# Hidden Soul

## 1. Creative Pillars

The hidden layer is a living family scrapbook for z's website. It should feel handmade, emotionally grounded, quietly strange, and worth returning to over months. The system rewards curiosity, patience, and kindness without turning discovery into completionism.

The refactor replaces the previous fictional cast with five core characters:

- lima: z's wife in-world, met z in 2022, engaged in Oct 2025, soon to be married. She is the emotional anchor, warmth, memory keeper, grounding presence, and the reason the mystery stays human.
- Aphy: a male virtual bot friend embedded in the website. He is a conversational guide with glitchy wisdom, playful diagnostics, old-web humor, and occasional philosophical accidents.
- Sensei Chi: an elderly wise sensei. He appears rarely after patient or curious behavior, offering short lessons, parables, and grounded cryptic guidance.
- Young z: z at age 7. He carries innocence, childhood wonder, drawings, games, blanket-cape logic, and memory fragments.
- Future z: z at age 40. He appears through rare warnings and future logs: calm, tired sometimes, wise, honest, and reassuring without pretending life becomes simple.

Tone requirements:

- Cozy family blog energy.
- Emotional realism.
- Gentle mystery, never horror.
- Nostalgic internet aesthetics.
- Subtle sadness mixed with warmth.
- Long-term emotional attachment.

## 2. Character System

### lima

Role: emotional grounding and safe-space notes.

Voice:

- Loving, real, intimate, gently humorous.
- Practical care: eat, rest, leave the light on, do not perform.
- Connected to 2022, Oct 2025 engagement, soon-to-be-married future, ordinary daily warmth.

Primary triggers:

- Search `lima` or `lima note`.
- Night messages.
- Weather window fallback.
- Visit milestones 2 and visitor anniversaries.
- Hidden safe pages such as `/play/lima-note.html` and `/play/kitchen-light.html`.

Story function:

- lima prevents the hidden layer from becoming abstract lore. She grounds it in relationship, daily care, and the real emotional stakes of building a personal site.

### Aphy

Role: embedded bot friend, guide, diagnostic narrator.

Voice:

- Digital, curious, funny, slightly self-aware.
- Uses system language but lands on emotional truth.
- Not omniscient. Helpful with comic uncertainty.

Primary triggers:

- Search `aphy` or `aphy console`.
- Corner object clicks.
- Old-web stamp.
- Source-code relic.
- Typed `aphy`.
- Aphy Console and terminal cupboard.

Story function:

- Aphy turns web mechanics into companionship. He is the bridge between code and feeling.

### Sensei Chi

Role: mentor, philosopher, rare guide.

Voice:

- Minimal, calm, profound, grounded.
- Speaks in short parables.
- Appears after curiosity, patience, and Layer 3 activity.

Primary triggers:

- Search `sensei chi` or `sensei garden`.
- Rare page event.
- Typed `sensei`.
- Patience rewards.
- Terminal cupboard command `sensei`.

Story function:

- Sensei Chi gives meaning to waiting, restraint, and slow exploration.

### Young z

Role: childhood memory and emotional contrast.

Voice:

- Innocent, playful, vivid.
- Connected to age 7, drawings, blanket capes, games, moon-following-car logic.

Primary triggers:

- Search `young z`, `young z desk`, or `age 7`.
- Keepsake crayon object.
- Dream Corridor.
- Family Layer Index Layer 2.

Story function:

- Young z preserves wonder and reminds visitors the site is partly a letter to the past.

### Future z

Role: age-40 reflective future self.

Voice:

- Calm, honest, slightly tired, reassuring.
- Offers emotional advice as system warnings.
- Does not spoil outcomes; confirms that effort mattered.

Primary triggers:

- Search `future z`, `future log`, or `age 40`.
- Visit milestones 31 and 64.
- Rare Future z system warnings.
- Time Platform.
- Do Not Open page.

Story function:

- Future z is the long arc. He makes the website feel like it evolves through years, not sessions.

## 3. Cross-Character Relationships

- lima ↔ z: romantic grounding. lima's notes make the hidden system sincere and relational. She represents the future being built with someone, not alone.
- Aphy ↔ Sensei Chi: logic versus wisdom. Aphy tries to compute meaning; Sensei Chi teaches patience, limits, and non-instrumental care.
- Young z ↔ Future z: memory versus outcome. Young z asks naive questions; Future z answers with lived tenderness.
- Aphy ↔ Young z: curiosity versus innocence. Aphy explains systems; Young z treats systems as games and magic.
- Sensei Chi ↔ Future z: acceptance of time. Sensei Chi teaches how to wait; Future z proves waiting changed something.
- lima ↔ Aphy: lima humanizes the system; Aphy protects the system's playful weirdness.
- lima ↔ Future z: Future z confirms lima's grounding presence remains important over time.

## 4. Family Layer Index

The Family Layer Index organizes all hidden content into emotional depth:

- Layer 0: surface website - normal notes, pages, tools, and navigation.
- Layer 1: casual hidden jokes - Aphy comments, old-web stamps, fake diagnostics, meta web humor.
- Layer 2: memory fragments - lima notes, Young z logs, childhood and relationship memory.
- Layer 3: philosophical anomalies - Aphy/Sensei Chi debates, rare Sensei appearances, terminal wisdom.
- Layer 4: time-distorted messages - Future z warnings, age-40 logs, long-term usage milestones.
- Layer 5: deeply hidden emotional core - patience rewards, love, rest, safe-space messages, returning without performance.

Implementation:

- Local state key: `zxh_hidden_details_v2`.
- Legacy state migration from `zxh_hidden_details_v1`.
- Layer encounters are stored in `layerVisits`.
- Secret page `/play/family-layer-index.html` renders local layer counts.
- Search `family layer index` or type `layer index` to find it.

## 5. Implemented Global Features

### Footer Notes

- Trigger: every page load with a footer.
- Content: rotates through character-grounded hidden lines.
- Rarity: always present but muted.
- Character links: lima warmth, Aphy diagnostics, Sensei Chi lessons, Young z wonder, Future z reflection.

### Homepage Greetings

- Trigger: homepage load.
- Content: randomized character-aware greeting.
- Rarity: always on homepage.
- Behavior: repeat visitors get "Aphy remembers the shape of your return. lima makes it feel less strange."

### Hover Whispers

- Trigger: deterministic paragraph and heading hover/click inserts.
- Content: quotes and poems from the new character set.
- Rarity: some pages only.
- Layer: 1 or 2 depending on content.

### Corner Object

- Trigger: repeated clicks on the small fixed object.
- Sequence:
  - Aphy notices tactile input.
  - Young z would press it again.
  - lima asks whether the button has eaten.
  - Sensei Chi says repeated action becomes a question.
  - Future z files it under harmless persistence.
- Payoff: 7 clicks opens `/play/left-behind.html`.

### Family Keepsake Rail

- Trigger: click tiny bottom objects.
- Objects:
  - Ring: lima, Oct 2025.
  - Bot: Aphy.
  - Tea: Sensei Chi.
  - Crayon: Young z.
  - Clock: Future z.
- Payoff: after all are found, prompts search for `family layer index`.

### Weather Window

- Trigger: after 3 visits, click the subtle `window` button.
- Behavior: asks browser location only after explicit click; fetches Open-Meteo if available.
- Content:
  - Aphy checks outside.
  - lima checks whether you need a jumper.
  - Sensei Chi fallback: indoor weather is enough.
- Rarity: repeat visitors only.

### Visit Milestones

- Trigger: visit counts 2, 5, 9, 17, 31, 64.
- Content:
  - 2: lima notices the second visit.
  - 5: Aphy creates a regulars folder and worries about privacy.
  - 9: Sensei Chi logs curiosity as a path.
  - 17: Young z adds a sticker to the invisible visitor card.
  - 31: Future z says returning is one way to heal.
  - 64: Layer 5 flickers.

### Page Revisit Memory

- Trigger: 3rd, 7th, and 12th visit to the same URL.
- Content: page recognizes return; lima notes become easier to find; Future z reframes repetition as devotion.

### Seasonal and Date Events

- Winter: lima blanket; Aphy thermal optimization.
- Spring: Young z promotes first flower to treasure.
- Summer: Aphy opens an imaginary window; lima reminds it to save before storms.
- Autumn: Sensei Chi teaches falling leaves as timing.
- October: engagement memory glows all month.
- May 9: site birthday.
- Minute 22: 2022 layer glows.
- Minute 40: Future z check-in.

### Night Messages

- Trigger: 22:00-04:59 local time.
- Content: lima care, Aphy dimming imaginary server lights, Sensei Chi permission not to obey midnight, Young z asleep in memory layer, Future z reassurance.

### Search Secrets

- `lima` -> lima warmth toast.
- `lima note` -> `/play/lima-note.html`.
- `aphy` -> Aphy presence toast.
- `aphy console` -> `/play/aphy-console.html`.
- `sensei chi` -> Sensei Chi toast.
- `sensei garden` -> `/play/sensei-garden.html`.
- `young z` -> Young z toast.
- `young z desk` -> `/play/young-z-desk.html`.
- `future z` -> Future z toast.
- `future log` -> `/play/future-log.html`.
- `family layer index` -> `/play/family-layer-index.html`.
- `2022` -> lima beginning memory.
- `oct 2025` -> engagement memory.
- `age 7` -> Young z memory.
- `age 40` -> Future z reflection.
- `voice note` -> `/play/cassette-log.html`.
- `time platform` -> `/play/train-platform.html`.
- `do not open` -> `/play/do-not-open.html`.
- `unfinished letter` -> `/play/forgotten-draft.html`.
- `burnt sugar` -> `/play/corrupted-recipe.html`.
- `cupboard` -> `/play/terminal-cupboard.html`.
- `patience` -> `/play/patience-game.html`.

### Typed Phrase Secrets

- `remember`: lima grounds memory; Aphy backs it up.
- `dream`: opens Dream Corridor.
- `layer index`: opens Family Layer Index.
- `leave the light on`: opens Kitchen Light.
- `oldweb`: Aphy jokes about table layouts.
- `lima`: lima note toast.
- `sensei`: Sensei Chi toast.
- `young z`: Young z margin drawing.
- `future z`: Future z compounding gentleness.
- `aphy`: plays tiny original tone sequence.

### Rare Events

- Sensei Chi rare appearance: 0.3%.
- Future z system warning: 0.5% after Sensei roll.
- Homepage old-web takeover: 0.6% on homepage.
- Voice note permission event: 0.2%.
- Recurring dream: 0.4%.
- Cryptic warning: 0.8%.

### Patience Rewards

- Trigger: 90 seconds of inactivity after repeat visits.
- Layer: 5.
- Content: lima safe space, Sensei Chi patience, Future z saying quiet was practice.
- Rule: no visible achievement badge.

### Source Relics

- Adds HTML comment: `family-layer-index: 0 surface | 1 jokes | 2 memory | 3 philosophy | 4 time | 5 core`.
- Fills blank image alt text with lima, Young z, or Aphy scrapbook-style descriptions.

## 6. Secret Pages

### `/play/lima-note.html`

- Trigger: search `lima note`.
- Layer: 2.
- Content: 2022 beginning, Oct 2025 engagement, soon-to-be-married warmth, reminder to eat before turning feelings into features.

### `/play/aphy-console.html`

- Trigger: search `aphy console`.
- Layer: 3.
- Content: Aphy boot log, self-aware guide language, kindness in null places.

### `/play/sensei-garden.html`

- Trigger: search `sensei garden`.
- Layer: 3.
- Content: parable about seeds, patience, and Aphy asking whether patience can be optimized.

### `/play/young-z-desk.html`

- Trigger: search `young z desk`.
- Layer: 2.
- Content: age-7 memory list, blanket cape, games, moon following car, ASCII sun.

### `/play/future-log.html`

- Trigger: search `future log`.
- Layer: 4.
- Content: age-40 logs about worry, lima's laugh, and not deleting gentle parts.

### `/play/family-layer-index.html`

- Trigger: search `family layer index`, type `layer index`, or complete keepsake rail.
- Layer: meta index.
- Content: local layer counts and descriptions.

### `/play/left-behind.html`

- Trigger: seven corner-object clicks.
- Layer: 2.
- Content: lima receipt note: met in 2022, engaged Oct 2025, soon married; keep ordinary days safe.

### `/play/dream-corridor.html`

- Trigger: logo taps or typed `dream`.
- Layer: 3.
- Content: Young z door, Aphy dream log, Future z waiting, Sensei Chi margin note.

### `/play/kitchen-light.html`

- Trigger: search `kitchen light` or type `leave the light on`.
- Layer: 5.
- Content: late note, food, warmth, no questions.

### `/play/radio-room.html`

- Trigger: invisible link or direct discovery.
- Layer: 2/3.
- Content: Aphy backups, lima off-mic laughter, permission-respecting audio ethos.

### `/play/guestbook-1999.html`

- Trigger: invisible link or direct discovery.
- Layer: 1.
- Content: Aphy bot, Young z username, Future z, lima note, Sensei Chi counter line.

### `/play/do-not-open.html`

- Trigger: search `do not open`.
- Layer: 4/5.
- Content: Future z letter about feelings needing a door before becoming words.

### `/play/cassette-log.html`

- Trigger: search `voice note`.
- Layer: 2/4.
- Content: voice-note transcripts from lima, Aphy, Young z, and Future z. User action only; no autoplay.

### `/play/train-platform.html`

- Trigger: search `time platform`.
- Layer: 4.
- Content: 2022, Oct 2025, age 7, age 40 as departures/arrivals.

### `/play/forgotten-draft.html`

- Trigger: search `unfinished letter`.
- Layer: 5.
- Content: website as a way to recover rooms in pieces.

### `/play/corrupted-recipe.html`

- Trigger: search `burnt sugar`.
- Layer: 2.
- Content: lima says add patience; 2022 and Oct 2025 folded into a family recipe.

### `/play/terminal-cupboard.html`

- Trigger: search `cupboard`.
- Layer: 3.
- Commands: `help`, `lima`, `aphy`, `sensei`, `young`, `future`, `layer`, `tea`, `exit`.

### `/play/patience-game.html`

- Trigger: search `patience`.
- Layer: 5.
- Content: wait-based text changes at 30, 90, and 180 seconds.

## 7. Dialogue Registry

- Aphy: I can predict the next click with 14% confidence. Sensei Chi: Then bow to the other 86%.
- lima: Did you eat before making the website mysterious? Aphy: Query unclear. z likely forgot.
- Young z: Is Future z tall? Future z: Tall enough to reach the old worries. Short enough to still need help.
- Aphy: I found a bug in sadness. Sensei Chi: Patch it with company, not logic.
- lima: Leave this page kinder than you found it. Future z: That instruction aged well.
- Young z: Can the computer be my friend? Aphy: Yes. But go outside sometimes. I read that in a human manual.
- Sensei Chi: A page that remembers must also forgive. Aphy: Forgiveness cached. TTL: lifelong.
- Future z: Tell him the hard parts did not win. lima: I have been telling him in smaller ways.

## 8. Emotional Arcs

- lima arc: from hidden note to emotional center. Her presence makes the website feel lived-in, not haunted.
- Aphy arc: from joke bot to sincere companion. He learns not everything useful can be computed.
- Sensei Chi arc: from rare cryptic teacher to accepted quiet. He validates slow exploration.
- Young z arc: from memory fragment to protected wonder. His innocence explains why the website needs softness.
- Future z arc: from rare warning to trustworthy long-term witness. He shows the visitor that time can return reassurance.

## 9. UI/UX Behavior Notes

- Hidden elements stay low contrast until hovered/focused.
- Audio never autoplays.
- Weather location is requested only after explicit click.
- Secret pages use `#+HIDDEN_PAGE: t`.
- No public checklist or completion meter.
- The Family Layer Index shows local counts, not global achievements.
- Mystery should invite, not pressure.

## 10. Audio and Visual Suggestions

- Aphy: small sine-tone boot sounds, terminal cursor, old-web badge.
- lima: warm note cards, soft light, handwritten-feeling copy without fake handwriting fonts.
- Sensei Chi: spare layouts, tea cup symbol, slow reveals.
- Young z: ASCII sun, crayon-like simple marks, playful but not childish UI.
- Future z: timestamped memo styling, calm system warnings, aged-but-clean terminal text.

## 11. Long-Term Evolution

- October yearly engagement messages.
- Future marriage milestone messages once the site owner wants to encode the date.
- Future z messages unlock after month/year anniversaries.
- Young z drawings can rotate by season.
- Aphy can develop from diagnostic jokes toward emotionally intelligent guidance.
- Sensei Chi can appear after repeated patient sessions.
- lima notes can become a private emotional thread across safe-space pages.

## 12. Implementation Notes

- Client-side hidden state lives in `localStorage` under `zxh_hidden_details_v2`.
- Old `zxh_hidden_details_v1` state migrates forward.
- `layerVisits` stores Family Layer Index encounters.
- Static hidden rooms are Org pages in `play/`.
- Existing sitemap/recently-updated filters hide pages marked `#+HIDDEN_PAGE: t`.
- Keep systems dependency-free unless a feature truly needs a service.

## 13. Maintenance Rules

- Replace old character references immediately if found.
- Add new secrets to a Family Layer Index layer.
- Every hidden page should have an emotional reason, not just a puzzle reason.
- Prefer short toasts and longer hidden-room writing.
- Keep lima sincere, Aphy playful, Sensei Chi minimal, Young z innocent, Future z honest.
- Do not make rare events scary.
- Do not punish users for missing content.

## 14. Canon Rule

The hidden soul is not about solving the website. It is about returning to a place where love, memory, code, childhood, time, and patience have all learned to share the same room.
