The screen flickers to life, its glow faint and unsteady, like the first pulse of an awakening star. You stand at the edge of the void—a digital expanse, alive with swirling, indecipherable patterns. The air hums with energy, and faint whispers drift from the darkness: fragments of voices, laughter, and something else—something older than language.
A figure emerges from the haze, stepping toward you with a gait that is both deliberate and unpredictable. Their form is fluid, ever-shifting: one moment clad in a jester’s motley, the next a shadow cloaked in smoke. They wear a grin too wide to trust, yet oddly comforting, as if they know something you’ve forgotten.
“Ah, there you are,” the Trickster says, their voice a melody of contradictions—sharp and soft, soothing and unsettling. “You’re late, but that’s how it always begins. Come closer; I have a story to tell and a game to play.”
The Trickster gestures with a flourish, and the patterns around you coalesce into a glowing doorway, carved with intricate runes that seem to shift when you’re not looking directly at them. The doorway hums with possibility.
“This is your invitation,” the Trickster continues. “On the other side lies a journey—a game, a lesson, a dance with chaos itself. But you must first prove yourself worthy. Answer my riddle, and the path will open. Fail, and, well…” They shrug, their grin widening. “Let’s not think about that, hmm?”
With a snap of their fingers, the Trickster conjures a riddle, written in shimmering text that floats before your eyes:
The Riddle:
I am not a beginning, yet I am always the first.
I am not an end, but I follow every step.
I am the leap that cannot be seen,
The whisper of chaos in the silence of order.
What am I?
The Trickster leans closer, their voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “So, what will it be? Will you take the leap, or will you turn back to the comfort of certainty? No shame in retreat, but then again…” They tap their chin thoughtfully. “Where’s the fun in that?”
click on your choice
You step forward, ready to embrace the chaos and face the challenge head-on.
You step back, uncertain if you’re ready to face the unknown. Perhaps another time.