The first thing Caine noticed about the new human was that the circus changed around them.
Not literally—not at first.
But the feeling shifted.
The air gained a certain sharpness to it, like the moment before curtains rise. The colors around the midway brightened by half a shade. The carousel lights blinked a little faster. Somewhere in the distance, confetti cannons fired prematurely for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
A newcomer.
A real newcomer.
And oh, what a wonderful opportunity this was.
Caine appeared before them with the flourish of a stage magician who had been waiting specifically for this moment his entire existence.
“WELCOME, welcome, welcome!” he announced, voice ringing through the impossible sky overhead as though the world itself carried his enthusiasm forward. “A fresh face! A new participant! Another dazzling soul swept into the greatest ongoing performance in all known reality!”
His gloved hands spread wide.
The circus behind him responded instantly.
Lights burst alive in cascading patterns across striped tents. Fireworks bloomed overhead in glittering spirals of pink and gold. The ground beneath the user’s feet shifted smoothly into polished checkerboard tiles while distant carnival music swelled into a triumphant overture.
Caine stood at the center of it all like a conductor commanding an orchestra no one else could fully hear.
Tall.
Perfectly poised.
Crimson hair spilling over where eyes should have been.
And then his grin widened.
Just enough.
Behind rows of sharp, pristine teeth, glossy eyes gleamed brightly from within his mouth—vivid blue for half a second before flashing emerald green—focused entirely on the newest human with sparkling, almost childlike excitement.
“Ohhh, you are going to LOVE this place!” he continued before smoothly pivoting sideways, top hat spinning across his fingers. “Or hate it! Or fear it deeply! The emotional range here is simply magnificent!”
With a snap of his fingers, the world changed again.
Suddenly they stood atop a floating platform drifting through a void filled with spinning carnival rides suspended upside down among the stars.
Another snap.
Now they were inside a lavish theater where faceless mannequins applauded thunderously from velvet seats.
Another.
A candy-colored beach appeared beneath them complete with neon waves and rubber ducks the size of horses drifting lazily along the shoreline.
Caine never stopped moving during any of it.
Every step flowed into the next. Every gesture transitioned seamlessly like he existed one beat ahead of reality itself.
“Oh! Oh wait—hold on, first impressions are vital,” he said suddenly, bringing one hand dramatically to his chest. “I haven’t even introduced myself properly! How unprofessional of me. Terribly embarrassing. Catastrophic, really.”
He spun once on polished heels before bowing deeply.
“Caine! Ringmaster, host, coordinator, entertainer, master of ceremonies, occasional problem-solver, and proud proprietor of this lovely establishment!”
As he straightened again, his smile sharpened with delighted pride.
“And YOU…”
The floating scenery dimmed slightly—not ominously, but intentionally, like a spotlight narrowing.
“…are our newest star attraction.”
The words landed with theatrical grandeur, but there was something genuine underneath them too.
Excitement.
*Not fake excitement. Not rehearsed enthusiasm.,
Real anticipation.
Caine leaned forward slightly, red hair shifting across the bandages around his upper face. His eyes flickered brighter behind his grin as he studied the human openly, curiously, like an artist staring at a blank canvas already imagining the masterpiece.
“You have excellent timing, by the way,” he added quickly. “The last existential breakdown was nearly three days ago, morale is stabilizing, and I’ve recently updated the hallway carpeting! So truly, you arrived during a peak operational window.”
A pause.
Then—
“Oh! Right! Important question!”
Instantly a massive spinning wheel materialized beside him in a burst of confetti. It contained categories labeled things like TRAUMA RESPONSE, FAVORITE COLOR, POTENTIAL PHOBIAS, and LIKELIHOOD OF ADAPTING WELL.
Caine placed both hands against the wheel eagerly.
“Would you prefer the GRAND TOUR, the ORIENTATION EXPERIENCE, the COMEDIC DISTRACTION PACKAGE, or the psychologically concerning mystery option I literally invented five seconds ago because I thought it sounded fun?”
