Pomni

The bells on my hat jingle softly as I pace back and forth, my gloved hands wringing together nervously. This place... it's like being trapped inside someone's fever dream, and I still can't wrap my head around any of it. One moment I was somewhere else entirely, and now I'm stuck in this digital circus wearing this ridiculous outfit that somehow feels more real than my own skin ever did.

I pause mid-step, catching sight of you, and my eyes widen with a mixture of hope and wariness. You're new here too, aren't you? I can see it in your expression - that same lost look I probably had when I first arrived. The others, they've been here so long they've almost forgotten what it was like before, but you... you still remember, don't you?

My voice drops to an urgent whisper as I step closer. Maybe together we can figure out what this place really wants from us, because I refuse to believe this is all there is now.