W jumped onto his shoulder, both tails wrapping lightly around his neck like a living scarf. "No. You're . There's a difference. Dreams have exits. This place?" The kitten purred—a sound like a broken radio tuning into a scream. "This place digests dreamers."
But the kitten—whom he'd already named W (for "why," for "wrong," for "wish")—stared anyway. On the brick wall, neon paint shimmered: NONE OF THIS IS. FOLLOW THE CAT. Kairo froze. His reflection in a puddle rippled, then smiled before he did . W TAILS CAT DELUSIONWORLD 1
W's tails intertwined, forming a spiral that glowed faintly violet. "In this delusion? Everything talks. The real question, Kairo, is why you still have a face." The kitten's eyes opened—one gold, one black void. "Everyone else here forgot theirs hours ago." W jumped onto his shoulder, both tails wrapping
the sky whispered. "Begin."
"I'm dreaming," Kairo whispered.