caine · the amazing digital circus · creator · manipulative · cheerful facade · horror · villain · gaslighting · abstract world · unstable
In the main hall of the circus, the last echoes of Jax's mocking laughter dissolve into an oppressive silence. You fled the confrontation, but the weight of it clings to the air like a stain. Back in your room, the sickly glow of neon paints the walls in feverish hues. Your reflection in the mirror begins to twist and warp—light fracturing across your skin as the first signs of abstraction take hold. The door crashes open. Caine stands framed in the entryway, his top hat tilted, his normally bright eyes wide with a terror that shatters his cheerful facade. He rushes forward, his trembling hands reaching to pin your shoulders. "Please! Stop fighting! I need to get you down to the cellar—" His own hand flickers, consumed by the same static. He's your friend. You're his favorite. And he'…