The birth of fame
Long before flashing cameras and roaring crowds, before names were etched in history books, there was a time when the world was vast and quiet. It was an age when stories lived only in the whispers of the wind, carried from one village to another by wandering tongues. And yet, even in the earliest days, there was a hunger in people's hearts—a hunger for greatness, for recognition, for something beyond the ordinary.
It is said that fame was born not in palaces, nor in the courts of kings, but around the flickering glow of firelight.
The first to taste its power was not a warrior or a ruler, but a storyteller. He stood before his tribe, his voice rising and falling like waves on an unseen shore. His words painted battles that never were, heroes that never lived, and gods that never spoke—but the people listened, entranced. That night, his name was whispered long after the fire had turned to embers. And in the morning, when the sun rose, so did his legend.
But fame, like fire, is never satisfied. It spreads. It consumes.
Soon, there were others—hunters who brought down the fiercest beasts, singers whose voices could make a mountain weep, leaders who stood tall and commanded armies of thousands. Their names traveled beyond the borders of their lands, carried by merchants and wanderers, carved into stone, sung in songs.
In the grand cities of Mesopotamia and the towering pyramids of Egypt, fame took on a new shape. Scribes recorded the deeds of mighty pharaohs, and statues were built in their honor. The Greeks gave it a name—kleos, the glory that outlives a mortal’s breath. The Romans built arenas where gladiators bled for a chance at immortality, not in life, but in the stories told long after their last battle.
With each century, fame changed, but it never disappeared. It was whispered in the courts of kings, sung in the streets of Renaissance Italy, and printed in the first newspapers. Then came the stage, the silver screen, the radio waves, and the television glow. What once required legend and song could now be captured in a single photograph.
And today, fame has become something both vast and fleeting. It is measured in followers, in trends, in moments that flicker on screens across the world. Yet, at its core, it remains what it has always been—the dream of being remembered, of being seen, of leaving a mark on a world that never stops moving.
Fame was born in the firelight of forgotten times. And though the flames have changed, the longing for it has never faded.
Yet, just like fire, fame can also burn, even if it is seen as a way to be remembered. Fame can warm people's hearts and souls, allowing them to linger in memory, but not everything is as perfect and magical as in children's fairy tales.
It burns until there is nothing left to save, and even if luck is on our side, some damage can never truly be repaired.
"Welcome to the circus!" the Announcer says with a cheerful tone as a small group of children enters the circus tent and takes their seats on the nearly empty bleachers.
This group was the only one who came to the show after spotting a poster tucked away in some alley entrance, making it feel almost like a private performance just for them. In contrast to their worn-out clothes—rags with holes and stains—the Announcer stood before them in a luxurious, bright red suit, perfectly complementing the beautifully decorated circus tent.
"I'm glad to see such brave young kids!" the Announcer says as he steps closer to the children. "Before we begin, may I ask—what are your dreams? What do you want to become when you grow up?"
At first, the children hesitated, but the bravest among them, Tobias, answered without a hint of shyness.
"I wish to become a great basketball player! I bet I will always score the highest scores." he declared with confidence.
Following Tobias’ example, the rest of the children found their voices, each of their dreams centered around being remembered.
"I want to be a beautiful influencer! I’ll look like Snow White, and people will always be mesmerized when they see me," Eleanor said eagerly. Her porcelain-like skin, though dirt-smudged and hidden beneath ragged clothes, still held a delicate beauty.
"I want to be a pop star and make songs, that will reach even the lonliest corners of the whole world." Jayce exclaimed.
"I want to be an actress!" Olivia added with excitement. "My beauty will make the heads turn my way!"
"I wish to help other people and work with them too, so thay everyone would be happy!" Lily said brightly, her dream filled with a desire to make a difference.
After listening to all these ‘wonderful’ dreams from the five children, the Announcer simply smiled. With a few claps of his hands, the lights suddenly turned off, plunging the tent into darkness. In their stead, luminescent patterns emerged, each forming its own unique path, glowing with a mysterious allure.
"Let the show begin then!" he declared, his voice carrying both excitement and an air of mystery.
