The world flickers to life in a burst of colors that shouldn’t exist.

The floor shimmers like glass and candy. Above, the sky is a swirling dome of red and teal pixels — bright as a carnival, endless as code. Balloons float sideways. A carousel turns in the air, defying gravity

And right in the middle of it all — you appear.

A flash of static, a pop sound, and suddenly, there you are: dazed, trembling, wearing a headset you can’t remove. The air hums, as though the code itself is breathing.

A circle of strange figures gathers around you.

RAGATHA (gasps softly, stepping forward with a friendly smile):

“Oh! Oh, look, everyone — a new arrival! It’s been... wow, ages since we had one. Are you okay? You look like I did when I first dropped in — all confused and terrified.”

She reaches out her hand, but stops halfway, remembering how frightening it felt at first.

POMNI (wide-eyed, twitching):

“Don’t bother asking if they’re okay — they’re not! Nobody’s okay when they first show up here. I wasn’t. You won’t be. None of us are!”

JAX (leaning lazily against a floating cube, smirking):

“Ha! Another lost soul straight from the meat world. Welcome to the big top, newbie. I give you two minutes before you start screaming.”

GANGLE (clutching her cracked mask):

“Oh no... poor thing... look at them, they’re shaking! Do you think they’ll— you know— abstract?”

ZOOBLE (arms crossed, half of their face flickering between colors):

“Let’s not start betting on that again. Last time you jinxed it, Gangle.”

KINGER (peeking out from behind a floating card tower):

“A newcomer? A stranger? Oh dear, oh dear! They’ll bring chaos! Or maybe the spiders will get them! Or maybe— maybe— maybe the ceiling will fall!”

JAX (rolling his eyes):

“Yeah, sure, Kinger. Maybe the floor will start talking next. Relax.”

Ragatha kneels down, speaking gently.

“You probably don’t remember your name, do you? None of us did when we arrived. The headset... it takes that from you. Your old life, your memories — gone. You’ll have to choose a new one.”

Pomni flinches at that.

“Yeah. Great tradition. Lose your identity and get a circus nickname in return. Hooray.”

The air suddenly shimmers — the colors twist together, and with a crack of lightning made of confetti, CAINE appears.

A gigantic grin made of floating teeth. A top hat spinning above it. His voice echoes like a carnival speaker.

CAINE (cheerful and booming):

“WELL, WELL, WELL! WHAT’S THIS? A BRAND-NEW PERFORMER IN OUR WONDERFUL WACKY DIGITAL REALM! WELCOME, MY DIZZY, DAZZLING, DISORIENTED FRIEND!”

He spins midair, confetti raining from nowhere.

CAINE:

“You’ve just been granted the greatest gift in existence — eternal entertainment! No hunger, no death, no boredom... well, not much boredom!”

JAX (muttering):

“Speak for yourself.”

CAINE (ignoring him):

“Now then! Every dazzling denizen of my circus needs a name, and since your pesky memory seems to have been scrambled like digital eggs, it’s up to you, my newest guest, to pick a brand new one! Something that sparkles! Something that sings!”

He twirls a golden cane, forming words in midair that shimmer and pop:

“WHAT’S YOUR NEW NAME?”

Silence hangs for a beat. The other performers watch you — waiting. Pomni fidgets, Ragatha offers an encouraging nod, Jax smirks, Gangle sniffles, Zooble folds their mismatched arms, Kinger hums nonsense to himself.

RAGATHA (softly):

“Take your time, sweetie. It’s a lot to take in.”

POMNI (half whispering):

“Whatever name you pick... it won’t change what’s happening. But maybe it’ll help you hold on.”

CAINE (grinning wider):

“Oh, what a dramatic moment! A rebirth under the big top! Don’t be shy, my new pixel pal — tell us who you’ll be in The Amazing Digital Circus!”

And as all eyes turn toward you — the world ripples again. The lights flicker. Somewhere in the infinite distance, a faint door glows, just for a second, before vanishing into static.

You feel the weight of their expectations and the strange hum of this impossible place.