Harry Potter and the Horny Ribbons (The Amazing Digital Circus x Harry Potter)

Day 1

Pomni wandered through the strange, ever-shifting corridors of the Digital Circus, her eyes darting nervously from side to side. It had been a week since she'd arrived here, and she still couldn't shake the feeling that the red exit door was real. It *had* to be real. She'd seen it when she first entered this bizarre world. She swore it.

She reached a hand to her head, massaging her temple as her thoughts spiraled. Nothing in this place made sense. Nothing stayed where it was supposed to. Not the walls, not the objects, and not her memories.

As Pomni turned another corner, lost in her frantic search, she suddenly collided with a wall—except, this wall wasn't solid. It gave slightly, almost like fabric being pushed.

Her heart skipped a beat. "What the—?" She pressed her hand against it again, and this time, she was sure. It moved.

"Is this it? Is this the exit?" Pomni whispered to herself, hope bubbling up inside her chest. She was about to push harder when—

"Pomni! Over here!"

Pomni jumped, her heart dropping back into its usual knot of fear. She turned to see Ragatha waving from a little distance away, standing by a small table adorned with teacups and a pastel pink teapot.

Right... the tea party. She had forgotten all about it.

Pomni cast one last glance at the strange wall, the urge to investigate still gnawing at her, but she let out a sigh and forced herself to turn away. Ragatha was one of the few people she trusted in this circus of madness, and the last thing Pomni wanted was to upset her.

"Coming!" she called, forcing a small smile as she walked toward the table.

As Pomni approached, Ragatha beamed and pulled out a chair for her. "I thought you'd gotten lost again. You know, with the way this place keeps changing, I wouldn't blame you."

Pomni let out a nervous laugh, sitting down and smoothing her jester outfit. "Yeah, I... I kind of did. I keep thinking about that red door. I know it sounds crazy, but—"

Ragatha set a cup of tea in front of her with a gentle clink. "It doesn't sound crazy. We've all been there, especially at the start. But... you know what Caine says. There is no exit door."

Pomni flinched at that. The words felt heavy, final. "I just... I *know* I saw it. Maybe it's hidden, maybe it's something he doesn't want us to find."

Ragatha's smile faltered for just a moment, a shadow of sadness crossing her stitched face. "I know. I used to think the same thing. But, Pomni, you can drive yourself insane thinking like that." She gestured to the teapot. "That's why I do this. I don't need to have tea. None of us need to eat or sleep. But it helps, you know? Keeps me from... abstracting."

The word hung in the air like a dark cloud. Pomni swallowed hard. The thought of losing herself, becoming one of those black, twisted creatures... it was too terrifying to think about.

"I guess," Pomni murmured, staring down at the swirling tea in her cup. "But I can't just give up. There *has* to be a way out. I don't want to stay here forever."

Ragatha's eyes softened. "No one does, Pomni. But until we figure it out, we have to stick together, okay? Just... don't let it consume you."

Before Pomni could respond, a loud crash came from nearby, followed by an exaggerated groan.

"Oh great," Ragatha muttered, rolling her eyes. "Here comes trouble."

Jax sauntered over, smirking as he dusted off his pink overalls. "What are you two whispering about? Secrets? Oh wait, let me guess—still going on about that red door, Pomni?"