation took hit after hit, Arthur sat back, satisfied with the unfolding chaos he had orchestrated. The plan had worked even better than he''d hoped, turning a superstar into a subject of fear and controversy overnight.