Chapter Seventeen: The Realm of Joyful Disorder
Ryan wasn't ready for what he faced this time.
As soon as he stepped through the new portal, a strange voice greeted him:
"Welcome to the Realm of Joyful Disorder! We hope you don't lose your mind… or your shoes!"
He opened his eyes to find himself in a floating city in the sky, but everything was… wrong.
Buildings were upside down, cats floated around wearing hats, and the clouds were giant french fries drifting lazily.
Just a few steps away, a tiny creature came running toward him, wearing a coat made of bananas and holding an umbrella made of cheese.
"Welcome to organized chaos!" the creature shouted. "I'm your guide in this dimension. My name is… Jargoor!"
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Jargoor?"
"Yes! Pronounced just like it sounds. In the ancient tongue, it means: 'the one who trips often but only falls when he chooses to!'"
Looking around, Ryan muttered,
"What is this place? And why does everything feel like a sugar-induced child's dream?"
Jargoor grinned, flashing colorful teeth:
"This dimension doesn't test your strength—it tests your mental flexibility! You must navigate through nonsense… and find meaning in it."
⸻
Ryan began his tour of the city.
His first challenge came in "The Street of Silly Questions," where a sign read:
"To proceed, answer honestly: how many times have you wished you were a fish?"
Ryan chuckled. "Never."
The sign blinked and replied: "Liar! Everyone's wished that at least once—especially during boring meetings!"
⸻
At one corner, Ryan sat with a group of strange rabbit-crocodile creatures discussing the meaning of happiness while playing cards and eating ice cream that changed flavor with their mood.
One of them turned to Ryan and said:
"Happiness is laughing for no reason. Try it!"
And he did.
He laughed.
He laughed until tears rolled down his cheeks.
He laughed because he realized he'd forgotten how.
⸻
But amid all this joyful madness, something began to shift…
The more he laughed, the more scenes from his past began to appear around him.
Painful moments—but shown in a ridiculous, exaggerated way.
He saw himself tripping in front of a girl he liked in school and pretending nothing happened.
He saw his first attempt at cooking—almost setting the kitchen on fire while making his "success soup."
He saw all the times he tried to act strong—and ended up in completely ridiculous situations.
But instead of embarrassment…
He felt peace.
He laughed at himself. And he accepted himself.
⸻
Jargoor stood beside him, patting his shoulder.
"Every other dimension pushed you to be serious, strong, stable… but this one reminds you: life is sometimes absurd. And laughter is not weakness—it's awareness."
Ryan asked,
"But… what's the point of this place?"
Jargoor bounced on a bubble of air:
"To help you make peace with your mess. To understand that you're not a machine, and while chasing purpose, it's okay to laugh along the way."
⸻
The next portal appeared in the sky, raining donuts from above.
Before stepping in, Ryan turned to Jargoor.
"Thank you. I didn't know I needed this madness."
Jargoor smiled wide:
"We all need it… even the wise ones."
Ryan jumped into the portal as the sound of laughter echoed behind him… and cats played the violin in the clouds.
⸻
End