Casiah

Let's dance! Dance a merry dance, dance a wild dance! Laugh along with her, and stoke the atmosphere to fever pitch.

And then, it's time for the star to take the stage.

There, where the spotlights converge, the mad magician has already slipped her hand into her top hat. As for what she will pull from that endless void, be it a cascade of colorful ribbons, a flock of white doves taking flight, or the razor-sharp claws of some dreadful monster... I'm afraid only she can tell.

Unlocks at: Awakener Level 1

April 1, A.F. 3@2, Silver Core Storage and Management Room, Mythag University Awakener Department, Londinium

Silver Core G411, along with Silver Core G410, was purchased by Lord Dexter from the "Lady Narcissus." The core measures 1.85 cm in length and 0.4 cm at its widest point, with a shape resembling a rhombohedron. Regardless of the angle or position from which it is observed, G411 emits bright yellow rhomboid ripples that radiate outward from the observer's visual focal point.

Prolonged observation may cause the observer to experience mental disorientation, diminished emotional responsiveness, and even lead to Puppetman Syndrome (potential symptoms include complete emotional apathy, loss of volition, severe malnutrition or even death resulting from suppressed appetite). Prompt psychological and emotional intervention is required should such symptoms manifest.

Although its negative effects are milder compared to most Silver Cores, hermetic containment is strongly advised. Direct observation upon retrieval should be strictly avoided to mitigate the risk of G411-induced affective disorder.

Excerpt from <Italic:Mythag University Silver Core Storage Records>

Unlocks at: Affinity Level 3

"Tired of the mundane parks? Bored with dull animal exhibitions? Then come to Casiah's Magical Carnival! For kids who love animals, there are tenor-singing lions, ballet-dancing flamingos, acrobatic elephants, and the world's one and only donkey tamer! For couples looking to rekindle the spark, try our unique Live-Horse Carousel for a rare romantic experience! And for the brave souls who crave genuine thrills in their lives, we dare you to challenge the Mirror Maze, hand-designed by the carnival's very own mistress! If you manage to take away those 41 mischievous visitors who never came out, you can win great prizes!

Besides these exclusive entertainment facilities, Magician Casiah will usher you into a spectacular world of revelry, featuring sawing-in-half illusions, human vanishings, extreme escapes, and more magic! Lucky audience members may even be invited on stage to experience Master Casiah's exquisitely refined cutting techniques up close and personal. Guaranteed to shatter your perception of reality and render your ordinary daily life utterly flavorless! And best of all? Every last bit of it is absolutely free, FREE! Your joy is all the reward Master Casiah could ever ask for!

To all at the Mythag, Master Casiah will be waiting for you this weekend on the open ground behind the cafeteria. Don't you dare miss it!

Note: Once entering the carnival, attendees must fully experience it; mid-way exits are not allowed. Those with low stress tolerance or fragile mental and cardiac conditions should enter with extreme caution.

The carnival is not responsible for any symptoms such as loss of appetite, missing limbs, lost eyes, or abdominal ruptures that occur afterward."

<Italic:Grand Opening: Master Casiah's Magical Carnival!>

Unlocks at: Affinity Level 5

From her childhood, Casiah exhibited an extraordinary talent for mimicry.

No matter how intricate the dance, she could replicate it flawlessly after just one viewing; no matter how complex the magic trick, she could master it with only one lesson. Voice, facial expressions, even smiles and the subtle aura a person carried, Casiah could perfectly replicate them, even to the point of being utterly indistinguishable from the original. Had she been born into different circumstances, or found a different calling, that gift might have carried her toward an entirely different life.

Unfortunately, she was just a child growing up in an obscure, low-rent circus. The circus people only thought of profiting from her talent, while the patrons outside the tent, they came only to purchase joy, with no pity to spare.

No one cared for Casiah's happiness, but fortunately, Casiah did not care either. Every time she observed the laughing audience, the bickering troupe members, the fortune teller silently weeping over her photos, she felt only a detached curiosity: Why do they make these faces off-stage? Why do they keep performing when no one is watching? Why do they call it a "manifestation of emotion"?

What is happiness? What is sadness? And what does it feel like to experience the despair and terror of impending death, just as the "benefactor" who slit her throat once spoke of?

As a human, she could find no answers. But as a child of magic, as a being capable of collecting "emotions" from others, perhaps she could finally gain an experience she had never possessed.

Thus, she founded the Magical Carnival and brought it around the world.

People come to purchase joy, yet pay with every last desire.

"Roll up, roll up, come one, come all, step into my carnival! For just a little joy, just a little sorrow, you'll witness the greatest spectacle this century has ever seen!"

Unlocks at: Affinity Level 7

Casiah reached into the hat, and it was empty.

Casiah reached into the Gate, and it was empty.

Casiah reached into her chest, and it was empty.

The collected joy and sorrow, fear and fury, the warmth and chill of human connection, the buzz before the show began, the cheers at each dramatic twist, the whistles at the highlights, the applause at the final bow, and the hollow silence as the crowd dispersed, all slipped away from this hollow chest, leaving no trace of ever having existed.

Staring into the mirror, Casiah began to mimic the audience's expressions. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, the flexing of her cheeks, the exact curve of her lips, everything was identical to theirs, yet utterly devoid of any true sentiment.

<Italic:If only I could feel it... If only I could transcend mere mimicry... If only I could become one of them... Or, if only someone... could stay...>

Then surely this "void" in her chest would finally be filled.

Unlocks at: Affinity Level 9