CHAPTER 1
We don't know the day, month, or year in this unpleasant, opaque, and eerie place, wearing a damned mask of bright colors, a strange place that seems to move forward but doesn't.
Reaching the end of the hallway, descending into the basement by the stairs, with faulty lights that still emit a faint glow in the darkness, there are disgusting membranes or cocoons hanging for several meters, producing a strange sticky liquid. I wouldn't know the origin of the cocoon, but all I know is that I was inside one of those things.
I am expelled from the strange cocoon, covered in green liquid. I was drenched in slime, with the smell of mildew. I regained my consciousness, unsure of how or why I ended up there.
"Who am I?" I looked at the trembling palms of my hands. My skin was pale, and as I gazed into the reflection in my eyes, they showed exhaustion, with dark circles and a pallor as white as snow, provoking a certain rejection in me as I looked at my hands. I had the feeling, maybe the memory, that I once had a life, a story to tell, but I couldn't remember it.
I wasn't crazy, even though my eyes suggested otherwise. I didn't have dementia, despite not being able to remember anything, naked and disoriented. Still, the temperature was warm, even though the cables and devices were malfunctioning, they were still working.
I couldn't understand anything. Wasn't there anyone? I tried to find an answer that my mind could grasp. My eyes kept scanning in all directions. Near the wall, there was a blanket, somewhat faded. My legs were shaking, but I got up. I took my first steps. I stumbled and fell to the ground, looking around again. My breath quickened, and my arms wobbled. I hit the floor hard with my fists, then started to drag myself slowly. If I used that thing as support, I could keep my balance, and I would have to use the walls, I told myself. I grabbed the blanket and covered myself.
Leaning on the walls, I managed to stand up and looked toward the stairs. I had to go up; I didn't want to stay there. As I climbed, my coughing echoed through the dark corridor. My breath began to exhale in vapor as I ascended the stairs. My skin was tingling, but I had to continue. The walls were covered in cobwebs and repulsive eggs. A terrible smell reached my nose as I walked in the dark. Eventually, I bumped into decomposing corpses. From their dark eyes, disgusting larvae and spiders crawled out. It was disgusting and rotten, invading all my senses and making me gag.
I had to keep moving; we know that thing is about to wake up. There isn't much time. It has to pass slowly over them. From deep inside, there were short, sharp sounds that made my body shiver, and my heart began to race. It was taking too long to pass, it was getting closer.
"What was that?" I said to myself.
I closed my eyes to avoid the flies getting inside. I couldn't see anything anymore. I didn't know in which direction it was coming, but I knew it was approaching. Using my hearing, I managed to place one foot in front of the other, still needing to place my second foot.
"I can't take it anymore!!"
I didn't want to open my eyes in complete darkness. It was near me. I didn't want to see it. Every time that piercing, repetitive sound echoed, it disturbed my ears. Something grabbed my foot.
It has life!! It emitted a heartbreaking, agonizing scream, expelling worms from its mouth and eyes.
"How is this possible?"
My eyes burned, and my teeth hurt. I had to force myself to inhale. I tried pulling my foot back, but while we struggled, that thing took the corpse away, and I heard the crunching of bones.
That thing didn't attack me. I realized it had no eyes. It relied on sound to guide it, which is why I didn't move. My body was trembling, my heart pounding faster with each beat. It must have sensed something, because it immediately disappeared, or maybe that's what it wanted me to think.
What's happening? Is this the end of the world? Is it a virus or an invasion, I thought. What the hell was that?!
I felt a shiver along my back, as though a cold current had passed through my skin. I wanted to stay still, but a few meters away were some gates. What should I do?
"Help me!"
I have to get closer. That sound starts to rumble in my ears. Despite being soft, it is unsettling. I'm just a meter away from the door. I don't want to look around, but I feel a presence behind me.
The handle is very cold.
"What's going on?!" Come on, come on! Open!
I feel sharp pricks in my palm, but I manage to open it, trying not to make too much noise in case something is inside. I quickly close it again, but I don't want to look behind me. I lean against the door, and it feels like lying on a large block of ice. I need to breathe in more oxygen than I can get.
Luckily, I find various equipment, clothing, and a flashlight with squashed batteries that still work. I decide to equip myself as quickly as possible, knowing that thing could still be roaming nearby. As I walked, I noticed cameras in this room. Why are there cameras here?
I think they're still working; they have a small red light.
I approach the camera screen, staring at it, tapping the hard screen with my index finger. In the reflection, I see something behind me, just a few meters away.
It's some drawings on the walls. It's like they were trying to tell us something. It seemed like a kind of message, perhaps a puzzle, or something abstract. Why do I feel like I know this?
I can't stop observing. I get closer to the wall, extend my arm, and touch it with my hand. It's rough and damp, and this feels so real. Is this not a dream?
Did you hear that?
A whisper seems to come from nowhere.
The flashlight is barely illuminating, starting to flicker. My vision is blurred by sweat, and I can't stop scanning every corner. I start laughing without purpose.
Step by step, I climb up some stairs, constantly looking back and forward. My ears are growing more disturbed, and the sweat runs down my forehead. The pain in my legs has disappeared. Did you hear that?
I shine the light, but there's nothing, though it seems to be getting closer. Should I go up or down?
I try to run with all my strength, no longer caring about tripping on the steps.
I reach the door, pushing and pulling because it's jammed, getting more desperate with each attempt. I push and pull until the door finally opens, and I rush out, slamming it behind me. Something hits the door from the inside. I hear heartbreaking screams from the other side. That thing or entity is trying to communicate with me, but the words are inaudible, or maybe it's just my mind playing tricks on me.
Now safe, I slowly step back, still watching the metal door. I can breathe without difficulty. The night air is cold, and I start to feel chills running down my body, causing it to tremble. Still, I'm not so alone... or maybe I think I'm not. There are many lights in the distance. As I slowly walk toward the lookout, I realize I'm in some kind of theme park…
A mechanical sound comes from behind me. I turn, expecting to see that creature, but no, it turns out to be an elevator. It opens slowly. I just stand there, observing. I can't see what's inside… I step forward but decide not to enter. I'll find another way out!
It's very dark, and all I hear are my fast heartbeats echoing loudly. I want to cover my eyes and ears. The gravity feels heavier, making me dizzy, my head feels heavy, and I feel nauseous. This place is so small. Am I in an elevator? How did I get here? I use the flashlight to check the floor numbers. How is this thing still working if there's no electricity? The numbers are off, but the machine still functions.
It starts to shake, and with every second I'm here, it intensifies and grows stronger. I fight to keep my balance, crashing against the walls. "I don't want to die!"
Everything stops abruptly. There's only silence, and the elevator lights flicker back on. I try to process what just happened, but it's hard to grasp. My stomach turns, and I vomit. How disgusting. I vomit again but try to steady myself despite being dizzy. I step out.
Slow, deliberate steps, without looking back. I can see the stars and the moon. I stop for a moment to gaze at them. I can see the lights from the shops, though no one's around. I like being alone, but not here. The silence is terrifying. It feels like it speaks. As I walk, my foot bumps into something. Look beyond what you see.
It's a message on the ground. What the hell? I don't understand. What is this doing here? What is it trying to tell me? Is this for me? Who could have written it?
It's obvious this couldn't have been written on its own. My nose picks up a pleasant aroma. It's a mix of yeast, vanilla, and caramel. Even though there's no one, it draws me toward wherever this pleasant smell is coming from. Many shops are completely empty. The light posters struggle against the darkness, but the scent gives me life.
In the distance, I see something, though I can't describe it. All I see is a flash of light far away. The edges grow darker. I feel it's so close, yet so far.
My legs hurt. I'm so close, but I don't want to rest. Not now. The shops are still empty. I've checked a few.
It feels like I've been here forever, even though I just woke up. The cold is hurting my bones. I cross my arms near my stomach. I don't know where I'm headed.
It's coming closer. It could be the end.
"Hey! If you're going to jump, I'm not cleaning up your mess, what a drag. Don't do it."
I turn around and see the person. He's tall, pale, and wearing rather peculiar clothes. His hair is long, messy, and strange. Chains hang from his body and arms, extending from his forearms like veins. He's looking at me.
"I'm glad to know I'm not the only one!"
"Kid, trust me, it won't work. I've tried. We can't die, not here. See for yourself."
"What are you talking about?"
I'm on the edge of falling. It's quite a height.
There's silence between us. The cold is suffocating. We're on a high, deteriorated floor, with sharp-edged stairs, covered in sawdust.
Even though we can't die, it's still a world of survival. Keep that in mind.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, are you going to jump or not? I'll help you."
"No, no, please!" I'd say with my hair standing on end.
"Come on, it'll be fun," he says with a grin from ear to ear.
"Kid, do you feel a little better now?" the mysterious man asks the protagonist. "Don't take it the wrong way, but my methods take time to understand."
"This isn't a game to you, is it? You've made me suffer, all for…"
"Don't exaggerate. You needed to wake up. In the end, you're not going to die," the tall person responds.
I raise an eyebrow but keep my eyes on this guy. "Tell me, what did you mean when you said… We can't die here?"
It's absurd. I mean, why? I don't believe you!
He furrows his brows. His forehead wrinkles.
"I don't believe you!"
"You don't understand anything, do you? Here, it's not the end... It's just the beginning of something else. See for yourself."