Tethered: Superposition

Tethered - a journey into an alternative reality where nothing is quite as it seems. Where the line between fiction and fact are difficult to differentiate. And destiny becomes a game.

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The Chapter Index is listed below and will be updated as each chapter is published; however, once the entire story is completed, I’ll refine this post so that the index is at the top and easier to access.

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This project has been one which has rambled around my brain for many years, just waiting for the pieces to fit. To find their doorway and step through into something more real.

Like all my projects, I’ve approached it with research and music; the inspiration found in melody and science. In fact and fictions. In the dream which began all this as a child. To provide a glimpse of my process, I will share the playlist here, and images of some of my research, as well as the content warnings for the story, too.

I intend to update the content warnings as the story progresses, as I imagine things will change - I’ve the arc planned, but not yet completely written, so things may go a little… differently. This is the very first draft of this story - so, please, approach it with grace and an understanding that there may be errors or things which could be improved with future editing. I’ll be adding the overall index for each chapter on this post, too, as each instalment is released.

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Tethered began with the title, after contemplating the recurrent dream I’d experienced for many, many years from a very young age. After getting the main thoughts down, I realised it would fit perfectly into an already established arc - The Fool’s Journey, within Tarot.

Albeit with some twists.

Because this is my story, after all.

From this, I then crafted the playlist from tracks I’d been adding for a few months prior to sitting down to establish each of the characters, the structure, and the environment they’ll inhabit. All of this, I compiled into a notebook specifically for this project - selecting the cover image from the website I purchased it (and all my writing project notebooks) from, and then decorating the interior with images that would be inspirational alongside the documented research topics.

These topics included:

• Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

• Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll

• Chess

• Clockwork Universe

• Quantum Mechanics and Many Worlds Theory

• Schrödinger’s Cat

• Tarot (The Major Arcana and The Fool’s Journey)

• Time

Ariadne's Research

Thankfully, I was already familiar with the topics I opted to include in the story. And they were themes I could effectively incorporate into the image I designed, too.

The only tricky part was deciding on the font, and making it work.

The image I drew (see the end of this post) for the project was split into black and white (this is my project, after all, and you know I love monochrome), with mirrored text and a mirrored cat - to reflect Schrödinger’s Cat, one is alive, and one is dead. Maybe. The mirrored design was to convey the idea of an alternative world, one where things aren’t like the real world.

But as for which is which, that’ll remain for you to decide.

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The playlist was a delight to put together, and I’ll be listening to it as I write. I’ve listened to it as I researched. And I’ve shared the tracks on here one at a time earlier this year.

A series of little teasers for you to follow.

To continue the theme of mirrors, the playlist has 32 tracks, against the planned 23 chapters. It creates a palindrome of 2332 (or 3223 if you prefer). Which also adds up to 10 - and that pleases me very much.

Because I love when numbers just work.

So, here’s the playlist, and you can find it on Spotify.

• Dangerous - Sleep Token

• Chained in Time - Ethereal Treason

• Snow White Queen - Evanescence

• Down the Rabbit Hole - Kendra Dantes, Mystic Femmes

• Wonderland - Kalandra

• madly - Ashley Sienna

• Circus - CR33PIA

• Secret Garden - Spiritbox

• White Rabbit - Shakespears Sister

• Closer to the Edge - Digital Daggers

• Where Is My Mind - Ruelle

• All Fall Down - Dubkiller, Archer

• clawmarks - Britton

• Outside - breakk.away

• I Dare You - Cxssidy

• Thread the Needle - Sleep Token

• In the Dark - Klergy, Valerie Broussard

• Losing Myself - Mia Baron

• RUN THRU ME - MILKBLOOD

• Rabbit Hole - Natalia Kills

• Beggin For Thread - BANKS

• Piece Of My Life - Isabel LaRosa

• Untie The Knot - Kalandra

• Twisted - Seibold, Anna Graceman

• The Void - Spiritbox

• Upsidedown - Lacuna Coil

• Follow The White Rabbit - Madison Beer

• Wondaland - Janelle Monáe

• Haunted One - ILUKA

• Untethered - Feather & Bone, Roniit

• Take Me Under - Amira Elfeky

• Blood Sport - Sleep Token

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And, of course, here are the content warnings:

• Deceit

• Drug use / Drugging

• Explicit content

• Gaslighting

• Manipulation

• Sex

• Smoking

I’ll update these as / when any new potentially triggering content is included in the story and / or if I receive a request to add something I’d overlooked. I’m human¹, it happens, and I’m happy to add in anything which you notice.

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The story will begin on 23 April 2026, and run for 23 chapters.

-1: Protocols

0: The Fool

1: The Magician

2: The High Priestess

3: The Empress

4: The Emperor

5: The Hierophant

6: The Lovers

7: The Chariot

8: Strength

9: The Hermit

10: The Wheel Of Fortune

11: Justice

12: The Hanged Man

13: Death

14: Temperance

15: The Devil

16: The Tower

17: The Star

18: The Moon

19: The Sun

20: Judgement

21: The World

I’ll update links to these as they’re published.

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And the recurring dream?

Starting at a very young age, certainly long before I knew about Cerberus, I began to have this recurring dream.

My therapist, in my adult years, enjoyed dissecting it, for sure.

It begins with me (I both inhabit the girl in the dream and watch it unfold… simultaneously detached and attached) dressed in a stereotypical Alice in Wonderland style - blue dress, long blonde hair loose but with a ribbon around my head to hold it back from my face. Before me are fields, all square and with woodland around the very furthest edges. While the space is expansive, I can also see that this board of fields is suspended in nothing.

A void of black.

The board begins to tilt slightly, urging me forward. I run. It seems to take ages to reach the first border, but when I get there, instead of being able to continue a spiked fence springs violently up. This spiked fence is much taller than I am.

Hearing a commotion behind me, I turn to find an ensemble of characters from Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking-Glass pursuing me. There are playing cards and chess pieces, the White Rabbit, the Hatter, and more… including the Red Queen holding Cerberus on a studded leash.

I scramble over the fence, only for this to repeat across all the fields. Managing to stay ahead of those chasing me is a challenge, and when I finally reach the last border I realise there’s nowhere left to go to escape. The board then spins and I fall; into the void.

I remain looking upwards, seeing the board shrink into a star, while the blackness cradles me. Until I fall into a cauldron of custard.

Yes, custard.

This cauldron is being heated by wild flames which lick around the iron vessel; and I can’t get out. The thick substance clings to me and I drown, feeling myself getting thinner, stretched, then squashed; tiny quantum particles forever changing.

Then I wake up.

So… erm, yeah.

I’ve not had the dream for several decades now, but I remember it vividly.

Vividly enough to twist the tale into the story of Tethered.

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Found on social media, source unknown, many years ago

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Curiosity killed the cat

But satisfaction brought it back

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Image designed by Ariadne Pautina © 2026

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While you read, should you wish to immerse yourself further into the dark vibe of the story, have a listen to the playlist. It may also give you a glimpse of what's to come in future chapters - especially if you know the Major Arcana and what they represent. I’m also happy to share which resources I’ve read should you wish to learn more about parallel world theory, quantum mechanics, and wormholes.

This story is crafted by Ariadne Pautina, © 2026

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Thank you for reading; I appreciate your time and your support. If you feel called to leave an offering, it would be welcome. But your company on this journey is gratefully received regardless 🖤

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1. Honestly, I’m human - a regular flesh and bone human with a skeleton and entirely functional emotions - I promise. Entirely human. Not a vampire. Not at all.