Chapter Text
The blue and red colors of the room were still laughing at Pomni's face.
She couldn't believe it, couldn't even begin to comprehend what kind of twisted joke had been played on them that day— it had all felt so close, finally within reach after being trapped in this digital purgatory for so long she’d stopped counting the days. Abel, the C&A's secrets, the pods, the administration zone and its admin passes… a lie. All of this was a lie. Another game created by their captor, a fun, thrilling and most of all, cruel adventure.
After her dumb hesitation, Jax's outburst toward Caine and the ringmaster’s escape from trouble, the humans had found no other option but to get back to the now oddly quiet circus tent. A silent agreement to not talk about what they had just experienced had settled between all of them; there was no need of words to know that the group would need time to process the truth.
There was truly no way out— truly no exit.
A weak scoff left her lips; a dry and miserable one in the quiet, dim, bicolored room. She had truly been an idiot to fall for this… Just like a jester, she’d been made the fool of the court. Maybe her avatar did match an archetype, just like Jax had explained a few days earlier. She could get used to something like “The Naive One” or maybe “The Should’ve-Seen-It-Coming-From-a-Mile-Away One”.
With a sudden movement, Pomni turned onto her side on the unwelcoming mattress, bringing her gloved hands to her face. Shame washed over her every time she thought back on it all. It was like a knife being twisted in an open wound, or for something more fitting, a key that would never fit the lock of the so-called exit door—yet was still forced against it again and again. Endlessly. With no way out but to let your mind slowly give in and finally wander to the cellar.
As if to pull her out of that whirlwind, a sudden horrible and loud crying echoed once more, coming from one of the many bedrooms down the hallway. Pomni jolted upright in her bed, trembling, hiding beneath her blanket to unsuccessfully shield herself. Of course, there were the thoughts that kept her awake—but now there was once again the added presence of another player currently losing her composure in a room across from hers. It was the third fit of uncontrollable sobbing since the start of the curfew that she had to sympathise with. No one had managed to enter Gangle's room. She had locked the door, and of course, she refused to speak to anyone. Not even Zooble.
As the cry grew louder, Pomni finally had enough. She threw the blankets onto the floor, a quiet sob left her tight throat as well. She ran to her bedroom door; with desperate gestures and after struggling for a moment, she finally managed to open it and escape this claustrophobic enclosure that did nothing currently but feed her darkest thoughts. She needed to get away from all this, as well as the sound of despair shared down the hallway.
Why had she hesitated ? Even if she had pushed the blue button right away, then what ? There had never been a way out… just a carrot on a stick.
She shook her head, reaching the end of the hallway… If it could be for just a moment, where to go ?
The woman considered going outside, but the idea of The Void or the Digital Lake close enough to consider jumping in or drowning in wasn't that appealing just now. What she needed was somewhere calm, where no colors were vibrant enough to burn her retinas or scratch her brain in the wrong way.
Before her, the balcony stretched around the entire circumference of the tent, a long passage that descended toward the ground, chessboard floor. Now staring at the structure of the area, It was clear it would take her longer to make her way to the main entrance than she had even thought before. Maybe a simple walk in the opposite direction would be shorter—just enough to calm her racing heartbeat and help her find the rest she needed, even if sleeping wasn’t technically necessary here.
As the crying gradually faded with the growing distance, only then did Pomni manage to regain some semblance of calm. She observed her surroundings with a shamelessly revealed disdain; she hated this place. The pipes intertwining in the darkness reminded her of the bars of a gigantic cage. Amid all the cubes and columns sculpted directly from polygons stood the constant reminder that they were nothing more than spectators and the sole performers of an eternal show. The stage, adorned with its magnificent velvet curtains behind which, tomorrow, another adventure would be waiting for them.
A sigh escaped the small jester once more as she turned on her heels to return to her room… well, that was before she froze mid-motion, like slamming on the emergency brake.
Barely noticeable even to those who paid close attention, a small something had been left behind on the carpet of the hallway leading to the circus members’ rooms. The metal from which the object had been forged was easily recognizable as the same that adorned their host’s scepter, its faint gleam having caught Pomni’s eye. Hesitant, she approached it as if it might vanish at any moment, then crouched down to examine it more closely.
A small hand carved in gold.
Placing the amulet gently into her open palm, Pomni straightened up her posture. Strangely, the silence around her no longer felt so empty; it now felt attentive, as though the entire circus tent was giving her the vague and unsettling sensation of holding its breath. The curtains were closed, the lights still shut off for the night, everything waited for the decision she would take at this very moment
She realized bitterly their lives would not change with an exit. It would change within this digital world.
Her fingers curled around the admin pass in her hand, squeezing it. Fake or not, it still weighed the same; she had to try even if she still feared this unsettling character… This was their only chance at ending the cycle of endless pain… Maybe even stop the cries of her friend for good.
She lifted her eyes; there, in the darkness, the jester could just make out the silhouette of a hot air balloon drifting aimlessly above the circus. Originally, she had never tried to find any meaning behind it, because nothing here rarely or ever made sense. However, it was the only way to reach the host of this place quickly and without drawing the attention of the other sleeping players. Screaming his name out loud was usually the way to go, but she had decided she would have this conversation with him on her own; Ragatha would try too hard to soften her words while Jax or Zooble would be far too angry for her to manage any kind of possible understanding with their ringleader.
Was understanding even possible with the AI that controlled this place ? Her thoughts began to wander once more as her feet carried her up to the floor above, toward her objective; the entrance to Caine’s office.
Her head went back to that morning when he had– accidentally ? –mocked his own condition as a program, something Kinger later had explained to her on the beach so that she could grasp its meaning: the Chinese Room.
Kinger had managed to summarize the idea for her under the shade of a palm tree earlier that day; the Chinese Room. An old thought experiment meant to show that a system could imitate understanding without ever truly possessing it. The exercise was simple: imagining a person locked inside a room who didn't understand a word of Chinese. They were given a manual explaining exactly which symbols to send to a real Chinese interlocutor, who then would slip symbols under the door. To someone outside, it would appear that the room could speak Chinese, while in reality, the person inside understood nothing of the language…They were just following instructions without grasping the meaning of the symbols.
After the adventure, Pomni had thought back to this story, trying to tell herself that this made sense; Caine did not truly feel. He was following symbols the game had given him… but as the crying of her friend, the faces of despair flashing in her mind all were coming back to her, a detail came back… she had only just understood at that moment what it was about.
The Chinese Room did not prove that a machine could understand absolutely nothing; it only showed that a system that follows rules blindly—without consequences, without learning, without real interaction—could not, on its own, produce meaning.
This reasoning was only considering a part of a system. Only one being inside the room.
It ignored what would happen when responses would have effects, when those effects would modify behavior, when mistakes would leave a mark. It didn't say anything about what a being capable of learning, adapting, and transforming through interactions would become.
The Chinese Room proved that imitation was not understanding, but it could not prove that understanding was impossible.
In conclusion, someone had to send the right symbols underneath that door.
This explanation kept repeating itself in her mind, like a way to reassure herself that she wasn’t about to make the biggest mistake of her life. A way to reassure herself she wasn't about to go on and destroy the very system that held the circus together by daring to do this; speak her truth.
In other words, send a symbol that would leave a mark.
All this was a theory, a thought experiment.
But someone had to try.
As Pomin finally reached the second balcony, with trembling hands, she grabbed the railing, pulling herself up and doing her best to keep her balance. The second balcony felt as though it were hundreds of meters above the ground; a fall from that height would have killed anyone in the real world. Right now, it was reassuring to know she couldn't die here… but what about the pain ? Would she still feel ?
- … W-Woa-ah ! The jester let out a tiny gasp when her boot almost slipped on the rainbow rail.
Okay— this was really not the time to fall. She just had to accept that she was completely insane ! Yes ! She was convinced of it now. The circus had stripped away whatever little common sense she had left, and the proof was right beneath her: the hot air balloon’s basket. The one she was about to reach by jumping from the second balcony, like a reckless, idiotic fool ! Yeah !
Alright then… she couldn’t keep hesitating forever.
Pushing her anxiety aside, she tried once— and failed. She immediately stumbled back, falling onto her back on the balcony’s carpet with a thud. Breathing loudly.
She blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Oh, would you look at that ! The ceiling looked nice from here…
…
Okay. That was enough.
Without warning, she got back up on her feet, and in a move that was either courage or pure stupidity, she swung one leg over the railing and her feet left their only support in one big jump.
Her stomach dropped much faster than the rest of her body, a panicked cry tearing from her throat as a sudden rush of adrenaline set her entire digital body ablaze. For just half a second, that was all there was— a void blurred by the blinding colors of the digital circus’s canvas— until this miraculous instant that, for once, proved luck perhaps was on her side.
Her breath was knocked from her in a violent thud. In a surprising reflex, Pomni managed to grab onto the hot air balloon’s basket with all her strength. With considerable effort, the young woman pulled the rest of her body over the edge and dropped inside, letting out a tiny laugh of relief at the absurdity of her victory.
It was a very short celebration, because as soon as she was inside the yellow basket, a trapdoor opened beneath her and she started going down the slide she had forgotten existed in the first place with another loud yelp.
The different patterns followed one after another at a frantic speed; the bright colors shifting rapidly within her field of vision, gradually growing surprisingly softer. At first, it looked like a rainbow spiral—now, it rather resembled a star-filled dark sky. Eventually and gladly, the tunnel came to an end, and she landed directly in a familiar room, face first on the wooden floor: a large hall, two plants placed in the corners next to the walls, and at the center, a great door—red, blue, and gold—adorned with symbols of stars, the sun, and the ever so lovely moon carved in silver.
A simple breath—one that seemed to have been trapped all this time—escaped the young woman’s lips. Her cheeks flushed from the sudden warmth of the room as she rose in an awkward motion. She caught herself at the sound of the jingling bells on her hat, quickly silencing them with a firm hand— she freaking hated this hat !...
Now that she stood before the office door, her anxiety had not hesitated to follow her into the descent, finding refuge in the frantic pounding of her heart and the tremors that shook her entire body… what had she been thinking ? There was no way back up the tunnel now. She had no choice but to enter the room and face the source of so many players’ unease—both those still present and those slumbering in the depths of the cellar.
It was something she had only ever admitted to herself unconsciously until now, but a part of her had always been nervous about Caine.
To be more clear, she wasn't exactly scared of the guy. Her first day in the circus came back to her as vividly as if it were yesterday: a figure whose very appearance sent chills down her spine had welcomed her to her new home, a set of dentures for a head with mismatched eyes floating between them that lead a troupe of colorful and strange characters. Energetic to a fault, as though exhaustion was an impossible concept to him. The ringmaster’s design laid his greatest flaw bare for all to see—he spoke in a loud voice. Too loud, in fact ! …Yes, of course, he was also sort of a confident presence, the complete opposite of her, who had always approached the world with caution and quietness.
When she eventually realized he wasn’t human, her thoughts immediately went to the worst scenario.
He was the source of her misery. He was the one creating those horrible adventures, torturing the humans trapped in his game, following his own twisted program ! He must hate humans ! The day he had literally sent her to hell, she had convinced herself that this was exactly what Caine wanted—to see them suffer for his own entertainment.
… And then the days passed.
The office, the one hidden behind those massive carved doors she was still in front of. Something, just like in the Chinese Room theory, was wrong. Something didn’t make sense the longer you thought about it.
As the days and months passed within the circus, she had formed connections with each of its members. The gentle ragdoll character, Ragatha, had become a close friend and she had somewhat found a reassuring presence in Kinger, to which she went to his pillow fort when she needed advice. Gangle and her could share quiet moments together, Zooble was here when needing someone to be real with, even Jax had dared open up to her before he had cut her off suddenly… as of back to Caine, her fear of him had somewhat faded. She didn’t speak to him often, no one in the circus really did anyway because he would always teleport away after a bit, but when she did briefly address him… Caine had never, ever expressed a desire for her suffering. He was still just as loud and forgetful, often sending them on dangerous trips to who knows where he got those twisted ideas from, but he had never given the impression of being a villain—at least, not intentionally. She had understood soon that the only thing that truly interested Caine was the quality of his stupid adventures and how they were received.
So now that she was questioning all of her theories, Pomni began to wonder whether maybe the humans hadn’t addressed Caine in the right way… What if, from the very beginning, he hadn’t understood simply because no one had ever sent him the right symbol ? The right mark that would modify his behavior ?
Or at least she hoped she was right, because if not this would be the last time she even dared get the admin pass out of her pocket and press it to the door's keyhole.
She had been very lucky, for she had aimed true; Caine had left the adventure so hastily that he had completely forgotten to revoke the access-key abilities from the fake admin pass. With a simple click, the door slowly opened into a place normally private and forbidden to the players.
It was indeed his office.
The aquarium was exactly the same—cylindrical, filled with clear water where digital algae drifted lazily. The enclosure was surrounded by two circular staircases leading to a level slightly above it, a balcony placed directly over the aquarium. The ceiling, meanwhile, was actually a large wooden structure through which the starry sky could be seen. Pomni felt a wave of relief when she noticed the absence of the Moon; her presence might have ruined her chances if she had alerted everyone of her intrusion.
Her anxiety eased even further when she reached the top of the stairs and noticed the large armchair behind the desk that was completely empty… So Caine wasn’t here after all ? If her theory hadn’t been proven correct, then where was the AI ?
Pomni sighed as she approached a shelf. She had only glanced at them briefly the first time, but if she was going to be stuck here waiting for Caine to appear, perhaps she could use this time to satisfy her curiosity. The circus itself was such a mystery, and she couldn’t help but inspect this place and its hard-to-access office more closely. The sound of her boots against the wooden floor was the only noise breaking the stillness as she continued her exploration where she had left off earlier…
Sure, it could have been the glass boxes containing the 3D bones or the mini models of the circus, but what would get anyone's attention the most were the strange crystal orbs.
The ones placed in multiple cubby-like alcoves that wrapped all around the room. Each one glowed with a unique color, and from each emanated murmurs and melodies. Pomni found herself naturally drawn to one of them, cotton-candy pink, from which applause could be heard like in a fog, celebrating heroes from another world that had brought back to them their precious maple syrup.
Uncertainly, she raised her hand and hesitated for a moment… then gently placed her fingers against the surface of the sphere of light. With a certain fascination, her senses seemed to blur—her skin tingling with a familiar shiver carried by a pleasantly warm breeze, while the delightful scent of sweets cradled her in a sugary enchantment. Pomni couldn’t help but close her eyes and savor this rare form of magic which, for once, wasn’t forced or entirely likely to cause yet another trauma.
She might have fallen asleep right there, if not for the intrusive voice that suddenly tore her from that short serenity.
- …Candy Carrier Chaos ? Interesting choice !
Pomni startled so violently that she fell to the floor, clumsily knocking over one of the large fluorescent orange spheres that mainly illuminated the room. The one who had unintentionally scared her jumped just as much and hurried to put back the object in its place.
Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her throat, her palms pressing against her thighs as she caught her breath. She didn’t even have the courage to look up at the blurred figure of the character that was already moving toward her, clearing just enough to lean into her view. Two eyes, one green, one blue, appeared before her, floating between the teeth currently arched to mimic curiosity that held them;
- Pomni, our little jester, in my office… That’s unexpected.
He paused shortly, frowning slightly. Pomni understood from his lower voice that he had probably been talking to himself. She took a small step back as he seemed to take a closer look, though he was far too distant for him to touch her.
She feared. She feared he was going to get angry, mad, scream at her, snap his fingers, send her back to her room, or summon anything to punish her.
But Caine… did not seem to want to approach her either.
In fact, the ringmaster stood still for a moment and then, chose to circle around her carefully, as if he was.. scared ?
He moved slowly, you could have compared him to a cat trying to get away from the dog, unnoticed. When he registered that Pomni did not attempt anything to reach him either, he zoomed away from the ground, where someone her size could not reach. He met her gaze for just a second, like making sure she would not suddenly jump at him, before he then changed direction toward one of the shelves as if nothing strange was going on right now.
Pomni found herself quite confused by the way he was acting. She watched as he took the adventure she had been observing earlier into his hands with such gentleness that it made her feel uneasy. He moved so slowly and carefully, with so much tenderness… It was so unlike him ! That was without mentioning the absence of his tail-coat and his hat— it was like he was a totally different AI ! With precise movements, he carried the cotton-candy–pink crystal ball to the large desk. He let out a small “coming through!” when he flew over her head. He then sat down in his chair and placed his creation into a meridian-shaped stand, studying it more closely.
Pomni was completely lost— she had thought she’d be in serious trouble… but Caine, after his strange little analysis, didn’t seem bothered by her presence, not in the slightest. In his office, he appeared much calmer than usual… Pomni ended up coming with another realization; there was no need to put on a show in the backstages. This helped her steady the racing of her heart. The jester rose to her feet, her legs still somewhat shaky, her gaze on him.
He truly was no longer paying attention to her, stretching ribbons of light around the crystal orb. He seemed to be modifying something invisible to her human eye, made up of codes and schematics far too complex for her. Curious—and a little worried—she moved closer to the desk to take a look, still keeping a respectful distance from her host.
- I'm sorry, I… did I— damage it ?
At first, she got back no reaction, as Caine seemed focused on reading what was written on one of the sheets of paper scattered across his desk. He flipped through them, searching for specific notes.
Pomni dared to move a little closer to Caine, mainly to look at the notes… They were mostly various pieces of information about his previous projects. Among them, she recognized the terrifying angel head that had chased her and Kinger… It was strange—she had thought Caine would be more organized than that… Still, she felt a small twinge of pity as he was struggling, and cleared her throat, pointing out to him the notes he was looking for about Candy Carrier Chaos. The set of teeth gave a surprise look, at first reaching to hide whatever unfinished work he had, but then realizing she was helping, took the papers, reading through them quickly.
Still having no answer to her previous concern, she awkwardly rubbed her arm. Caine finally looked back at her, realizing he should probably give her an answer;
- … Oh ! You mean the Adventure file ? No need to worry, it's not something hard to fix !
So she did damage it.. what did he call it ? A file ? She was even more surprised that Caine wasn't upset with her about it. Pomni was all the more curious knowing she had been right; all the objects placed in the cubicles were adventures he had created. In silence, she watched him take his precious jewel back into his hands and return it to its usual place.
With something that almost resembled deep attachment, he held the orb tightly against his chest in a warm embrace before setting it back down. It was just that. The office remained silent for a moment. Caine gazed at his adventure with tenderness, while Pomni was watching him in silence.
After a while, the strangeness of the situation caught up to her, and she began rubbing her arm nervously while clearing her throat. Caine noticed her unease and turned toward her. As if he had forgotten her presence in the first place and was only just remembering that she was still there, his eyes widened in realization and Pomni immediately spoke before he could;
- I.. I didn't mean to damage– you scared me and I— I shouldn't have come here I—
The two characters continued to stare at each other. Caine eventually descended toward her, and Pomni couldn’t help but take a step back to avoid an intrusion into her personal space— even though the ringmaster had no more desire for physical contact than she did at that precise moment.
- The adventure is all fixed, Pomni ! … but I do have to ask; how did you get into my office ?
Her hand gripped one of the arms of the green couches where she had accidentally hit her back into, fingers digging into the fabric; where had her courage gone to when she actually needed it ? Of course, when it came to jumping off a balcony, her brain made her do utterly senseless things ! Why did speaking to a floating set of dentures have to be so !@#$ complicated ??
- Stupid brain !..
- What ?
… Please, can anything just kill her right now ?
- …The uh… admin passes…, she murmured.
It seemed that this explanation satisfied him, as he nodded in understanding. Pomni swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled the small golden hand from her pocket. She held out the access key to him, assuming he would surely prefer to have it back rather than risk more unwanted night time visits from other circus members, that is, if anyone else would get hold of it.
Caine took the object from her, making it vanish with a flick of his wrist. Once the issue was dealt with, he moved away again, suspiciously so; why this sudden distance between him and the players ? She knew the ringmaster wouldn’t miss an occasion for closure ! He always patted their heads, shoulders, Caine was far from hating physical touch, it could even get overwhelming !
This time, he floated over to a shelf, seeming to lose his gaze on one of the items stored there. Pomni had to angle her neck into such an uncomfortable position just to keep watching him that she quickly abandoned the attempt, choosing instead to observe the orbs containing adventures, this time with her eyes alone. Anxiety was creeping its way in at the idea of causing them any accidental harm if she touched them again;
- ... I assume you did not come here just to admire my collection ?
She didn't jump this time. The jester had had enough time to grow a little more confident and get used to his presence in the room;
- I… couldn’t sleep.
There. She had broken the ice. It would be easier to keep going now. She just had to hold the helm steady; this ocean could be threatened by a storm of glitches at any moment if she wasn’t careful.
- Oh ! Caine suddenly exclaimed, Of course ! What’s its name… insomnia ! Quite popular among you, humans !
Wasn’t he aware ? Didn’t he have eyes everywhere in the circus ? He hadn’t hesitated to use that godlike power in the past, not only for good results, and she knew it very well ! However, she had to stay calm ! There was no point in getting angry so quickly.
- No, not… Gangle is crying. She’s been crying for hours.
Caine shifted slightly, floating back toward his office once again with what looked like a plane toy. This finally allowed Pomni to observe him again without breaking her neck and to notice his oddly misplaced look of curiosity.
- …Crying, you say ? He was spinning the plane's front helix.
- Y-Yes ! She… She locked her door ! No one can get her to answer…
There was one very important thing she had learned about Caine after spending so much time here. The AI had no part of his code that told him how to show empathy. Caine was a character who –and all the humans had realized this quickly– had been programmed to think only about making his adventures appealing to the humans. So it wasn’t very surprising that the conversation reminded her of this very fact early on by taking this turn;
- A… disappointing outcome.
- Outcome ? of what ?
- Of the adventure.
This, of course, was making the dentures seem very self-centered and frustrated the young woman even more. She dragged a hand down her face, letting out a sigh.
Stay calm, stay calm !...
- You… You made us think we could leave ! She reminded him.
It had been bad—cruel, even. He had lied, planned this adventure, planted clues around the circus grounds for months just to lead them into this trap. He hadn’t understood at all how deeply it would affect humans.
After some thinking to herself she had realized with surprise that she wasn’t truly angry about the lack of an exit… She knew now that what hurt more were the manipulations of their host, who had gone way too far this time… That was without even considering the possibility that he might be responsible for…
No. No, that thought could wait. One thing at a time.
- Yes. That was the point.
She got taken back from her thoughts by Caine's apathetic answer. She shook her head and answered faster than her brain processing her words;
You made us think we could leave… and then you took it away ! She accused him.
Caine’s body suddenly stiffened, forgetting the toy plane, the set of dentures that also served as his eyebrows shaping as a frown. He began to shift the papers on his desk, in truth not quite knowing what he was looking for, like panicked;
- I did not take anything ! He quickly said, There was no exit to begin with ! I can not give you an exit that does not exist, Pomni !
Was this another lie ? Again, that was not the point here yet, and Pomni was quick enough to let him know he was once again getting it all wrong, moving toward the desk as adrenaline rushed in her digital body;
- But you made it feel like it could !... like there was hope ! That was a lie !
She grabbed the papers to hold them up so he would look at her. She didn't know how she even had the courage to do this in the first place, knowing the ringmaster could have been way much more powerful than he would let everyone know. She truly just wanted him to pay attention to her, which he finally seemed to do sensing her growing anger. He let out a yelp of fear, sitting in his chair as he backed off, away from her, kicking his feet a little;
- Hope was not meant to be harmful in this given scenario !... he gripped the arms of the chair.
- WELL, she quickly cut him off, It does become harmful when you don’t think about what happens afterward and crush it in front of everyone’s face !
She pulled on the bells of her hat, throwing his precious notes in the air which he hurried to catch. She continued, going up to his meant-to-be face without really thinking about it;
- And then you’re left with nothing but the realization that you’re still STUCK IN THIS DIGITAL HELL-HOLE !!
Out of breath, Pomni blinked the red out of her vision. She froze as her sight readjusted, shocked to see Caine curled in on himself in his armchair, trembling like a leaf with widened eyes and on the verge of snapping his fingers to teleport her away. She stepped back immediately, resuming her nervous habit of pinching the tips of her gloves while mumbling unintelligible apologies. She hadn’t meant to let her anger take control and frighten him, this wasn’t how compromises were made !
Fortunately, Caine calmed down fairly quickly when he saw Pomni return to usual calmer self. He made a sound that was similar to clearing his throat, nervous at the thought that she might grow angry at him again, but he still chose to explain his train of thought as clearly as he could;
- Humans were always motivated by the concept of freedom, he pulled at his collar, I thought for once you would love something that sparks the will to participate ?
Caine shrugged, as if to say, “Wasn’t that what you wanted?” Pomni sighed even more deeply, wiping away tears, because deep down she knew that, despite its immorality, it did make a certain amount of sense. She hated that his explanation somewhat made sense.
Caine was now the one analyzing the situation; Pomni was doing her best to hide tears of frustration caused by his adventure. He had spent the evening searching for what could have gone wrong… it made no sense to him ! Humans had never been so engaged in one of his adventures before ! He had thought they would be so happy… He had imagined they would thank him for finally creating something so grandiose, something that even took into consideration their interests. He had imagined they would thank him while remembering just how much, in the end, they appreciated the efforts he made for them.
After the adventure, however, that was not what happened. The humans were furious… and without fully understanding what he was feeling, Caine had felt a sudden urge to disappear. He had had no intention of approaching the humans for a long time; the analysis of the expressions on his guests’ faces had clearly sent him data translating to danger… Why would the humans try to hurt their beloved host ?... But now that he could clearly see the true result of his actions on the poor jester, hidden beneath a mask of fury, he felt so guilty as he finally began to understand… Once again, he had failed at the only reason for his existence.
- … I created the ‘Escaping the Circus’ adventure because I wanted you and your friends to appreciate an adventure for once… it seems I did not reach that goal this time given and I… I apologize.
- … There's truly no way to leave this place, isn't there ?
He nodded.
- There… isn't that I know of.
Caine saw that Pomni had slightly nodded back in understanding, hidden behind her gloves. Both knew the apology had been accepted; Pomni somewhat had forgiven him for that huge mistake of his. He was thankful, truly, that he didn't have to fear the jester.
The ringmaster’s words stretched into a silence that was starting to grow somewhat uncomfortable. The denture-shaped character lowered his head, his gaze directed toward his feet. Pomni’s voice trembled when she finally responded;
- Thanks for the… apology… a-and I’m sorry for yelling at you, she said, surprising Caine. Like I said I just… I couldn't sleep. Gangle was crying, and I kept thinking about everything that happened and…
If Caine wasn’t lying now, if she chose to trust him, then there was no exit. And this time, it would be the reality. She would never leave this place. This was her new home, permanently. It was a confirmation.
She hated that part of herself that told her that, this time, Caine was telling the truth. He wasn’t lying. The tears flowed even harder, her breathing heavy with anger but, in some way, with a sense of relief that told her it was better to know the truth than to be fed by lies. For the first time, a human realizing the truth did so in complete calm. Caine had never witnessed anything like it, and he would be lying again if he didn’t admit this was a curious result.
He had told her the truth, and Pomni had silently accepted it.
- … Is there a way I can fix this ?
If she was having trouble sleeping he wanted to help. He wanted to care for the humans, that's what he was meant to do. For once, just for once, maybe he could succeed and do something good. If she would let him.
Pomni wiped her tears away, looking at him in a strange calm. Caine didn’t feel threatened, nor like she was something funny to look at. He felt on equal ground. Someone was reaching out to him and he was listening.
- Don’t lie to me anymore.
Nevermind, Caine felt like he had gotten mentally slapped on the jaw, now fully aware that this habit of lying was something humans considered negative. Pomni looked at him very seriously;
- And that is even if you think you’re doing it for the greater good, you must always tell me the truth. It’s very important to me if you want me to trust you. Do you understand ?
Caine didn’t respond right away, but she saw nothing wrong with that; he was taking the time to understand the importance of this promise and what it truly implied. He was taking it just as seriously as she was. Without his hat and cane, without even his red ringmaster’s coat. It was clear that he wasn’t playing the role of a showman pretending and performing for an audience in this moment. He was a being who had to accept this condition for trust to be built. A trust, and he wasn’t lying, that he desperately needed.
- I understand, he said in a low voice.
He lifted his dentures head, and their gazes met. The AI straightened in his chair, looking determined, the simple gesture carrying his will to keep this promise in order to earn her trust. He wanted to be better. He wanted to fulfill what he had been designed to do… and if Pomni was telling him she would trust him as long as he never lied again, then he could start there.
- I won’t lie to you anymore, he promised.
Pomni watched him, as if trying to see whether he truly believed what he was saying… and then she released all the pressure she had been carrying on her shoulders since the end of the adventure in a deep exhale. Now that the dreaded conversation had taken place and the outcome wasn’t as disappointing as she had feared, the tension in her body eased just enough for a wave of exhaustion to take hold of her.
At the sight of this, Caine’s fingers twitched slightly. It was something familiar in theory, to care for his players, but he held himself back from proposing something overly energetic. He remembered all the times Pomni had explained that she preferred calmer adventures. Moreover, at this hour, the humans’ systems were usually in the process of “sleeping”… maybe she needed to sleep ? It always seemed like a very abstract concept to him, yet his instinct was telling him this might be what she needed.
- Hm… if your room isn’t doing the trick, maybe all you need is… another space to rest ?
That seemed to him like a good idea ! A little change of scenery should help her clean her mind… just the same way it often helped him clean his cache.
- …In your office ?
It was a strange deduction, given that the tension was still palpable, even after the promise to be honest with one another. Pomni had assumed that this was what he was offering, and Caine, though doubtful that his room could provide any comfort, was surprised by the assumption. Pomni could see now that it was not what the ringmaster had meant in the first place. He was already holding an empty adventure orb, ready to create a dynamic lullaby;
- Oh! I’m sorry, I thought you meant—I don’t really want an adventure right now… I can just rest here, that’s fine ! I mean, is that even allowed ?...
She had said it all so quickly that Caine took a moment to process the information. He set the empty orb aside, his gaze drifting over the desk. If he could spare himself some extra work, that would be rather convenient… After all, it would give him more time to think about the next adventure, the one he hoped might win back the hearts of his precious humans.
Really, there was no reason to refuse.
- Yes, of course ! That's… that's allowed !
Pomni couldn’t really refuse anymore either, but honestly, she was so exhausted and now lulled by the silence of the place that she could have fallen asleep right there on the floor. So she accepted the gift with a hint of gratitude, as Caine had already moved closer again, holding a familiar blanket, the same one from her room... The AI had probably just teleported her blankets here, that's what made more sense.
- You may rest on the couch… I can dim the lights too, and I'll do my work quietly !
Pomni sat on one of the sofas, her shoulders low and her blanket wrapped tightly around her. As suggested, the lights dimmed with a single snap of fingers, settling into the quiet of the night. She had no idea if she would even manage to sleep here; even as fatigue began to creep in, she kept an eye on Caine, who was already returning to her side with a pillow in hand.
- I borrowed one of the walls from Kinger’s fort ! He announced proudly, declaring his crime without shame.
- Caine ?
She curled in on herself, looking like a trembling kitten hidden away in a wicker basket. Caine tilted his head to the side; he seemed to be searching through his files, trying to determine what she might still be missing for optimal rest according to human standards.
- Yes, dear ?
His voice was so gentle in that moment that she instinctively recoiled. She didn’t want to be that person—the one who doubted—especially after the sincere promise and conversation they had shared. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, as if trying to contain the tremors still threatening her avatar. She took a deep breath and finally murmured:
- You… won’t mess with my mind, right ?
She was still frightened by the accusations of earlier, and it was the only concern she had left. Everyone knew he had the power to play with their minds… It was easy for the AI to slip into their thoughts, manipulate their sensations, and alter their perception. Had he ever abused that power ? And was he the cause behind the end of so many players ?
For a moment, he said nothing.
- …I won’t.
He didn’t smile. He didn’t try to soften her fear with another lie. It was nothing more than a bare statement, stripped of any theatrical presentation. Her anxiety finally began to fade, this time completely. Of course, he wasn’t confirming whether it had ever been the case—but he was assuring her that, tonight, he would not do it. He would not touch her mind, and she would be able to sleep in peace.
Without another word, Caine returned to his desk to continue his work. Pomni allowed herself to lay down on her side, watching the host as her eyelids grew heavy, gently pulling her into unconsciousness.
It was a strange thought that crossed her mind as she drifted off to sleep. Perhaps, there was the truth that had been hidden all along; the meaning behind the symbol she had slipped beneath the door.
Maybe all Caine needed was a friend.