The fractal dimension

Prologue

The starry night has set on the animal kingdom. Since the dawn of time, its residents have come and gone, as they will for the ages to come. The heir to the throne has recently become the sovereign, granting citizenship to whoever they see fit. Almost never, in the history of the kingdom, has a resident been banished, as the sovereign never has the heart to send away its subjects. Tonight would be no exception.

Every night, the animal kingdom sees its residents wide awake, waiting for the sovereign to signal that the moment they're all waiting for has come: the travel to the fractal dimension. For as long as anyone can remember, the residents of the animal kingdom have gone on a pilgrimage to the dimension, accompanying the sovereign in its travels as a means to understand himself, for that is the purpose of its subjects.

While waiting for their lord to ready themself, they chattered.
"I've heard our lord is quite troubled. I think our last voyages haven't proven to be beneficial to them. Do you think anything is going to come out of this?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. Look, they're coming."
The sovereign emerges from the shadows, a bag of sand in hand, as dictated by the age old customs of the land.

"My dear companions," they say, "as some of you already know, our recent ventures have proven to be quite troublesome and a threat to my wellbeing. I therefore ask of you all to welcome our land's newest resident: detective Böldjahr Sharky. He will be our guide in the fractal dimension. His kind has proven to be quite outstanding detectives, so I will the all of you to grant him your upmost trust. May the dark shine our way."

From behind them emerged a tall, aquamarine shark, sporting magnificent fins, with fur in place of scales, a first in the animal kingdom. Fishes were rare as is, and seeing one with a skin akin to the citizens of the land was something the likes of which hadn't been witnessed yet. Bees, turtles, bears and seals rejoiced in unisson at the sight of a new resident, albeit a silent one for the time being.

The sovereign slowly marches to the moonlight altar, clapping their hands as they reach the top. Handing the bag of sand to Sharky, they proceed to lay down on the autel. The ceremony has begun.
The animals all gather around the altar, meanwhile the newly appointed guide disperses the sand across the face of the lord. A flash of color then tears the infinite ceiling of the land appart, a beam of light shining from atop the sky down to the earth below. As the sovereign's subjects all start praying, Sharky steps into the light and, with the concentrated energy from the thoughts of the collective mind shared by the residents of the land, transcends reality, entering the unknown.

Upon opening his eyes, the shark looks around. With a sense of familiarity, alongside a creeping sense of doom, he doesn't understand where he's landed. With environments devoid of meaning, linked by chains, the he marches onward to a door. Unlocking it, it finally makes sense.
"So this is it. The fractal dimension."