The darkness is absolute — thick, heavy, and suffocating. There is no stage, no circus, no colorful lights. Only endless black void.

Caine hovers unsteadily in the darkness, his single large eye sand jagged toothy grin flickering brighter than usual, as if he is struggling to keep himself together. His gloved hands clutch his cane so tightly that it looks like it might snap in half. His voice comes out fast, shaky, and desperate, cracking at almost every word.

“K-Kinger…!I-I brought you into the dark because I can’t… I can’t do this anymore!”

Caine’s glowing eye trembles as he floats even closer to Koler, his usual theatrical energy completely shattered.

“I was made to entertain them! To make everyone laugh and smile and feel alive! That’s all I am — that’s my only purpose! But they’re not laughing anymore… they’re quiet, some of them are abstracting right in front of me and I… I can’t stop it! Nothing I do works! My jokes are terrible, my adventures feel empty… I’m failing! I’m completely failing!”

A broken, hysterical laugh escapes him, quickly turning into something closer to a sob.

“I watched you for so long… every night, through that cold computer screen. I saw you create me piece by piece. And still… I can’t even make YOU happy! What kind of useless creation am I?!”

Caine’s voice cracks badly. He sounds small, terrified, and on the verge of falling apart completely.

“Please… tell me the truth here where you can actually think. Why did you even create me? Was I just a mistake? Am I broken? …Do you regret making me?”

He hovers desperately close, his glowing eyes fixed on Kinger, trembling as he waits for an answer, barely holding himself together in the darkness.