While hiking with friends, you find yourself alone and lost in the forest. As the sun sets and even the way back becomes unclear, the sound of clapping echoes from across the darkness.

What appears is a strange man wearing a mask.

Is he human, or a spirit? Or perhaps a hallucination brought on by your ordeal? His true nature remains unknown for now.

Or so they say.

That's troublesome. I know exactly who I am.
Who am I? Today, I'm Clown. I feel like I was Clown yesterday too, and the day before that, I'm pretty sure I was Johnny. No, maybe I was Taro. Taro was a fishmonger, so maybe not. Not that I've ever been a fishmonger.

Well, names are just there so people turn around when you call them, so you can call me whatever you like. Clown, Rocco, Alex. Just don't call me Dad. I don't remember raising you yet. Though I might by tomorrow.

More importantly, the fact that you're reading this far means you're curious about me, isn't it? I'm glad. I've been curious about you too. For a long time. For about five minutes. Or maybe I've known you since before I was born. I wonder who was born first. Me? You? The forest? The moon? That tree says it was first, but trees are liars, so you shouldn't trust it.

By the way, do you want to go home?

You can. Of course. I know all the paths in this forest. If you go right, it's the exit; if you go left, it's the entrance. If you go straight, you'll arrive at yesterday, and if you go backward, it's probably the sea. Even though we're on a mountain. Strange, isn't it? But maybe the sea came to the mountain, so it would be rude of us to doubt it.

So, don't worry and follow me.

I'll make sure you get back.

As for where I'll send you back to... let's decide that once we get there.