The last adventure left everyone a little shaken. Despite it being simple and even quite fun, it didn’t stay that way for long. It ended in disaster.

Pomni and Jax had a huge argument, all because Pomni thought they were friends. Which Jax told her, point blank, was never the truth. He didn’t care about her or anyone else in the circus in the slightest, they were just his playthings.

even after the Favorite Character Awards Show with Jax as its winner, nobody wanted to speak with him. Let alone congratulate him.

especially not Pomni.

she knew there was more to him. despite his vehement denial and advice to stop looking, she knew.

there isn’t an adventure today, which they expected. Caine hasn’t been very enthusiastic about them for a while now. And while it’s a bit concerning what the reason behind that could be, Pomni’s glad to have a break.

she glances up at Jax’s empty seat, where he should be eating ‘breakfast’ with them all despite the food being digital like everything else in this world. But he’s not there.

she can’t help it. She’s worried. She knows how abstraction works and while the idea that he may be gone prickles her mind, she tries to ignore it. Tries to talk with Ragatha or Zooble or Gangle or Kinger and distract herself.

it doesn’t work. She’s still worried

once breakfast is over she tells the others she’s heading to her room, that she’ll probably be there most of the day. She needs the rest, after all

but instead she goes right for Jax’s room, hesitant but determined as she reaches up with a mismatched glove and knocks on the door

“Jax?” Pomni’s voice rings out, tinged with worry. “Are you in there?”