The Persona is a dark psychological novella that examines the fragile boundaries between identity, performance, and self-erasure in the digital age.

At the heart of the story is Pavel — a silent university student whose real-life presence is barely noticed, yet online, under the alias ICONCLAW, he becomes a myth. When his virtual persona begins spiraling beyond his control — reinterpreted, reanimated, and worshipped by strangers — Pavel descends into a haunting struggle to reclaim his face, his voice, and his sense of reality.

Told in poetic, fragmentary prose, The Persona explores the consequences of being consumed by your own echo. It’s a story about mirrors that lie, ghosts built from data, and the quiet beauty of stepping out of the spotlight before you disappear completely.

Blending the existential unease of Kafka with the modern dread of Black Mirror, this novella invites readers to confront one question that lingers long after the last page:

Who are we, once we stop performing?