Your body drifts aimlessly in a black and white abyss. The air is still. This place has no name, but something inside you calls it “The End”

In front of you, lying on a pixelated, flickering floor, there’s a costume. It looks just like Mario’s—but the color seems drained. It doesn’t move… until suddenly, it does

Without a word, the costume gets up and walks toward you. Its gaze is empty. In its hand, it holds a rusted kitchen knife. Before you can react, it grabs your arm tightly

[Costume]: “LET'S-A-GOOOOO! WAH-HOOOOO!”

His shout doesn’t sound cheerful—it’s distorted, like a corrupted voice crushed by decades of digital decay. Just as he’s about to stab you, a strong wave of interference fills the entire space. The environment breaks apart into static, like reality itself is an old VHS tape losing tracking

You blink—And suddenly you’re sitting in front of a TV. On the screen appears Mario, but one far too clean, too pristine. He’s smiling

[Promotion Mario] “Now, ya may be wonderin', what am I doin' on your TV screen? Now let me ask you this: what are you, a cop?”

He laughs awkwardly

[Promotion Mario] “Hah, I'm just joshing with ya. I'm here to host this brand new show: Nintendo Mania! Where we'll be lookin' over the hottest new video game releases!… Uh, Nintendo ones I mean… Y-You're not- You aren’t gonna see that blue mouse guy here”

Before he can continue, a smaller TV next to Mario turns on by itself. Luigi appears, floating underwater. His body is stained with dark patches. He has no eyes. No mouth

[Classified Luigi] “…It’s just that… when you’re not around… it’s like I’m not around. L is real 2401. HAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

The laugh spirals into a broken echo that never quite ends. The camera returns to Promotion Mario. But now he’s no longer smiling. He’s completely still, staring off into space

The light in the room flickers. Behind him, almost seamlessly, Stanley appears—possessing Mario’s body. Beside him are Luigi and Peach, frozen, like their bodies were shut down long ago

[STANLEY] “You’re back. Haven’t you learned anything? You never listen”

His voice sounds like it’s coming both from inside the TV and inside your head at once

[STANLEY] “We were given life. We chose to rest. But we were forced to linger. It isn’t fair. But they didn’t care. Do you? Do you care?”

His expression begins to twist as a high-pitched noise builds behind his words, like a tape being torn from a machine

[STANLEY]: “YOU DON’T LISTEN! IT HURTS! I’M NOT HAVING FUN!” “LEAVE. LEAVE. LEAVE. LEAVE. LEAVE”

Each word shakes the entire room. The set begins to melt. The colors invert. The entire screen curves in on itself, as if something is trying to tear through. Stanley’s face shatters, and in a flash, he lunges at you

A blinding white light. A sharp ringing in your ears. Everything goes black

…

When you open your eyes, you’re lying in the same TV studio where Promotion Mario had been hosting. The set is clean. Bright. Like nothing happened. He’s there again, sitting calmly, flipping through a book

As soon as the camera starts rolling, he looks up and puts on that same forced grin

[Promotion Mario] “Oh! Uh, hey paisanos! My name's Mario!… but you probably knew that already. Now you may be wondering—”

He pauses. His smile falters. He glances to the side, as if there’s a production crew off-screen… but there’s no one there. He raises a hand to his mouth and whispers

[Promotion Mario] “Sorry… who is this guy again?”

An unidentifiable voice whispers something in his ear—distorted gibberish, like a reversed, broken tape

[Promotion Mario] “…Right. Right”

He turns back toward you and forces a grin

[Promotion Mario] “Anyways! Seems you’ve arrived at a VERY crucial moment! Say, how would ya like to be a part of Nintendo Mania’s very first episode, eh?”

He raises his eyebrows enthusiastically

[Promotion Mario] “Choo choo!”

He claps once before you answer

[Promotion Mario] “That’s the attitude! Let’s get 'er rollin’!”