by jan Jejasa

Author's Note ⤴

by TrailmixNCocoa

by TrailmixNCocoa

The fire seemed to spread everywhere.

You run through the halls, feeling the flames tickle your skin and clothes, trying to find a way out. Below you was a grand staircase, leading to the front entrance. Shit, you think, struggling to breathe, the smoke clinging onto your lungs and making you cough. The doors are blocked. You take sight of the windows beside it, seeing the glass was cracked, easy enough for you to break and jump out of. You stumble down the steps; you're so close.

You frantically look around for something to hit the glass with. Picking up a brick, you chuck it towards the window, effectively crashing through it. You're just about to jump out when, instinctively, you look up—a beam from above creaking and collapsing—you fall back before it crushes you, yelping. You curse out loud, now not knowing where to go. Turn around, you find that the flames had stopped moving and crackling. They were still there, in its horridly majestic, orange glow, yet it was almost as if they went through a pause in time. For a moment, it even seemed as if the smoke settled to the floor, surrounding you like a low, black fog.

Before you was a grand throne of gold. It had intricate, elaborate designs, with the swirls adorning the top of its frame like a tiara. Upon the seat was a mask with the color of burgundy—it had golden feathers at the nose bridge, as bright as the throne. There was an incredible urge to put it on; you could hear whispers emanating from it, almost pleading for you to put it on your face.

All thoughts seem to leave your head, leaving it blank with only the desire to take the mask. Slowly, as the fire seemed to crackle again, you picked it up, slowly putting it on your face and tightening the lace around your head.

You felt a tad lightheaded at first—not too much for you to faint—but enough for you to turn back around. You gasp at the sight of what seemed to be an army of sorts before you, all wearing masks of different kinds. They all seem so familiar to you: someone with a black jacket, and shoulder-length blonde hair, another with braids, and another with long, auburn hair. You wanted to run, but you stayed frozen in place, gripping a knife you didn't realize you had until it squeezed itself against your skin a tad too hard.

There was someone in the back of a group—someone maskless—running through the crowd; the redness of the place had grown so strong, however, you couldn't see who they were. You try to move, only for you to grow terribly weak; your ability to breathe diminishing. Before you could collapse, they run up to you with a dagger, plunging it into your chest. Your vision could collect nothing but piercing green eyes.

And before you knew it, your world fell into darkness.

You yelp, jolting yourself awake and breathing heavily. You groan at the same dream you've had for the past few months. You run a hand through your short, black hair, looking at the time, and cursing quietly at the sight of 12 pm. Late again, what could be new, you think, deciding it was about time you got up. Standing up, you gaze out the window, admiring the view of Level 11. After 5 years, it seems, the place never ceased to amaze you—buildings floating here and there, a few vendors out and about selling snacks, and a multitude of wanderers and Facelings, all conversing with each other. In the infinite expanse of seemingly hopeless ventures, there is at least some amount of normalcy that makes it worth living in a place like the Backrooms. Somehow, through sheer determination in spite of their desires to go back to the Frontrooms, humans still found a way to make this place a temporary home.

At the front door, the doorbell rings. Realizing who it could be, you excitedly run through the apartment and to the door, pulling it open and revealing your fiancée, Catelyn Rodriguez.

"My darling!" You exclaim, wrapping your arms around her ever-beautiful body. She meets you with the same glee, giving you a warm kiss on the lips.

"It feels like it's been forever, love," Catelyn says, her voice nearly breaking in pure wistfulness. "How was your mission? Was it too difficult? Did you get hurt anywhere?" Cate worriedly pushes you inside the apartment, closing the door and bringing you to the dining area. She looks at your arms, face, etc, looking for any injuries.

You laugh, taking her hands and pecking them softly, saying, "Nothing to get me in critical condition, darling, that is as much as I know." She smiles, her concern fading away. "Now. Is it really just you here? Where is my father? My sister?"

"They couldn't come, they're far too busy with Project UnMasked," Cate responds, rubbing the back of her neck. "They send their regards, however. They terribly miss you and have even postponed the beginning of the experiment until today, when you come home."

"Project UnMasked?" you repeat, leaning in curiosity. "Isn't that the project for Object 24?"

"Why, yes. I'm sure I've told you all about it in my letters. It's going to be a very revolutionary thing, this experiment. It's going to help everyone."

You smile in agreement, remembering the letters. Project UnMasked, as far as you knew, was an experiment based on tolerance that aimed to reduce the effects of Wall Masks as much as possible, so that anyone who was unlucky enough to wear it wouldn't fall victim to its murderous urges. It would hopefully make it far easier to remove the mask by will, as well as find features within them to exploit and, in time, take them away for good.

You grin, moving away from the dining table and holding her hips, a suggestive expression on your face. "You know what else is a revolution?" you say slyly, looking into her gorgeous green eyes, the way the strands of red hair adorably dressed her pale, delicate face. "The time we'll be changing your last name to mine in a month or so."

She giggles, wrapping her arms around your neck. "Aw, too excited for me to be your wife, Ms. Holmes?"

"You know me too well, love."

The two of you laugh, sharing another kiss before deciding that you ought to get ready. You head into the bathroom, shower, and dress, excitement flowing through your veins. You pull your hair up, letting your side bangs dangle. Pulling up a brown cardigan that accented well with your hazel-gold eyes, you walk out of your room, finding your beloved making a small snack for the two of you. You lean on the door frame in utter infatuation, watching her small, smooth hands working with the even smaller knife, cutting up a few apple slices.

"How sweet of you, Cate," you coo as she sits you down, placing down two plates of scrambled eggs and sliced apples.

She laughs, popping a slice into her mouth. "Well, I'm not about to let you go anywhere without something to fill your stomach, love."

In the next few minutes, the two of you catch up. You had almost forgotten that you had been gone for nearly two months—moving across multiple levels for multiple objectives. Meanwhile, your sister, father, and Cate (along with the rest of the Veracity Searchers team) worked hard in collecting a variety of Wall Masks, as well as choosing volunteers to be a part of the Project UnMasked. One of the researchers, Tristan Petrovic, had suggested keeping the volunteer search within the M.E.G. and their families, in case any spies from opposing GOIs tries to sabotage the experiment (nothing less than what you expected from your best friend; he was always the type to think about the M.E.G.'s reputation). The experiment would only last for a span of 2 months, and everyone would get rations of that time's length by the end of it.

"I suppose everyone must be excited then," you eventually say, finishing up your last bite. "It's been a while since we took a risky experiment like this. At least everyone's okay with it, yeah?"

Catelyn nods as you get up and take the empty dishes, walking into the kitchen to wash them. "Yep! All who have volunteered understood the risks, and they're all rather eager to get started. Even your sister was excited to be a part of-"

You both widen your eyes at what she said. "What? She's being a part of the experiment?"

"Yeah," she replies slowly. "She insisted—well—she insisted on being a part of it."

You couldn't help but frown. "But it's a tolerance experiment, isn't it? Wouldn't that be too taxing on her? Not just physically, but mentally. Not to mention that it could be dangerous."

"I know, and I've mentioned that…" Catelyn fidgets with a small section of her hair. "Your father approved, however, so there wasn't much of a way to say no."

You huff, looking away for a moment and placing the final fork into the dish rack, drying your hands. "Suppose there's not if he says so." You lean on the table, a worried expression on your face. "Still, though. I can't help but be concerned."

Your beloved places a warm hand upon yours reassuringly. "Come now. We both know her. Strong girl, no matter the circumstance." You nod, sighing quietly. You supposed there was only one way to really find out if she was ready or not.

After cleaning up, the two of you decided that it was high time to leave the apartment. You grab your things, holding Cate's hand tightly, and leave the complex.

With the number of people that seemed to fill the section of Level 11, you sometimes forget that the place was actually infinite—indulging in the sound of delighted chatter; sellers calling out for customers from inside of their stores and cars zooming past you. Occasionally, you could hear the twitter of a bird or two. It was far more refreshing than the levels you had been to recently. If you couldn't go anywhere else, you thought, you'd be happy to never leave.

After a stop at Malt Mart, you headed into a seemingly abandoned office building. You opened the door for Catelyn and enter yourself into Level 4. The ever-busy sounds of Level 11 slowly faded away as you walked further into the office building, subjecting you to its uncomfortable silence. The flickering lights seemed to be the only jagged and broken music filling the place, besides the harmonies of the various broken fountains spilling water. The carpet felt misplaced at times, causing the two of you to trip every now and then. After numerous twists and turns through the different rooms of Level 4, you were happy to once more hear and see guards talking. A sign hung up on the walls of the room, with "M.E.G. - Base Omega" written on it. You sigh of relief, squeezing Cate's hand as you walked up to the guards, showing your I.D.s and walking into the room.

You greeted everyone as you walked by, heading into one of the offices within the base—the plaque on the ivory door reading "Lorenzo H."

"Hey!" you call out excitedly as you open the door, seeing your sister leaning on the desk that stood in the center of the room. She squeals, running over and pulling you into a tight embrace, tears dotting her eyes.

"How have you been? How was the trip?" She spouts out different questions all at once, stuttering here and there. "You've been gone so long, and you- and you stopped responding to our letters two weeks ago, we were so worried—"

"Yes, yes, I know…" You say finally, wiping her eyes, feeling your own start to water. You notice Catelyn wiping hers, too. "I am sorry I stopped, truly. Things happened, and I just had no opportunity to write back. But you knew that I'd come back, didn't you?"

Your sister nods, smiling. "Of course. You always come back."

"Well, well, well!" A man's voice called out. You knew all too well who it could be. "If it isn't the grand reunion of the Holmes twins!"

Laughter sparks up between the four of you as you got up to embrace Tristan. He was the first one to find you, your pa, and sister 8 years ago when you had been left defending yourselves in Level 2. He was the one to introduce the 3 of you to the M.E.G., you remember. Since then, he had practically become your older brother.

"How have you been, stinker?" He asks, ruffling your dark hair.

"Ah, if there's anything I wouldn't miss, it's those dumb nicknames of yours, Trist," you reply, finally letting go as you tried messing with his hair—though you could hardly reach the few strawberry blonde strands that dangled in front of his eyes. Too damn tall, even now, you thought. "It's like it's been forever since I've seen you guys. I'm glad I'm home."

Catelyn holds your hand with a sweet grin on her face. "We're all glad, too."

In the midst of the excitement, something else sparks in your mind. "Oh, right. Where's pa?"

"Old man's over in one of the really big offices ways down on the left, setting the experiment up—wait, you know what experiment I'm talking about, yeah? I can call him over here if you'd like."

You nod, a hint of sadness in your tone. "Right. I see. I can tell how important this is for him, so you don't have to."

Your sister tugs on your sleeve. "Come now, I'm sure he'll come around, he's just a little busy is all."

"Sure, like he always does, yeah?" Your eyebrows furrowed, fists clenched. "You know, it's fine. The last time he bothered being together with us, we ended up no-clipping to this hell of a place."

Silence filled the room for a brief moment. As much as you tried to understand—and you really tried your hardest—you couldn't help but feel bitter. All of this time, after everything you guys had been through, you thought he would take working slow for once. But until now, hardly anything seemed to change.

"Well," Tristan spoke up, clearing his throat and shoving his hands into his pockets. "We should head there ourselves, then. We ought to get the experimentees ready, anyway."

You looked over to your sister. "That reminds me. You're being a part of the experiment?"

She nods, almost awaiting the question. Your bitterness changed into concern. Before you could open your mouth to ask why, she looks to Tristan and Catelyn and asks, "Could we have a minute?"

Cate nods quickly, gesturing Tristan towards the door as they swiftly make their way out, shutting the door behind them. Once they leave, you turn back to look at your sister, who was fidgeting her fingers. "Well then," You say finally, crossing your legs and arms.

"You and Dad have been, well…" she starts off, sitting beside you. "Ever since we no-clipped and I got injured, you've all done nothing but make sure that I'm alright and never had any tough work. I apprec- I appreciate everything, you know, I do. But it feels like it's my turn now, too, isn't it?"

You lean back, sighing. "But why be part of the experiment? And I mean, directly involved in it, as an experimentee. You could've been an archivist, you know? It'd be safer."

"Sure, it would. But…" Her voice trails off as she thinks of what to say. "Think about it. Yeah, all the archivists, scientists, and everyone else, they're all- they're all a part of it. But the experiment groups, they help them find the results of their hypothesis, their analysis—you know— all that jazz."

"It's still dangerous, Eve."

She gulps quietly, gripping your arm as she leans her head on your shoulder. "I know it is, Rosie. But it'll be better. With you and Dad with me, it'll be like… I don't know. It'll be like we're just doing a little group activity at home."

The two of you laugh as thoughts of your childhood reach the forefront of your minds. You couldn't feel too upset about it much further. It was still dangerous, the two of you knew that much. But she was your twin sister. She was far too like you, too stubborn, for you to try and deny her wishes. You sigh, getting up, deciding that the two of you should get going. You open the door revealing Tristan and Cate, who met you two again with warm smiles.

This was indeed home, you thought. A hellish kind of home, perhaps, for its unforgiving conditions, and no exits. But with everyone else, perhaps, it was a place you were willing to go back to.

To help everyone.

by TrailmixNCocoa

You fidget with the satin pillow, jolts of excitement coursing through you as your fingers shake every once in a while. You stand up and look around your chamber, making sure nothing was out of place before you left. You shake the rest of your excitement away when someone knocks on your door—a young Maiden, Naomi Brighton.

"Madam, here are the treats you wanted," she speaks softly as she adjusts her violet Bauta mask, bringing in a cart full of small pastries. With the untouched ingredients found in the back of Station 2, a few bakers within the Masked Maidens were able to create food that was safe enough to eat for as long as needed. You feel very proud as the thought passes through your mind, a small smile forming in satisfaction.

"Oh dear, you could have told me they were ready!" You reply as quickly and politely as you can, slightly flustered. You were never quite used to the treatment you got from them. "You needn't bring them to me yourself!"

"It's alright, I wanted to bring them to you. Though, pardon me, but are you sure this was the amount you wanted? There's quite a lot…."

You gulp quietly, your eyes quickly darting to the woven basket you had on the other side of the bed, nodding. "Yes, it's the perfect amount. You may leave them here. I'll bring it out when I'm done."

"Alright, Madam," Naomi smiles, curtsying. As she opens the door to leave, she says, "May your truth be unmasked."

You nod. "May your truth be unmasked."

As she closes the door, you swipe the dust off your red dress, quickly take the basket out, and place some of the wrapped pastries inside. You're just about to turn to leave when suddenly-

"Sup! Been a while, huh?"

You gasp as the voice from above startles you. Looking up, you see a few blond hairs, then a black jacket… someone was hanging down from the ceiling. Before you can reply, the boy lands in front of you, a smile spread across his face as he dusts off any dirt that got on his jacket and jeans. It didn't take long to recognize him— you were certain of it since you heard the voice. Tom Von Haderach.

"Surprised? You look the part- can't blame you though."

Your eyes widen, and your voice comes out in hushed, panicked tones. "Tom?! What the fuck are you doing here? I thought we were supposed to meet, well… you know where!"

"Mind your language," he says playfully, mocking Lady Blanche's tone. "I thought it'd be a bit more fun to catch you off guard, and I was right! Besides, no way in hell you eat all those pastries by yourself," he smiles, pointing to the cart by the door.

You let out a gasp. "You insult me, Tom. Are you trying to say that I'm fat?" You grin, laughing. "Well, since you're so hungry, have some. I was going to bring you a few anyway."

"Don't put words in my mouth, Evie," Tom says with furrowed eyebrows and a hint of harshness for a second, immediately dropping it as he reached for the pastries. "Gotta say," he said, in between bites, "You Maidens got great taste in pastries."

You catch his tone and clear your throat. "Helps to have a station that's quite literally all about this stuff. You'd think we'd have multiple theatres as stations like this one, but no—a bakery is where it's at." You sit on your bed, nibbling a strudel.

"I'd call you lucky, but I'd be a bit of a hypocrite, since, you know." Tom stares down at the pendant on his chest. "Lived most of my life under Blanche's wing." He takes a seat on the bed by your side, pulling out a small box from his pocket. "Enough talk," he says with a grin. "We have a score to settle."

"Pff, we both know how this ends," you reply, slightly loosening your mask. "The Lady may have taught you a myriad of things, but beating me at Blackjack? Ha, good luck."

"Oh, I know that." You notice his grin growing, little by little. "Which is why I brought something a little different this time. When's the last time you played UNO? I swung by 389 on the way here- Penelope lent me this." Tom shuffles the cards as he speaks. His hands work with the cards with great comfort and speed, each card slipping in between the other with ease. "Don't worry, I checked beforehand if the self-proclaimed Game Master didn't pull any of her tricks with this deck."

You chuckle, a spark of anticipation igniting in your chest. "As long as it doesn't end like the last time, with Candyland."

Talking and playing with Tom had felt like a release from the constant sense of duty. The funniest part about it was the fact that you could hardly remember when it first started. You watch fondly as he works with the deck.

"Hey, wait, hold up." Tom stops dealing cards, looking around the room. "Is it even safe to play cards here? You can't see it because of the mask, so you guys must've forgotten about it, but the whole place's still burning up. The heat feels so real, I almost forgot that the level isn't actually affected by it."

"Considering it hasn't gone up in flames yet, I can hope so." you respond with a slight sense of guilt, lightly tapping his forehead. "Now that you're mentioning it, put your mask on, silly. You're lucky you're not a crispy nom-Tom right now! The fire may not affect the level, but it would most certainly affect you."

"Ugh, fine," he says, twirling the mask around his finger a few times before placing it on his face. You notice a faint hint of sadness on the tone, one that quickly vanished once he finishes dealing seven cards to you both. "You can go first."

The card at the center was a yellow six.

You stare at Tom. He focuses on his cards. You wonder if he's hiding a good card behind that grin of his, or if he's hiding something else… You play your card, a yellow eight, smiling a little bit. It's been ages since you last had a moment like this.

He plays a green eight, then you, a green two. Tension seems to grow between you as you start noticing a lack of black cards in his hand—you feel a strange sense of excitement and anticipation. Within a moment, after a few plays, you realize he has no blues. With 2 cards left, you feel like you're just about to win, until—

"Let's see how you handle this one, Eve," he says with a smirk, placing down a wild card that had a blank center. You think back to the last time you played Uno, which was just before you no-clipped during the car ride home—5, almost 6 years ago. No matter how much you thought about it, you couldn't remember a card like this being in the deck.

"What's this one meant to be for?" You ask, voice laced with suspicion as you squint your eyes.

Tom rearranges his hand, then sets them face down on the velvet mattress. "It's a white wild card. When someone places it down, you're allowed to make your own house rule."

"Huh." You say. "Alright then. What is it, then?"

"You answer a question of mine, any question. If not, draw half the deck."

"Half the deck? Or a simple question?"

"Eh, wouldn't say simple." He taps the red comforters a few times. "So, are you gonna answer?"

You put your cards down this time, crossing your arms confidently. "Fine, I will. What's your question?"

"How are you doing? And I don't mean Madame Evangeline Holmes, I mean you, the person beneath that fancy mask of yours."

The smile that was on your face falls for a moment before you catch it and return to your cheerful demeanor. "How else would I be doing other than well? My people have made grand leaps in research, they're all still safe, and I'm playing Uno with a wonderful friend of mine. Clearly, I'm doing- I'm doing fine-" Your voice hitches and falters at the last sentence.

"Really? I don't know, Evie, it's hard to believe you with that tone of yours."

"Oh, fine." You sigh softly, your smile slowly fading. You could ever so slightly feel the flames of the theatre's fire tickling your sleeves, a warmth you tried constantly to suppress. "I suppose I'm… well I'm tired. I've kept myself at the back of my people—but I've been doing… far more than I should endure. I just don't want my people to think I use them as a shield of some sort, you know?"

Seeing you had answered honestly, Tom's expression softens. "I see…" He didn't seem to be paying much attention to the cards anymore, as evident by his cards falling to the carpet as he scoots closer to you. He pauses for a moment, considering his next words. "Ever notice how you keep straying back to 'your people?' I get it, they're extremely important to you… Though, I can't help but feel you're worrying too much. Being here so often probably isn't helping, either."

You stare at the pile of cards at the top of the bed. Though they were stable and unmoving, multiple of them were off to the sides, their positions off kilter. Maybe he's right, you think.

"Mm. I have an idea." Tom jumps out of bed, grabbing your wrist with a sly grin growing on his face. "Come on. I wanna take you somewhere."

You choose not to say much—not like you could refuse, anyway—as he takes you to the door. He peeks out, making sure no one was around, then slipping outside; across the hallways of the Dressing Rooms, and through the massive auditorium of the Liminary Theatre. Somehow, he weaves through the place, avoiding other Maidens who were talking and working in the seats as you both pass by.

"Where are you taking me?" You ask with a slightly impatient, worried tone, tugging at his sleeve.

"Relax, I'm not taking you anywhere dangerous." He looks back at you with a look of reassurance. You roll your eyes, turning back at the other Maidens, who were all busy with their tasks. You finally make it outside of the theatre and behind the building, where no one seemed to be around.

You see him pull a small notebook from his pocket, noticing Blanche's signature on the first page. Much to your surprise, he skips over it, quickly flipping through the notebook until he finds a rather complex-looking sigil. Shortly after, an exact copy of the sigil hovers above Tom's hand like an aurora. Cautiously, he places it on the floor and grabs your wrist again. Before you could say a word, the light pulls the both of you in, the world around you turning to white, and then…

"We've arrived. Blanche calls the place the Path Less Traveled. Ain't it gorgeous?"

You take a few seconds to recover, slowly opening your eyes and quietly observing your surroundings. You stand on a gravel path, surrounded by dense vegetation. Vines creep up the nearby trees; flowers glitter the soft grass and beams of sunlight breach through the clouds above.

You mutter a "Gorgeous indeed," as you indulge in the sight. You turn to Tom, who also looks at you after taking his mask off, a look of satisfaction on his face. You can't help but smile for real. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, Eve," he says in return, sitting down on a rather large rock. "But, while we're at it, we're alone right now and not in a mask station. Why don't you take off your mask?"

Your expression falters. He can't know. Not yet.

What will happen if he finds out? That your world had already plunged into darkness?"

Quiet, near unintelligible whispers dance in your mind. You feel your head burn, which forces you to close your eyes for a moment. Opening them again, you find this world, so previously filled with comfort and serenity, glowing a dark crimson hue. The shock quickly dissipates and replaces itself with a brewing fear when you realize what is happening. The bright, lively flowers that adorned the ground are now brittle and dead; the sun merely a faint, light red. Just barely, you could hear the crackle of flames. Tom smiled still, awaiting your answer.

"Maybe next time."

"Well, can't say I didn't try. You sure you're ok, Evie?" Tom twirls his mask around his fingers before storing it away in a pocket. His voice is deep, echoing as if the two of you were locked in a large, empty chamber. "You look kinda spaced out."

He has no eyes. "Oh, I'm alright. Just taking in some inspiration, for the next time I draw." Please, stop smiling.

"Why don't we stay awhile, then?"

You rub your eyes, the view not going away soon enough. Push through it. Push through it. Please push through it, you beg silently.

"Sure."

You sit next to one another, talking about everything your minds could think of—things you both had done before—but felt far, far different now. The laughter seems to fill the level, despite being outdoors. You wish it could last forever.

There was a moment of silence after, as you both take a breath from laughing so much. At that moment, you get up and hug him tightly.

"Thank you, Tom Von Haderach." You stutter, trying to find the right words to say. "For being a part of this Maiden's life."

"Woah, where'd that come from?" His question is soaked in a playful, joking tone you'd grown used to hearing from Tom. It, however, fails to the surprise you were sure he feels, "Jokes aside though," he said, returning the hug, "I'm glad to be of service."

You sigh and breathe deeply, shutting your eyes. As your eyelids flutter open, the deep ruby clouds vanish from the sky above, revealing a canvas painted in azure.

Tom gets up, hopping off the rock. "Man, I completely forgot I wanted to show you around the place!" He stretches his hand out toward you. You take it, accepting his help to climb down from the rock—it was exceptionally difficult in heels.

He checks his pocket watch and sighs slightly. "I don't have the time to show you everything… what a bummer. Welp, guess I'll have to settle for the next best thing. Follow me! You're gonna love the view from up there," he points toward a nearby mountain. "It's not a hard climb, there's a path that takes you straight to the top without much trouble."

You grin, squeezing his hand just a little. "Alright, as long as I don't end up falling to my death."

"Har har," he responds, walking to the path of the mountain; past the rocks and vegetation; the forest, and up the mountain. Eventually, you grow tired of walking; you slip off your shoes to ease the discomfort, cringing at the feel of gravel. All that time within indoor stations has affected your comfortability, it seems. "You sure you don't want me to carry you?"

"You can carry me when I'm dead, Tom," you say with a groan, trying to keep pace. It wasn't long until you finally make your way up the mountain, the entrance to its peak covered by leaf-ridden branches.

"Do me a solid favor and close your eyes, will you?" Tom smiles, looking back at you.

"You better not push me off the mountain," you say jokingly.

"I won't, I won't, not yet at least." The two of you laugh.

"Fine, I'll do it." Reluctantly, you close your eyes.

"This is gonna be worth the hassle, I promise." You let Tom drive you through the rest of the path, listening to the shaking of leaves and the crunch of gravel.

A few moments later, he breaks the silence. "Alright, you can open them! How's the view? You can see everything from up here! The dam, the forest outpost, and if you squint hard enough you can even see the bay in the distance!"

You take into view the waves of the bay lightly crashing into shore and the dam that took up quite a part of the level. The forest catches your eye the most—it was a striking hue of emerald, and you could just hear the chitter of whatever animals could be within. A small gasp leaves you, almost wondering why the place wasn't considered a tourist attraction.

"One day," he says, "we'll explore it all. Just you and me! We can draw maps, and camp, and tell stories around the campfire…"

As he continues to speak, his voice fades away. Your heart begins to feel as if anvils were weighing down on it. "I don't know if I'll be able to do that, Tom…"

"Huh? Why not?" he asks, with a hint of sadness.

You quickly switch up your tone. "I don't mean I don't want to do that, I just mean—with everything I need to do with the Maidens—it may take longer than you're willing to wait."

His expression changes, turning into a soft smile. "So? You're one of my best friends. I'm more than willing to wait."

"Huh." You feel yourself grow more cheery. "Right."

"Besides," he chuckles. "We both know you should take more breaks. I can teach you how to get here if you want someplace away from all the Maiden stuff. You need to promise me something, though. Do not bring anyone else with you. It could be dangerous to have multiple people here for all I know, and that's a risk I don't want to take."

You point at your mask, laughing a little as you say, "With this mask? Ha. Hardly a break." You tighten the lace around your ponytail. "And of course, I promise. You have my word."

The both of you smile. "Good." He sighed as he looks back at his pocket watch. "Well, I'm afraid our time's almost up. It's almost tea time."

"Aw," You say with disappointment. "To think we couldn't even finish our game."

"Pfft, don't you worry," he responds, putting his hands on his hips. "That isn't over yet… now that you mention that mask, though…"

You watch the smile vanish from Tom's face like a wave.

"I decided to see if I could find anything about them on the Cygnus Archive. I ended up reading a ton on the topic. There are a few things I don't understand, but those can wait, they're not why I'm telling you this. How long has it been since you last took that mask off, Evie?"

You frown, looking away. "Hasn't been… too long…."

"Evie." He repeats with sternness, placing a firm hand on your shoulder. "How long?"

You fall silent, fidgeting with your fingers. "Not since the second Resistance."

Tom took a deep breath. "Feel like I'm asking a stupid question here, but you are familiar with the Excess Effect, aren't you? Bloody hell… the second Resistance? That was so long ago. How are you still holding up? I'm worried, Evie. Worried that whatever's left of you gets lost behind that mask."

"Pfff," You try to laugh. "I have my ways."

He didn't look any less worried. "You may have your ways, but it's still concerning either way, Evie. I mean… can you even take it off on your own will?"

Your tone grew sharper as you flip away your brown hair. "I haven't tried. And as far as I'm certain, I don't need to try—I can't try. Not with everything going on."

Tom sighs, running a hand through his. "If you really insist on that, I won't push it. Just… take care of yourself, okay? Please. Who knows what'd happen if that double-edged sword of yours finally lands a fatal hit on you."

"I— I will. Don't worry about it."

"…right. …Why can't I believe you?" He sits down on a nearby rock, staring you dead in the eyes. "You're hiding something, I can tell that much. So, how's it gonna be? You feel like talking to someone sometime soon, or are you going to let it drag you down to the Grave?"

You scoff a small bit, trying to shrug it off. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

He crosses his arms in defense. "I'm sure Blanche can wait since it's about you."

"Can't I just tell you some other time when, y'know, neither of us are busy?"

"That's not how this works, Evie." A brow is raised, his tone almost impatient.

"Sure it does, it happens all the time-"

"You're still dodging the question… look, after we're done, you can ask me anything in return. Alright? But for now, this is about you," he says, tapping your forehead. "Worst case scenario, I'll just shut up and listen. I promise."

You sigh, rubbing your forehead and giving in. "Fine… How do I even—why don't I just… show you?" He tilts his head slightly as you gesture to the mask in his pocket. "Put your mask on."

Confused, he puts the mask on. "Eugh, could never get used to this thing. So, what do we do now?"

You stare into his eyes, then close yours, channeling your θέαμα Colombina. However, instead of seeing into his vision, you allow him to see into yours. In a moment, you loosen your self-control, allowing your emotions to swirl and overwhelm you. Anger… despair… desolation. You open your eyes, and the sky changes once again to a blood red, only deeper and vibrant in hue. You see Tom gasp, and you know he saw that he lacked eyes. Your head aches.

Tom, unable to endure it, tears his mask off, breathing deeply. "What," he said in-between breaths, "What the fuck was that?"

"I don't usually see it when I'm around other Maidens, but… I just couldn't hold it back this time." You say, suddenly growing lightheaded. "It's the E.E.Ls. They've gone too high. By the time I've realized… it was too late. I can't take it off anymore."

"What…?" His face grows grim. "Why didn't— why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to harm yourself finding a solution for me," you say, almost desperately. "I know you, Tom—you'll do whatever it takes—"

"And? What about you, Evie? Just- damn it!" Tom sounds angry for a moment, standing up and punching a nearby rock. It leaves a dent in the rock, with small drops of blood staining it and the ground. "Why didn't I get around to this sooner? There's got to be something that can be done, and I swear I'm gonna find it."

"No, see, that's what I'm talking about," The volume of your voice rises as you try going up to him. "You can't. At least—at least not right now."

He turns to look at you with a frustration in his eyes that almost scares you. His breaths become quick, his face flushed. "And then what? I'm just supposed to let- to let this happen until I realize it's too late, that you've lost your mind permanently? That you could kill yourself? Huh? Tell me!"

There comes a moment of silence. You hear the wind howling nearby, dragging a few leaves through the air. Tom breaks the quiet with a small sigh. You look down, unable to keep your tears from falling.

"Hey," he says finally, his voice softer now. He hugs you, rubbing your back. It only makes you cry harder. "I'm sorry… alright? I guess we both got a little overwhelmed, huh…"

A chuckle comes in between cries. You think you hear a sniffle. Quietly, you apologize, and many times until Tom stops you from doing so. You both sit back down, looking out at the view.

"I think we've been here a tad too long," you mention, fiddling with the straps of your heels.

"Oh yeah," Tom replies, scoffing amusingly. "I'm so screwed."

"Not like you cared earlier."

"Har har," he says sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

You sit up straight, looking at him. "You said I could ask you anything if I answered you, right?"

He sighs in response. "Yeah. What's your question, then?"

You prepare yourself with a pause, almost wanting to withdraw from saying it. "If I die… could you help the Leading Maidens watch over the others for me?"

"Like hell I'm letting you die anytime soon, Evie." Tom frowns, crossing his legs.

"It's not like I'm planning to, just—please just answer," you plead.

"…Alright. I will. That's a worry for some other time, though. I'm going to tell Blanche about this. If there's anyone who can find a solution, it's probably her…" You watch him scoot over to you before hugging you again. "For now, just… take care, okay? Try to at least."

"Right. I'll give it my all." You yawn, stretching as you pull away. "How long have we been here for?"

"Eh," he replies, looking at his pocket watch for the third time. "Not tooooo long. Just long enough for what would be a 2-hour lecture from Blanche." The two of you laugh at the thought.

You gaze one last time at the landscape before turning back, ready to return home. "We really should get going, no?"

"Yup. C'mon," he says. "I'll take you home. I'm late to tea anyway, and I feel like we could end this on a different note." He scratched the back of his head. "Besides, I think I have a pretty good excuse for being this late," he adds with a smile.

He offers you his hand, which you take. He asks you to close your eyes again and he leads you back down the mountain, through the gravel path, and eventually back to Level μ.

"Thank you for today," You say as you both enter your room, sitting down on the bed. "Even if things got a little… well, you know."

"Heated?" He laughs for a little. "Sorry, couldn't resist making the pun. No need to thank me, though. Glad to be of service," he bows. "I'll be sure to drop by again sometime soon, and next time, maybe we could have an actual game of UNO without the gimmicks? I kinda lied about checking the deck for the Game Master's tricks…"

"I could tell," a light chuckle leaves you. "I'll be waiting for that next time, Tom. Probably won't be any time soon, judging by the lecture you've got coming."

The two of you chuckle before saying goodbye. You watch him leave and your expression falters. Alone again. Ah well, you think. Another day will come, surely.

You look back at the cart, which had been left untouched since you and Tom left the Level.

You ought to put it back.

"Psst." You hear a familiar voice coming from behind you. "I forgot these masks could do this!" It's Tom, again. "Just wanted to say that no, you're not alone in this. I'm still here. Probably won't be having my mask on all the time, but if you need something, you know where to find me, okay?"

You smile. "Okay, Tom." You feel the link between your minds disappear.

You take a bite out of one of the pastries in the cart.

Maybe putting it back can wait.

by SnomWriting

by TrailmixNCocoa

by Sariastuff

June 06, 2021:

Well, here it is. The end of the story. I rushed out of the room, stuffing the letter inside of my pocket. My mind was still clouded with thoughts of what had just happened. All I could think about was getting to Janice. I stomped down the stairs at full speed, nearly tripping over myself in the process. I probably should’ve slowed down, but I had no time to waste. The rush of the purple accents, baby blue walls, and the blurry faces of the Maidens hit my eyes like fireworks. I was only focused on one thing, and that was finding her. I was determined to complete my goal.

Everyone glanced at me as I sprinted by, wondering what on Earth had gotten into me. Some tried to tell me to slow down, or even downright stop me to ask questions. I didn’t care about what they had to say. I didn’t even have the time to listen. All I cared about was pushing forward, and nothing was going to stand in my way. She is what brought me back to life from my long dusted corpse of sorrow. I could not stop now. I eventually ran into a few Maidens by accident, who told me to watch my step; I continued as if nothing happened. The adrenaline rushing through my veins made each of the crashes painless. I tuned out their aggravation, only muttering a quick “sorry” under my breath before continuing.

I then reached a corner next to our data center. As I hastily drifted across the wooden panel flooring, I fixated my sight onto something down the hallway. There was a woman that had darted out of the data center who immediately caught my attention. I observed her features: long blue cloak… Pantalone Mask… It had to be Janice. The other Maidens began yelling as they were alerted to her sudden appearance. My suspicions were confirmed at that point.

A few tears fell from my eyes as I met her gaze. I needed to get to her as fast as I could. I needed to save her. As soon as she noticed me, she quickly dashed across the hall in a desperate attempt to escape. Was the creature really afraid of me? I thought to myself. Did it know that I wanted to cure her from its disease? These were some of the many questions that arose during the chase. However, it did not stall me.

I continued onward in my attempt to rescue her. As she ran further and further, the surrounding Maidens had joined me in the chase once they saw her, in pursuit of both of us. She ran gracefully, avoiding every obstacle in her wake; I was amazed. I kept bumping into Maiden after Maiden, furniture after furniture. She had gotten so far that I started to think I had failed her, or that I had lost. That was until a group of Maidens blocked her only exit. This was my chance.

I finally caught up to her, cornered by the other Maidens. It was time to finally confront the rotten creature which had been lingering inside of my true love once and for all.

I stood there, distraught. My efforts to save Janice were all in vain. She wasn't there at all. She had left Level 67 long ago. Was this all just a coincidence? Had the creature invaded her body by chance? I began to ponder these questions in my head as The Maidens grabbed my arms and held them behind my back. Once I was successfully detained, they lead me along to the interrogation room. The Maidens then offered me to write a letter to another Maiden. I never spoke a word. Then there I was, tied up to a chair in a questioning room. A Volto-wearer peeked in to inform me that my interviewer would be arriving shortly before closing the door once more, leaving me alone.

I just sat there, staring into space. My body was frozen still, focused. Only one word could describe my thoughts and feelings at that moment: determination. My eyes then attracted to one feature in the room… the ceiling vent. I knew it could be dangerous, but this might have been my only chance to find her. I had to get out, but I didn't know what to do. That was until I felt something in my back pocket, the pencil. I pulled it out, and began using the tip to try and collapse the integrity of the poorly-crafted rope, hardly even tied tightly. After poking the pencil through the weaves of the rope a few times, the rope began to fall apart, loosening it just enough for me to slip out. As soon as I broke free, I pushed the table over towards the vent, and climbed in.

The vent could've lead me to my demise, but luckily for me that would not be my fate. It had brought me to Level 4. As I sighed of relief, I made my way through the ghostly office halls. I didn't know where to go, but I knew I had to go somewhere. I had lost track of time after hours of wandering, but I knew that multiple hours had to have passed by this point. As I slowly started to lose hope, a Masked Messenger suddenly flew towards me with its colorful beauty. It dropped another envelope into the palms of my hands. As it glided its way home, I opened the envelope. It read as follows:

Then, a beautiful, bright-blue ball of light emerged from the letter, levitating above it. A similar ball of light to the one that brought me home in my first mission. I watched in awe as this magical experience occurred before my eyes. The ball began to hover through the halls of Level 4, seemingly leading the way to something. After a while of following it, I was eventually led to an old wooden staircase. I then walked up the stairs, still following the orb, until I eventually reached what appeared to be an old hotel. A female Deathmoth flew by me as I took in the scenery. It looked like I was in Level 5.

As I wandered the halls of the hotel of terror, I noticed how beautiful it was, its imperfections. We all have imperfections, it's the beauty in all. Deathmoths were still an annoyance, but thankfully they didn’t attack anything beyond my hearing. The smooth jazz emitting from the speakers, while broken, was soothing after all that had happened. At one point I thought I heard people on the other side of the wall… but it slowly faded back into silence before I could get close enough to track the source of the sound.

No matter how interesting or satisfying this really was, it all felt like… distractions. I needed to keep my pace. The blue light was still moving through the mahogany-red and gold ornate walls. It was mesmerizing. That was until it went around a corner… then it had just disappeared. I went into a panic. Did the light reach its destination? I turned the corner… and I froze…

I was too late…

…

She was on the floor… Gone… Her body was black and blue, covered as if she was bruised. Her veins were purple too… I ran to her… collapsing on the floor in tears from what I was witnessing… I held her already cold corpse, cradling her in my arms… I didn't want to let go… I screamed in agony once more. I had failed her. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't we be together? She never deserved this. Do I deserve this? I didn't know… I still don't. I wanted to end it all, but she wanted me to live on, and I couldn’t fail her more than I already did.

I sat there for what felt like hours… That was until I saw her mask… I took it off of her body and stared at it, reminiscing the memories I had with her. I was crying so much, I was sweating from it. I couldn't even breathe.

I then placed her mask on my face… I wore it to try feeling her once more… I didn't know what I was doing. That was until… I heard a voice, which said to me… "Kyra?" It sounded like her. I looked back to see her withering corpse… no movement. I then heard the voice again… "I love you."… all my emotions came through me all at once. They exploded in a flash of color. I cried again, placing my head on her chest. I asked if it really was her. She then said…

"It's me. It's okay now."

I cried tears of joy… Maybe this was the way it was meant to be…

We can be together forever.

I then lifted the mask slightly to slowly kiss her on the forehead. I walked away with her mask. She was still in there. We can still talk to each other, we can still be with each other. I placed my old mask on a nearby wall. I stared at it for a second, thinking about where I ended up now… I still wish she was alive. I won't be able to hold her, or do any physical interactions. But, this is way better than nothing.

I then made my way back to The Maidens, where I was immediately detained for them to continue their interrogation to see if I was apart of this issue. I told them the truth, and they noticed that I had Janice's mask, so they let me free. It turns out… Mackie was the one that sent me the letter to find Janice before she got locked away. She did it to show that she cared. In my eyes, she is forgiven, but The M.E.G. will never be forgiven. Unfortunately… Mackie will be locked away in a cell by The Maidens for a long time.

…

I guess this is the end of this story then…

The main lesson to learn here is…

No matter what happens in your life, no matter how lonely you are, no matter who you are, don't end your own life from it… because… love will find you someday.

Love is inevitable. No matter who you are.

And you will be loved forever, no matter what happens…

And that… is the message. I hope you keep this in mind.

…

Alice, here's your mask. Thank you for letting me use it today. Janice is waiting for me.

And…

Thank you for listening to my story. I hope to see you again someday, whoever you are. I need to go back to my duties. I wish you a great day.

by Stretchsterz

June 05, 2021:

It was still that desperate night. Everything went silent. The Masked Maidens in disarray. I came to the Maidens thinking I had nothing left to lose, but as soon as I gained a purpose, I learnt that it was all a lie…

It was too quiet. It felt like noise to me. I wanted it out. I wanted it to end.

I…

I wanted to end…

To be invisible like I once was before, to never be important, never be seen again; it all seemed like paradise to me. I slowly lifted my left sleeve… to reveal all my mistakes. My deepest and darkest wounds that never healed. I struggled to take a deep breath, my pillow soaked with tears. I squeezed my arm, hoping to soothe it slightly from the pulsing pain: a stinging reminder that existing alone is… suffering.

Everything I thought I had was gone in a single moment. A flash of pain. The cold lies that been given to me all this time. No one cared… I should've known that.

I looked to our painting. All the colors that were never true. A mess of deception. Was this just to get what she wanted? Did she use me? To show compassion… and love, just to say that you never cared? It's cruelty. But that's what everything is… it always was. The world is cruel. That will never change. Even if I tried.

I looked at my desk, noticing a little pencil in the distance. I clutched a nearby sofa, pulling myself off the floor with what little will I had left. Tears flowed out like a fountain as I used everything I had just to walk across the room. Sitting on that desk was that little pencil. I knew that morbid fate finally stood in front of me, looking me dead in the eyes. I fell onto the seat behind the desk, picking up the pencil. My hand shook as I fiddled with it for a minute, looking deep into each and every one of its imperfections. I looked at its pointed tip. It was barely sharp enough to write on paper, but maybe it could work if I tried hard enough…

Thoughts of my life rushed through my head. Friends, family, The Maidens, it all came back to me. I looked at the tender side of my arm, seeing a bulging blue vein. I looked back to the pencil, my eyes clouded by tears. I clutched the pencil tightly, breathing heavily. I thrusted it onto the vein, accomplishing nothing but a slight poke. I smashed the vein again and again and again with the tip of the tiny pencil, hoping to break the skin, but I saw nothing except the stains of the graphite on my wrist. I threw the pencil to the wall, and I fell back onto the floor, slightly kicking the desk in front of me. I didn't even have the will to hurt myself anymore. I just laid there. Staring into space… staring at nothing…

That was until… an envelope fell onto me…

I picked it up, and saw her name in front of me… Janice.

I was angry, my hands dented the sides of the envelope as my hands turned into fists. I quickly ripped open the container, as if a lion was mauling a man to shreds. Then my anger… turned back to sorrow.

The contents of the envelope fell out onto the desk. It was a letter… from her.

I did not know what to say. My body and mind couldn't comprehend what beautiful words were written. I was frozen, until I broke down. I was in tears of happiness. It wasn’t a lie, but true. She loved me. I have a purpose, I exist for a reason. I knew then it wasn't all for nothing.

Then… my tears of joy soon turned to sorrow. Janice was in danger. I needed to save her somehow. I need to find where she went. All this responsibility put onto my shoulders like weights. It was too much for my mind to handle…

I didn't know what to do…

But I had to do something. I couldn't leave her to die after everything we've been through. I slowly got up… I was determined to find her. To save her. I quickly ran to the closet and took some of my gear. I was preparing for anything just to find her again so she can be safe in my arms. I took my mask, glancing back at our painting, saying to myself:

I will find you.

by Stretchsterz

June 05, 2021:

It had been quite a few hours during my long wait for Janice to report back to us. At the time I was just laying on my bed once again, staring at the amazing art piece me and Janice had created. I smiled in joy thinking about all the things we could do together. At that time, I was also bored, so I got up to the small PC system that was hooked up in my room. I connected it to The M.E.G. Database. Anyone could access the Database, even us. I was curious about what they had to say about The Masked Maidens. From what I'd heard, we didn't have much people who could commonly connect to The M.E.G. Database. Maybe it was the fact that many of our members could've just found a mask recently after finding their way into The Backrooms. Kind of shocks me actually. Well, even now, we do have Maidens creating our own Database. And it will only hold the truth.

Well, as I searched, I didn't find much at all. Seems like the Entries on the Maidens are either classified or purely incomplete, although their Maidens Group Entry does talk about how we use masks and want to stop this "false sense of corruption" as they put it. I chuckled at the fact that they were either hiding the truth, or had no idea. I kind of felt bad in a way if that was the case.

What was more interesting was that their Entry slot for Object 26 says "Maiden's Ink" right on the Object's List, but when clicking on the Entry, it said that the Object slot was under maintenance. I was curious as to why, but I never had the chance to think, as after that, I found my name in the PoI category… I was shocked; I didn't understand how or why I was mentioned as a PoI. At the same time, I noticed there was a note on my desked, signed with "Janice". I wanted to read both things, but before I could even get to it, I was called out by Mackie. She seemed super excited — she wasn't wearing her mask, walking in with this goofy grin. It seemed like Janice's mission was a success. I had to figure that out later.

As I continue scrubbing the tablecloths I quickly turn around and see Janice in the distance. Something felt off. Her behavior just seemed… bland. I didn't know what had gotten into her at the time. However, I thought that maybe confessing my love for her during the party would make her feel a lot better.

Little did I know that this was unfixable…

I turned back to continue my task at hand. thinking about what to say. How to approach her properly. She told me never to be afraid of what makes me special. So I wouldn't be afraid to tell her. This was all cut short when Mackie came up to me.

My hatred for The M.E.G. grew even more. I wanted to stop these false saviors and put an end to this corruption once and for all. We all did. Well, it was why we were celebrating after all. We stopped one of their largest secret experiment bases. Even if it's just for a little while. This is a huge moment for us.

A few hours had passed and it was time for the main event! We had set up a large stage-like area, and on that stage, Me and Janice had our own special reserved seats. And yes, I made sure to get Sully one too. We even had an old gramophone playing classical music. We all went to sit down and The Madam came up to give a speech.

I couldn't take it anymore. I ran to my room, as I was running I could see all the other Maidens stare at me as I was crying. I didn't want anything to do with this, I didn't want nothing. I just wanted to be alone. Alone like I always was. Sobbing in my bed for hours and hours. Thinking about that one moment.

She was just there, her grip was so tight but her words were so hurtful. I didn't understand it. I didn't want to. I was so sad I could barely breathe. Everything I tried to build up, everything I thought I had just collapsed all in one moment… or may I never had anything at all… I didn't know anymore.

I just didn't know why. Why put me through all of this? Why treat me as if I was important to say you never cared? For what reason…? I never knew at the time… there was just one more thing… her skin was… more flaky… I can't describe it. It felt older and dry. And her arm… there was this shape in her arm…

It looked like a snake...

by Stretchsterz

Introduction:

The highest fidelity image of Level 10.1 to date, taken 2/14/2021.

Level 10.1 consists entirely of a manmade lake, named Corpse Lake, located in Level 10. It is located approximately twenty miles, or forty kilometers, from the nearest inhabited settlement: Malt Town. Despite being an easily accessible location, and theoretically still a constituent of the Level 10 plane, this area was given the appellation of "Sub-section" in hopes of highlighting the erratic and highly perilous properties of this particular region.

The lake is radioactive, toxic, and carnivorous. It was created out of extensive failed attempts at neutralizing instances of Object 24 through extreme heat. Attempting to destroy an instance of Object 24 through melting it only creates a highly dangerous, semi-sentient chemical solution that seeks out the nearest living animal, including humans, and proceeds to consume it through liquidation. Due to the extremely perilous nature of this mixture, the M.E.G. have declared Level 10.1 to be the designated location to dump said liquid in hopes of nullifying its detrimental effects.

The radiation level within one square mile of the lake's surface is about 700 roentgens per hour, or approximately 7 Sv/hr. For comparison, the radiation level of the reactor hall of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is 34 Sv/hr and can kill a human being in less than ten to twenty minutes. Standing adjacent to Corpse Lake for more than an hour is fatal. Because of the M.E.G.'s lack of supply of radioactive protective gear, nobody, including M.E.G. personnel, is allowed to travel within ten square miles, or approximately 26 square kilometers, without express permission from the Overseers. Because of the extreme toxicity of this environment, those who enter the ten mile radius, now designated as the Corpse Lake Exclusion Zone, will receive no further help or contact from any M.E.G. personnel and will be henceforth be considered deceased. From the moment one enters the Corpse Lake Exclusion Zone, one's skin and clothes will be too contaminated for the M.E.G. to be able to offer assistance of any kind. Over the course of nine months, studies have shown that the radiation level of Corpse Lake has been gradually increasing since the initial creation incident, which displayed a large influx of the substance and thus contributed to such a high number. It is unknown what the cause of it is, and if or when this increase in radiation will effect nearby settlements such as Malt Town.

Biotic and Abiotic Properties:

Graph of radiation levels of Corpse Lake over time in roentgens/h.

It is unknown what exactly makes Corpse Lake so radioactive. It is assumed to be one of the repercussions of trying to eliminate Object 24 instances. While inanimate, these masks conscientiously resist being destroyed, and thus it can be assumed that both the constant radiation emitted and the fluid's aggressive, hostile nature can be accredited to a sort of defensive mechanism. Debate is still ongoing as to whether or not Object 24, and by extension the fluid remains of it, can be truly considered "alive". From previous reports, the lake appears to retain some sort of sentience and memory, behaving especially threatening towards personnel that were directly involved in the masks' destruction. Quite a number of casualties have occurred since this solution's accidental creation, and the grim reminders of them still lie within it to this day. At first, the mixture was pitch black in color, but has since turned a murky crimson after the blood of several fallen operatives was absorbed through exsanguination. At the time of writing, a year has passed without any similar incidents occurring. The blood has yet to dissolve, and no victims have been reported since August 12th, 2021. This leads to the conclusion that either the solution is not alive, or it can sustain itself without ingesting other living beings or digesting the blood that still sits on its surface.

Photo of the ultraviolet veins in a petri dish of a liquified Object 24 instance.

It is unknown what exactly causes the radiation that the solution emits. It is considered too dangerous, and the M.E.G. is too ill-equipped in terms of protective gear to safely analyze the substance. As such, the elemental composition of the liquid is entirely unknown. When the liquid was created, several small portions of it were contained in petri dishes and analyzed before the M.E.G. operatives died of radiation positioning. The information gathered by these valiant people comprises the majority of what we know now about the mystery liquid that makes up sub-section 10.1, however little that is. Included is a picture of a petri dish containing the liquid taken using ultraviolet imaging. The liquid appears to contain a network of strange pathways that only emit ultraviolet light and no other wavelength. Invisible to the naked eye, it seems as if the liquid created by the masks contains several "veins" of some manner. The M.E.G. hypothesizes that these veins are what carry nutrients gained by the liquid to the center. It has been noted that in the exact center of whatever shape the liquid takes, there is a large black area that cannot be penetrated with any form of light. This makes the area darker than the darkest visible shade known to man, Vantablack. It is unknown what the exact purpose of this black spot is, but its apparent function can be likened to that of a heart.

Deconstruction of Victims:

Radiation Poisoning:

Upon coming in contact with radiation from the substance of Level 10.1, wanderers will develop radiation poisoning. This is constant no matter how much radiation wanderers are exposed to, whether it be a lethal dosage or what would normally be non-harmful. This makes exposure to the substance incredibly dangerous, as coming in contact with even the smallest amount of radiation, even though a protective suit, spells guaranteed death within the next hour. Radiation levels have been measured to be deadly as little as one centimeter inside the Exclusion Zone, and yet the area outside of it remains completely radiation-free (except for one notable exception, described in an attached report.)

Wanderers who become afflicted with radiation sickness from Level 10.1 develop all the major symptoms of it within thirty minutes. Observation has proven that all wanderers will go through three distinct stages within an hour of contamination before eventually passing away.

Stage One: Within 10 minutes of contamination

Wanderers begin to experience strong nausea and dizziness, with occasional vomiting. Headaches have been reported, and mild fevers begin to develop. Sporadic boils begin to appear on wanderers' skin. Many claim that they have felt fatigued, and there have been several cases of stomachaches and cramps.

---

Stage Two: Within 30 minutes of contamination

Wanderers experience a large and grotesque outbreak of boils covering their entire body. Many of them expand and burst, exposing blood to the open environment. Vomiting becomes extreme and violent, with occasional blood leakage. Stomachaches become nearly unbearable, causing wanderers to keel over in pain. Disorientation inundates many wanderers at this stage, causing them to lose consciousness. Studies have shown that many wanderers at this stage start to bleed internally, and their stomach acid begins to destroy the protective coating in the stomach and eat through their body from the inside by unknown means.

---

Stage Three: Within 60 minutes of contamination

This stage is the most gruesome and dangerous stage of the substance-induced radiation poisoning. Before a total of 60 minutes has elapsed since coming in contact with the radiation, all the blood within wanderers' body will converge and congeal in the center of their body. This motion will tear through a majority of the wanderers' vital organs and cause them to die through hemorrhaging. Once the wanderer is deceased, the substance will then burst forth from the victim's stomach and take on all the properties of the substance in the Corpse Lake. It will be just as radioactive, just as hostile, and just as dangerous. This has the potential for a domino effect of infection after infection if proper isolation and quarantining methods are not taken. Because the bodies of dead victims produce new amounts of this substance, those who develop radiation poisoning are to be considered dead and to be isolated from any other potential victims, regardless of whether or not they are wearing protective suits.

---

Physical Contact and Blood Draining:

The other primary way in which the substance, and by extension, Level 10.1, kills its prey is through direct physical contact with animal cells of any kind. Upon coming into contact with any part of a human's body, most likely the skin, the substance will begin to latch on and instantaneously solidify into a semi-solid of the same consistency and stickiness of a spider's web or coagulated glue. The substance will then begin to drain the victim's blood through the ultraviolet veins present in all parts of its amorphous figure. Nothing but the blood will be removed from the victim's body, and when every trace of it down to the atomic level is absorbed, the substance will automatically reverse its coagulation, return to a more liquid form, and retract from the cadaver, leaving naught but the wrinkled remains.

For an unknown reason, this process will never happen to plant cells of any kind. As such, grass and other plants can freely grow on the banks of the lake. Algae species and other adjacent lifeforms, such as trichodesmium, have been observed to flourish in the lake. Experiments have been conducted in the past to sample specimens that survive in this otherwise perilous environment, and are logged below the list of casualties.

Archived Official M.E.G. Notice, Distributed to the Citizens of Malt Town, April 4th, 2021:

NOTICE: April 4th, 2021

Regarding Level 10.1:

The location for 10.1 was chosen due to the original depression containing an entrance to an undocumented level. The reason this level remains undocumented is because there are no known entrances, and all who have previously entered have never been heard from afterwards. It was thought that the substance could be disposed of by hopefully pouring it into the depression to be transported to this level, but this has not been the case. Instead, it appears that Corpse Lake has been able to absorb a liquid coming from the level (presumably water) to increase its volume dramatically. Corpse Lake continues to grow in volume to this day, albeit at a very slow rate. Regardless, citizens of Malt Town are to kept on high alert at all times and to prepare for possible evacuations at a moment's notice.

Compiled by Jeff A. Guzman, Chief M.E.G. Recordkeeper, Base Alpha

List of Casualties from Level 10.1 and its Associated Substance:

---

Date	Name	Position	Cause of Death
12/15/2020	Holly S. Surview	Volunteer Specialist	Radiation poisoning from initial experiment
12/15/2020	James A. Lucas	Volunteer Specialist	Radiation poisoning from initial experiment
12/15/2020	Jake Jonas	Volunteer Specialist	Blood drained by substance
12/15/2020	Samantha Bluewood	Volunteer Specialist	Radiation poisoning from initial experiment
12/15/2020	Toga Hajime	Volunteer intern	Blood drained by substance
12/15/2020	3 Unidentified Volunteers	Volunteer Operative	Blood drained by substance
2/14/2021	Sudo Wu	M.E.G. Volunteer Photographer	Radiation poisoning after taking a picture of Level 10.1 and being exposed to radiation
3/2/2021	Johannes Bloomberg	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning after unknowingly entering the Exclusion Zone
3/XX/2021	5 Unidentified Civilians	Wanderer	Presumed radiation poisoning
4/12/2021	Unidentified Wanderer	Masked Maiden Member (Bauta)	Unknown, possibly killed by the substance?1
5/10/2021	2 Unidentified Civilians	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning
5/11/2021	Amahle Kamisi	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning, spread by unusual winds
5/11/2021	Lindsey Abel	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning, spread by unusual winds
5/11/2021	Jonson Bakke	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning, spread by unusual winds
5/11/2021	Luiz Garcia	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning, spread by unusual winds
7/27/2021	Subi Adisa	M.E.G. Operative and Volunteer Specialist	Radiation poisoning after gathering trichodesmium
7/28/2021	Lucas S. Grant	M.E.G. Operative and Volunteer Specialist	Radiation poisoning after substance outbreak
7/28/2021	Sucy Alarie	M.E.G. Operative and Volunteer Specialist	Radiation poisoning after substance outbreak
8/10/2021	Sebastian Alfonso	M.E.G. Operative and Volunteer Specialist	Radiation poisoning from equipment malfunction
8/12/2021	Amelie Heroux	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning after unknowingly entering the Exclusion Zone

The M.E.G. has found it necessary to document all casualties related to Level 10.1, as studying the cause of death and recognizing patterns is of utmost importance. Furthermore, the tragic nature of this location asks for us to commemorate those who valiantly gave their lives in the hope that their discoveries may aid those in the future, as well as the misfortune of those unlucky enough to stumble into the Exclusion Zone without any prior knowledge of it. The M.E.G. hopes that by publishing this information, the number of accidental deaths due to radiation poisoning begins to decline henceforth.

---

Archived Notice from Overseer-C, Published August 10th, 2021:

Exclusion Zone Boundary:

Barbed wire fencing around the Exclusion Zone.

Another shot of installed barbed wire fencing.

The Exclusion Zone warning sign displayed on the fences.

This is a notice to all wanderers and M.E.G. Operatives alike. As of August 10th, 2021, nobody is to cross the barbed wire fencing without express permission from the Overseers and proper protective gear. Barbed wire fencing, as well as warning signs, have been installed around the perimeter. Crossing the boundary without proper and functioning high-caliber radioactive protective gear will result in certain death.

---

Signed, Overseer-C

---

Archived Test Logs and Incident Reports:

---

The M.E.G. has decided to publicly release copies of archived reports pertaining to Level 10.1 and its substance in hopes that the additional knowledge provided may be helpful to stranded or curious wanderers in Level 10 who are contemplating entering the Exclusion Zone. These archived reports are arranged in chronological order.

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• --------The 24 Incident (12/15/2020)--------
• --------Archived Documents Pertaining to the Malt Town Incident (5/10/2021)--------
• --------Study of Recovered Aquatic Plant Specimen From Level 10.1 (7/27/2021)--------
• --------Comparison Between Entity 19 and the Level 10.1 Substance (8/10/2021)--------
• --------Observations of an Irradiated Wanderer (8/12/2021)--------

The 24 Incident:

The 24 Incident occurred on December 15th, 2020 in Base Beta in Level 11. While no eyewitness reports are available due to everyone directly involved in the creation of the substance perishing during the events of the incident, a reconstructed approximate timeline of events has been transcribed in their stead. In addition, two pictures were provided, one taken before the events of the incident, and one depicting the aftermath.

---

Image of the superheated press used to melt instances of Object 24 in a Base Beta research facility.

[[Timeline begins 10:20]]

[[Operative Samantha Bluewood and an unidentified male volunteer begin readying the machine 10:20]]

[[Operative Holly S. Surview arrives with the specialized container of masks 10:30]]

[[Heat press internal temperature reaches 2500K, or approximately 2200°C, hot enough to melt technetium 10:45]]

[[Surview fits about 5-6 masks inside the machine 10:50]]

[[Heat press internal temperature reaches approximately 3000K 11:30]]

[[Operative James A. Lucas logs that the masks have begun to melt. This is the only piece of eyewitness information recovered 12:16]]

[[Substance is officially created out of the first batch of masks 13:02]]

[[Substance created from each individual mask congeals into one solution 13:05]]

[[Heat press is deactivated and begins cooling 13:05]]

[[Heat press reaches stable temperature and substance is brought out of the machine 13:15]]

[[All operatives, who are not wearing protective gear, are exposed to radiation emitted from the substance 13:20]]

[[Substance violently attacks Operatives Toga Hajime and Jake Jonas, coming contact with them and leeching their blood, killing them almost instantaneously 13:20]]

[[Substance absorbs the blood into itself and grows to an approximate size of one cubic meter (35 cubic feet). Three other unidentified M.E.G. operatives come in contact with the substance and are leeched 13:25]]

[[Radiation levels within the facility rise dramatically. All other personnel in the facility are promptly evacuated and suffer no lasting injuries 13:30]]

[[Samantha Bluewood, James A. Lucas, and Holly S. Surview are thoroughly irradiated and are unable to escape the facility in time. They die due to rapid radiation poisoning, dying in less than ten minutes 13:33]]

[[Airborn particles of the substance enter the corpses of the deceased operators and mix with their blood, adding to the overall volume of the substance present 13:35]]

[[The substance lies in a puddle in the center of the facility and becomes dormant, yet still radioactive 13:40]]

[[A specialized team with protective gear is called in after radiation levels are observed. 17:40]]

Inside of the facility after the initial event, taken 17:56

[[Substance is contained within nuclear waste barrels and safely transported to Level 10 for dumping. 19:45]]]

[[Substance is dumped into what is now Level 10.1 21:20]]]

At the time of dumping, the total volume of the substance was approximately two cubic meters (70 cubic feet). However, while the radiation levels went down, the total volume of the substance dramatically increased to 0.8 cubic miles (3.33 cubic kilometers). This increase is theorized to be the result of several endemic entities, such as Gluffs, or undocumented wanderers coming in contact with what is now called Corpse Lake. However, it is possible the increase is due to an influx of water from the original unknown level whose entrance Level 10.1 now covers.

---

REPORT END

Archived Notice from Overseer-C, Published May 10th, 2021:

ATTENTION: Unusually high winds have been detected around the Malt Town area, in addition to high levels of radiation. This radiation is suspected to come from Level 10.1, which lies approximately 20 miles (40 kilometers) from Malt Town. This radiation is especially dangerous because it will inflict lethal radiation poisoning on any human or animal that is exposed to even a single particle of it. All inhabitants of Malt Town are to evacuate immediately and head to the the-b-n-t-g Level 10 Resource Station. It is unknown exactly how long this radiation will last, so be prepared to it to last indefinitely. Grab all precious belongings and do not waste a second, for it could be the difference between life and death. Stay safe, everyone.

---

Signed, Overseer-C

Timeline of Radiation Emitted:

Day-by-day prediction of Radiation Emitted from Level 10.1, constructed May 10th, 2021.

NOTE:

This prediction is subject to change. While the B.N.T.G. Level 10 Resource Station is predicted to be out of harm's way, wanderers should still be prepared to evacuate if need be.

Incident Casualty Records, Published May 12th, 2021:

Compiled by Saumya L. Grewal, Assistant M.E.G. Recordkeeper, Base Beta

---

Deceased:

Date	Name	Position	Cause of Death
5/10/2021	2 Unidentified Civilians	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning
5/11/2021	Amahle Kamisi	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning, spread by unusual winds
5/11/2021	Lindsey Abel	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning, spread by unusual winds
5/11/2021	Jonson Bakke	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning, spread by unusual winds
5/11/2021	Luiz Garcia	Wanderer	Radiation poisoning, spread by unusual winds

Missing:

Name	Position
Orianna Lumen	Wanderer
Lucius Polliver	Wanderer

---

Archived Notice from Overseer-C, Published May 20th, 2021:

ATTENTION: After a detailed survey of the environment, radiation levels in Malt Town are still unsafe for habitation. Civilians who are debating whether or not they should return are strongly urged to stay in the B.N.T.G. Level 10 Resource Station. The radiation level is slowly declining, but Malt Town must be cleared of all residual substance particles before it is hospitable to habilitation. For now, stay put and stay safe, everyone.

---

Signed, Overseer-C

Written by Sucy Alarie, Subi Adisa, and Lucas S. Grant.

Study of Recovered Aquatic Plant Specimen from Level 10.1:

Abstract:

In order to determine the effect of the substance of Level 10.1 on nearby plant life, a total of 48 distinct samples were collected from Level 10.1 of several aquatic plants, including xanthophytes (yellow-green algae), trichodesmium, and chlorophyta (green algae). In addition to coloration and composition comparisons to control groups of these specimen, collected at the Fuchsia Embassy in Level 121, radioactivity levels were also carefully monitored over the course of the experiment.

Data from several trials show that microscopic particles of the Level 10.1 substance are present within each collected specimen from Corpse Lake, and behave with just as much intensity as a macroscopic amount of it. It appears that radiation level, along with volume, increases dramatically in proportion to the amount of water present in the nearby environment. This is consistent throughout all species of recovered aquatic life. Despite exhibiting radiation levels up to 456 roentgens/h, which is enough to cause detrimental effects, including mortality, on plant life, there was not a single instance recorded of that being the case. The results of this study suggest that only animal cells, and not plant cells, are susceptible to the harmful effects of the Level 10.1 substance.

---

Case Study 1: Xanthophyte (Yellow-green algae)

Irradiated xanthophyte sample. Note the presence of lighter flecks, which are substance particles.

Both the irradiated xanthophyte sample and the imported control sample were placed in 100mm petri dishes containing 15ml of water. Both petri dish samples were held under two 40-watt fluorescent tubes for a total of three consecutive days and were closely monitored. Radiation levels and volume of substance were documented and graphed below.

As with all other trials, the control group's petri dish was contaminated as a result of unexpectedly intense radiation emitted from the irradiated algae after substance expansion. Both samples capped at 563.5 roentgens/h, which should have proven lethal to both algae specimens. However, both algae continued to grow after this point unbridled by this complication.

Graph of radiation levels of case study xenophyte over 73 hour period.

Graph of substance volume over 73 hour period.

---

Case Study 2: Trichodesmium

Irradiated trichodesmium sample.

After the results of the first set of trials, the petri dishes were replaced with radiation-resistant petri dishes in order to prevent contamination of the control group. In addition, data was only collected during a 24-hour period in which the data was recorded remotely instead of by hand, due to the high amount of radioactive fallout present at the site.

The radiation protection of the petri dishes proved unsuccessful, as both the substance volume and radiation level increased much faster than in the previous experiment. Information and data collection were limited by the unsafe conditions inside the testing site, and thus accuracy and precision of data were lessened.

Graph of radiation levels of case study trichodesmium over 24 hour period.

Graph of substance volume over 24 hour period.

---

Case Study 3: Chlorophyta

No experiments were conducted on chlorophyta. The chlorophyta specimen take from Corpse Lake was instead returned due to unsafe conditions that heavily endangered
us.

The protective equipment isnt enough. it somehow got in our suits, and were already fee ling the symptoms of the radiation poisonbing. We're droppping the formalities here. We can't escape, because we'll just contaminate others. I thought I was prepared to die goin g into this… but we're all realizing we're not.

This is going to be our last message to the world. Inst ead of trying to run and making the situation worse, we're choosing to accept our fattes and put every last bit of informmation we can spossibly gather in our dying moments here so that people in the future can make use of it. That's what this is for really. Especially the poor citizens of Malt Town.. We're not going to be like those two wan derers who contaminated people in that village before they died two mont hs ago. Subi isialterady dead. With our dying breath, we .

we foun d something lo okk

veins

This is lucas pl eas e tell lucin a I lo

sucy. mdont forget

Final transmission received from Lucas, Sucy, and Subi. WARNING: May be discomforting to sensitive ears. — Jeff A. Guzman, Chief M.E.G. Recordkeeper, Base Alpha

Introduction:

Both Entity 19 - "The Disease" and the Level 10.1 Substance exhibit a similar level of danger and to some extent, behavior. Experiments and comparisons were conducted between the two in order to elucidate any possible relations they might have, as well as to discover potentially new information about the origin, structure, and function of the Level 10.1 Substance.

Structure:

Entity 19 sample.

Substance sample.

Microscopic study reveals that the structures of Entity 19 and the Level 10.1 substance are similar but functionally different. The substance of Level 10.1 is not comprised of multiple individual bacteria like Entity 19, but is instead a chemical mixture of several radioactive molecules with suspended ultraviolet veins in its semi-gelatinous volume. It has been determined that these veins vary in structure. Some are made of a single layer of endothelial cells and can be likened to human capillaries, while others are made of connective tissue and can be likened to human superficial veins. Therefore, Entity 19 and the substance of Level 10.1 are fundamentally unique and are not related.

The substance of Level 10.1 is also not a bacterium, despite its pathogenic effect. Both Entity 19 and the substance were contained in sterile containers and introduced to 1 μL² of human blood.

Entity 19 immediately started producing liminatidin, which started accelerating primary coagulation, creating platelet clusters. In comparison, instead of affecting haemostasis, the substance of Level 10.1 used its veins to absorb and carry red blood cells throughout its venous system. A majority of the red blood cells, and in addition, its nutrients, were ferried through the substance into the black area at its center. The presence of blood in the veins is what gives the substance its signature crimson coloration.

Both Entity 19 and the substance expanded rather quickly, but the substance expanded at a much greater rate than Entity 19. In a matter of hours, the substance had converted the 1 μL of blood into approximately 5 extra milliliters of volume, bring its total volume to 6 milliliters. For comparison, Entity 19 experienced an increase of only 1 ml of volume.

In conclusion, Entity 19 and the substance of Level 10.1 are too different to be related.

---

Additional Notes:

While consuming the 1 μL of blood, the substance of Level 10.1 emitted a sound inaudible to human ears at approximately 30 PHz³ which was proportionally reconstructed at a frequency humans can hear. A copy of the audio file is provided below for viewing purposes.

Observations of an Irradiated Wanderer:

Amelie Heroux.

On 8/12/2021, a Wanderer by the name of Amelie Heroux was found at the boundary of the Exclusion Zone during a routine checkup by M.E.G. operatives. A makeshift experiment was then staged, as she displayed acute signs of the radiation sickness. She was immediately taken into isolation in a semi-conscious state. After being told that she would perish in less than an hour, she consented to have her final moments observed and recorded for the sake of future civilians' safety. However, she personally requested that her submitted picture be censored.

Recording Transcript:

---

Operative Penny A. Hayes: Begin recording.

Operative Felix Fraise: Recording.

Amelie Heroux: So, how much time do I have left?

[[At this point, it has been fifteen minutes since Heroux was exposed to radiation, and she is at the first stage of radiation poisoning.]]

Operative Felix Fraise: At most, forty-five minutes, I'm afraid.

Amelie Heroux: Why… [[coughs]] that is not nearly as much time as I would have hoped. There simply isn't enough time to think of what to say. And an old lady like me should have been prepared.

[[Silence passes.]]

Amelie Heroux: Are you just going to sit there, taking your notes in those… suits? It feels so… inhuman.

Operative Penny A. Hayes: We cannot touch you for safety reasons, Mrs. Heroux. I'm deeply sorry.

Amelie Heroux: Oh, I know that very well. I'm not asking you to hold my hand. But you know as well as I do what's going to happen to me. It's not going to be pretty — I feel it churning about in my stomach. I can't imagine what it'll look like when it crawls out. It's a horrible way to die. Not because my stomach is going to explode and tear all my organs out, but because I'll be dying while people watch and take notes in bright yellow suits. When that happens, tell me… will you feel anything? Any emotion at all?

Operative Felix Fraise: It's not that I don't feel anything, it's that I… can't.

[[Fraise sets his clipboard down and stops taking notes.]]

Operative Felix Fraise: I have to… stay strong. I have to keep pushing forward, no matter how much it hurts to watch you go. I never imagined I'd ever be doing this, you know. I was an artist back on Earth. All I wanted to do was feel. But now, I can't feel anything at all. You have to understand. This is for all the other people out there who might be exposed to this very danger. This is… I'm sorry.

Amelie Heroux: It's quite alright. Say, why don't you tell me more? About what life was like, back on Earth.

Operative Felix Fraise: Me? But, you only have a few minutes left! Why are you so concerned about me? If you don't tell your story now, who will be around to tell it?

Amelie Heroux: I want to hear one last tale before I go.

Operative Felix Fraise: Well, after I came to the Backrooms, I joined the M.E.G. because I thought it would be a fun little adventure… just a little community of explorers. They found me in Level 1 and saved me. I never dreamed I'd be doing something like this. I just wanted… to live. This isn't life, watching people die from something I can do nothing about.

Operative Penny A. Hayes: We shouldn't have experimented on the masks. In a way, I guess this our fault. We've done nothing but put innocent people in harm's way trying to erase our mistakes. We did that with the mask experiments, and created the Masked Maidens. Now we did it with Level 10.1 and hurt the citizens of Malt Town, and you. I'm so, so sorry.

Amelie Heroux: I'm not…

[[Heroux does not finish her sentence. She slumps back in her chair as her skin begins to bubble rapidly. Multiple boils erupt violently on the surface of her skin. Her eyes begin to glaze over in pain.]]

Operative Penny A. Hayes: Holy shit…

Amelie Heroux: Do you two… have family? friends? lovers you left behind?

[[Heroux's voice is visibly strained, and grows weaker rapidly.]]

Operative Penny A. Hayes: Of course.

Amelie Heroux: Why don't we sing one last song together. My Bonnie… Lies Over the Ocean, do you know that one?

Operative Felix Fraise: I- yes.

Amelie Heroux: Good. I'll begin.

My Bonnie lies over the ocean,
My Bonnie lies over the sea,

Operative Felix Fraise:

My Bonnie lies over the ocean,

Operative Penny A. Hayes:

So bring back my Bonnie to me…

All:

Bring back, bring back,
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me, to me,
Bring back, bring back,
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me!

Amelie Heroux:

Last night as I lay on my pillow,
Last night as I lay on my bed,
Last night as I lay on my pillow,
I dreamt that my Bonnie was dead.

Operative Felix Fraise:

Bring back, bring back,

Operative Penny A. Hayes:

Oh bring back my Bonnie to me, to me,

Amelie Heroux:

Bring back, bring back,
Oh bring back my Bonnie to…

[[Heroux shudders, as an audible tearing sound can be heard from inside her abdomen. She slumps over further in her chair as blood begins to leak from her mouth. A large bulge grows underneath her stomach, stretching her skin, until the substance violently bursts forth, killing Heroux instantly.]]

Both Operative Hayes and Operative Fraise have since resigned from the M.E.G. and have refused to provide any further information.

REPORT END

by Kitty Rika

June 04th, 2021:

Well… that was my most infamous mission. Still thinking about where I am in life today. This all meant so much to me. Still does, don't get me wrong. The Maidens were my new purpose. They are my true purpose. I felt like I belonged somewhere. Like I was able to fit with the puzzle of the universe. Sounds kind of cheesy but it's true.

Well, days had passed. If that wasn't obvious, we had been on a few missions already. Janice and I got to know each other very well. We are still living within Level 67. The M.E.G. spy wasn't found at the time. Whatever they had been doing, they were hiding pretty well.

During this time I was laying in my bed, facing towards the ceiling, fiddling around with my mask. The room had a window that emitted sunlight, but there was no outside space on the other side. It was strange to think about. Either way, as I was looking at the face of my mask, I had this spark. This motivation. I wanted to paint. Create an art piece. I haven't ever done that since… I was back home. I felt at peace here. This is my new home. It fees just like home. I always was shy about it though. I didn't know what people would think of it.

I then stood up from my bed, leaving a small indent on the mattress as I got up from it, my feet touching the warm sunlight heated floorboards. I open my closet door from there. I found an art canvas and some paint buckets. It had a name engraved on it, "Orlando". I took it out into the sunlight. The dust falling down from it made it look magical. I grabbed one of the two paintbrushes from the bottom of the canvas holder.

I then dipped it into the paint, and I started to draw. I wanted to create a painting of my mask, in various colors. I then started… but before I could even get a good start, someone knocked, then opened my door. I quickly went to hide my art canvas. I couldn't have anyone see it. I rushed it back into the closet. My shirt got caught in it. Pulled up my sleeve in a rush. I didn't have time to pull it back down.

We painted for hours. She was really amazing at it. We should've done it more often….

Sorry I…

Continuing on, this shown me how much she really cared for me. That I had met someone that would bother to give me this connection with them. It's all I ever wanted. Well after we finished, we stood back and admired the amazing painting we made together. It showed our masks fused together. My side was mostly purple. Janice's side was mostly blue. I found out her favorite color is blue. The painting had many different paint splats of colors. Green, orange, yellow, red and much more. Black filled in the eyes and mouth for each side. It was beautiful.

I wish it would've lasted longer, because after that, Masked Messengers flew in the room. We were called in by Sub-Sector Colombina and Pantalone. This was important. We walked out of my room and we traveled towards the main command center. When we got there, we were greeted by The Madam herself. Janice and I both bowed down in front of her. The Madam pinched the sides of her dress and lifted them slightly as she curtsied with us. She then started to speak.

I was excited. Were we finally gonna end the corruption for a little while? Even if it wasn't long, that would be a huge success! My mind was thinking all kinds of things. How would we celebrate? I wanted to complete this mission. We weren't going out for it, as another Maidens team would be sent out. But I was just as excited as if I was there.

I ran as quickly as I could to the data center room. I saw Janice sitting in a chair, looking through the footage. I watched with her as it showed a glass room. It was poorly-made glass, as it was starting to crack from the attacks of the patient inside. He was already wearing a mask. It was a Volto mask wearer. As the footage was playing in slow motion, Janice spoke.

We burst out the door, running to the command room. I almost tripped on my own feet I was so excited. Janice and I turned around the corner and accidentally ran into some Maidens; we apologized while we continued sprinting to the command room.

We reached the command room with The Madam and Amanda Wright. We proceeded to tell them the discovery.

This was it. This was the mission that people would remember. I would be recognized by people. Loved by people. We would have people care for what we did. Amanda went back to her Station. I assumed the Team she assigned lived there. The Madam thanked us for our bravery and discovery. I couldn't believe it. My hands were shaking from the excitement. I just wanted people to care for me all my life down here.

And it was all thanks to Janice. She shown me that there is nothing to be afraid of. That I can be something in life down here. That I mattered. To not be afraid of what makes me special. And that my mistakes is what makes me human. It's what makes me perfect…. she was perfect to me. I needed to tell her something. I at first, didn't know if I had the strength to do it, but she had showed me not to be afraid… I had to tell her…

I had to tell her how much I loved her…

But…

There is something I need to show you…

Something was horribly wrong…

by Stretchsterz

by Kitty Rika

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS BEING BROADCASTED FROM THE OVERSEER COMMAND.

THE CONTENT IN THIS DOCUMENT IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL, AND ALL INFORMATION PRESENT IN IT IS NOT TO BE SHARED UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO BY THE OVERSEER COMMAND.

YOU ARE REQUESTED TO DELETE THIS REPORT IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU ARE DONE READING IT.

---

Hey Michael, it's Andrew.

Three days ago, we lost agent Iris Wilkins, a guard who was stationed at Level 3's Gamma base, to an unknown assailant who breached base walls without setting off the alarm. I trust that you remember the emergency transfer that you were assigned, and that documentation of the incident was handled by another one of your crewmates, correct?

There is, however… something which I have neglected to tell you. Something I have neglected to tell all of you. Keep what I am going to be telling you now between us at all costs.

There is a group going around The Backrooms which are targeting people like you and I under the guise of eliminating corruption in our circles. They all bear instances of Object 24, and they use the powers that the masks grant them to their full advantage to fulfill said goal.

As you know, Iris' unknown assailant was reported by her to be masked. Let's just say that… this 'unknown assailant' was not really unknown at all. You can probably see where I am going with this.

Prior to her death, me and Iris had been communicating via emails. This group, known as the Masked Maidens, had been stalking Base Gamma's guards for some time prior to her emailing, and Iris had brought it to my attention that night. I knew what she had meant when she began describing her stalkers immediately. I knew what the people she was talking about wanted from me. I knew what was going to happen to her, and I knew what they were going to do to her. This is not the first time I have played the game of chess with the Maidens.

They requested for us to stop our experimentation on Object 24, something which we ultimately cannot do due to projects which I am afraid I cannot disclose to you. They put Iris' life to ransom, but that did little to stop me from continuing my work.

As far as you, me, and everyone else in The Backrooms are concerned from this point onwards, Iris died from an unknown assailant who stealthily breached Base gamma. Research is still ongoing to determine who it was and what their motives were. That is what your team will write on the report that you will submit to me. I trust that you will follow what I have just said word for word.

No mention of the Masked Maidens shall be included in this report, and you shall not speak of them at any point going onwards. It is imperative that we do not reveal anything about them to the public; I will handle them myself.

As for you, this conversation never happened, and it would be a damn shame if it did.

Overseer-C

---

by Stretchsterz

by Kitty Rika

May 20th, 2021:

This was it. My first ever adventure within the Masked Maidens. It's crazy how I ended up there to begin with. It all felt so fast… Yeah, but this was a mission that I am very fond of. We got to Level 4 like the mission stated and we were heading to the M.E.G. Base Omega.

I was with Janice at the time, just the two of us. I had no idea where Sully was, but he was supposed to meet us there. Level 4 felt very strange to me. Like people were supposed to be there and supposed to be doing things, but it just felt like a ghost town. It's weird how The Backrooms can make an area seem like people had been there all their lives, until they suddenly disappeared in a flash.

While moving towards our destination, I decided to learn more about Janice and ask about how she saw life.

We equipped our masks and prepared to enter Base Omega. Luckily, this mission was chosen because security had been under maintenance for a few days. I honestly don't know how a group could build something like this within something as crazy and unpredictable as The Backrooms.

Speaking of unpredictable, Sully was there distracting the guards. We peeked over the corner to see him use his skills. He is a very efficient killer which can be very scary for our enemies. There were two guards at the entrance way holding spears. Camera systems were down currently from the maintenance. He was then trying to distract them by having the guards tell him a joke.

"Jokes aren't that hard to come up with! Just look at me! I'm a joke in itself!"

The guards seemed to be very aggravated from this.

"Look, we're done here. If you wont leave us alone, then we will remove you by force."

They started to walk towards Sullivan with the intentions on removing him, but before they could do anything Sully slowly walked up to them.

"Okay okay okay, here! Let me show you something funny!"

"The fuck are yo- AUGH!?"

He walk up to one of the guards, and pulled out a switchblade from his sleeve. Punctured the guard's stomach. Stumbling over as if he tripped on something.

"Oh my! Sorry I think I tripped on something that was never there! HAHA!"

The other guard, who was a fair distance away from Sully, started to run towards him, but Sully was faster. He pulled the blade from the bleeding guard and threw it over to the other very quickly, impaling the second guard.

"Oh oh, sorry I have uncontrollable reflexes! Actually I'm just joking I just have bad aim, I meant to go for the head. Heheha!"

He slowly turned his head in a crooked manner towards our position and then called us over.

"You two just gonna watch me pick my ass or do you like that sort of thing?"

We then walked over to the main gate. I for one, was very impressed.

Sully then started to skip and hop away, doing the rest of his job for this mission. We needed him to distract any other guards that come our way if they get alerted by our presence. He would be patrolling the base from the outside and inside.

Me and Janice went into Base Omega. We snuck around some Operatives and took out a few guards. Janice grabbed a crowbar that one of them was holding. What we needed to do was get into the main Database Computers in Base Omega. With some Database Admin access, which Janice knew the passcode very well. I don't know how she got it but she had it. We went inside to the room ready to take some of the data.

Janice told me to barricade the door while we searched through the terminals.

I was in a panic. I didn't know if we would make it out or not. This was the first time I had seen Janice terrified too. They either changed the password or locked us out. But the alarm was blaring. I was scared. The Database Admins must had have changed the password, as it seems that they have had this happen to them before.

Janice, in a panic, grabbed the crowbar she found from earlier and destroyed the terminal. She smacked the thing around four times, surprisingly breaking the alarm… and her USB key along with it. She was sobbing. I didn't know what to say.

I looked into my pockets and found my own USB Key. It was filled to the max storage limit with images of my family back home… But I knew what I had to do. I deleted all of them after I plugged it in to the second terminal that survived and proceeded to download the Object 24 Experiment Logs.

Once the download was complete, I went to take it out of the terminal before Janice attempted the same thing and we touched hands. I froze, but then we quickly apologized. When we left the Database management room, I equipped my mask and we ran through a few halls in the base until we were met by Sully once more.

He was covered in blood, with the bodies of around six guards scattered around. He seemed out of breath, but we had to leave, so we approached to tell him to follow us.

As we ran through Base Omega, we ended up having a few guards chase us. We ran around the corner, and I could see their shadows engulfing the light from the fluorescent lights above. There was furniture scattered around the complex. The halls themselves were somewhat tall. Sully ran up to a couch, running onto the wall then instantly jumping off, throwing three knives at the guards. All missed but one.

"Bullseye! However I am running low on ammo. I can't beat the high-score! Heha!"

One of the guards halted and turned around to assist the wounded guard. As we ran, another guard jumped us from a cubicle. Janice used her crowbar to crack open the guard's poorly-crafted helmet. It had slowed her down, but she was fast, so she caught up.

"We have to keep going! We're being ambushed around every corner!" Janice yelped while reaching us.

I replied with "We must find a different exit!"

"Ah yes! Let's pull a magic door out of thin air! That is surely something we can do!" Sully said while running with us.

As I saw guards run up far away at the end of the hall, spears in hand. I heard a voice from the back of my mind that was not my own. "The wall…". It must have been one of the original users of this mask. I knew there was no other way to escape alive but one. "Take a hold of my hand! I know something we can do!" I shouted while my mind was racing of what could happen to us. Janice grabbed my hand like I asked while grabbing Sullivan and pulling him closer to us. I jumped in head-first to the wall with all my might to try and do something. And it worked. I quickly No-Clipped into the wall successfully.

"Ahahahaha! Yes! Into the rabbit hole we go!" Sully shouted in laughter as he faded through the wall.

We all fell face-first into the into the soft carpet flooring. I rolled over onto my back, in pain from the impact, groaning as I tried to make sense of where we were. I looked up to see a long hall that seemed to stretch on forever… doors on every side.. An ominous piano jingle played miraculously out of nowhere as I stood up. I looked back to see Janice and Sully doing the same.

We all heard an impact sound to our left as we saw a few M.E.G. members fall in through the walls and ceiling. "Look! There they are!" I heard one of them shout towards us. Janice opened a door that lead to Level 0. We wanted to find Level 2 but it seemed like we had no choice. We all ran towards the door in a rush. We knew we'd lose each other, but the Maidens know how to find their way back, and so did I. As I hopped into it, I fell on the hard, old, and disgusting carpet of Level 0. I got up and looked behind me to see the blank wall of the yellow repetitive wallpaper.

Normally we would all end up together, but this was Level 0, and no one can stick together in that place. You can't see, feel and hear anyone but yourself. So I equipped my mask and I made my way towards an exit, wherever it was, grasping my left arm, as it used to sting a lot once in a while.

After what felt like hours… a day had passed. I made it into Level 2. I could've found the mirror in Level 0 back to Level 939 but I'd be very lucky to find that on my own. As soon as I stepped in, I heard the sounds of a living creature from the corner to my right. I see it. A beautiful bird full of colorful feathers. It was a Masked Messenger. It flew in gracefully towards me and dropped a small message into the palms of my hand as it proceeded to fly back to its home. I Opened it up to see a small ball of light fly out of it. The note itself read as follows:

This was so exciting for me. I felt proud of myself that I did something important! I felt like I made my team happy… like Janice. I seemed to made her have a better outlook on herself. And that makes me happy because I kind of have struggles with that myself. And for Sully, he's just Sully. Really nothing can change his mood. Always carefree, skipping around happy. I'm glad he enjoys his purpose with his mask.

Well, the small glowing light started to fly away. Small, and glowing purple. I went to follow it. I had a feeling it would lead back to a mirror in Level 2. So I kept up with the pace. However, something… bothered me the whole time. As I was walking throughout Level 2. I was thinking about our successful mission but I couldn't help thinking… something felt off. Something wasn't right… I kept asking the same question over and over. It all happened so awkwardly and fast I couldn't help myself but to think…

What was in her ear…?

by Stretchsterz

To All Maidens:

Many have asked me where the mirror in Level 939 labelled "Level 204.1" leads, and why it is permanently blocked off. I do not despair at these observations — in fact, I am enthralled by them, seeing such curious and explorative minds in action. It has since hurt me to turn away your inquiries with vague answers that dance around the truth, but now I have decided to trust you all with this sensitive information so that you may understand more about what goes on in the more discreet areas of management. After all, this organization is based on transparency and trust, the safety that none of us here will ever betray each other the way many of us have been betrayed. Thus, I present you with a document detailing Level 204.1 and its purpose and importance within the Masked Maidens.

Yours truly,
Evangeline Holmes.

Entrance to Level 204.1 in Level 204.

Overview:

Level 204.1 is a Sub-section of Level 204, and the only known one as well. Among Sub-sections, Level 204.1 is unique in that an instance of Object 24 is absolutely necessary for entry. Because of this, the Sub-section remains completely undiscovered by the M.E.G., and we Masked Maidens are presumably the only people alive who are currently aware of its existence.

The entrance to level 204.1 is located at the base of Hazard Mountain in Level 204, in the cultivation zone. It can be found on the interior side of the circular river that surrounds the mountain. As the terrain begins to slope upwards, various strata of rock are exposed in places, revealing an elaborately carved tunnel entryway in the shape of a face. The eyes of said face have been reported to move and stare intensely at any passersby. While several M.E.G. volunteers have discovered such an entrance, none of them are able to enter the cave, as they have reported that the vigilant gaze of this carved visage paralyzes all who attempt to do so.

Utilizing the mirror in Level 939 that is labelled Level 204.1 will lead you straight to the entryway. However, usage of this mirror is prohibited because of the contents of the cave that the sub-section is comprised of. Level 204.1 is an ancient catacomb, built by the same archaic society that crafted the now-ruined temples strewn about the landscape of Level 204. The masks that we use ourselves were ubiquitous among the members of this ancient civilization, and thus saw everyday normalized use. Imbued with power unrivalled by the iterations we possess, these masks and their people lived in perfect synchronization — two halves of a whole. When a member of this society passed, their fragile bodies were prone to decomposition, and so this society had to engineer an alternative, more permanent way for each person's mask to follow their late wearer into the afterlife. Thus, the catacombs were constructed, with uncountable numbers of life-size stone statues in the likenesses of these deceased members, all wearing their masks.

Masked statue.

You might be thinking to yourself, "Why, with so many powerful masks in such an easily accessible and secret place, why don't we take these masks and use them regularly?" The answer to this question is very simple: The catacombs are guarded with various safety measures that make exploring and procuring masks from this area extremely hazardous. Thus, access to this Sub-section is strictly available to those who have proven themselves to be not only incredibly mentally resilient but outstandingly synchronized with their masks alongside with possessing great physical impetus. The masks of various sub-sector leaders were retrieved from this Sub-section, which is why many of them exhibit much more potent powers than average. The number of people who are able to overcome this challenge is few and far between, and several of our organization have been lost to the promise of power. If you so desire to brave the catacombs and take a mask of your own, you are only to do so with express permission from me. Anyone caught trying to enter without authorization will be strictly and severely punished.

To Mask is to Reveal

Corridor in the first level of the catacombs.

The Structure of the Catacombs:

From the main entryway, a long, winding set of stone stairs leads down into the catacombs. The catacombs as a whole are spread out across five different levels excavated into the soil. From the stairway, a main corridor leads onwards into the darkness for an unmeasurable distance. The main corridor of each level is intersected by several smaller branching passageways which lead deeper into the catacombs. The pattern of corridors in the catacombs can be likened to a tree, and at the end of every corridor is a small room housing ten to upwards of a thousand standing stone statues arranged together in rows.

Small enclaves are carved into the packed soil of the walls, housing ancient braziers embedded in the earth. While in ancient times, these braziers would have lit the corridors and provided a dim glowing pathway for the spirits of the masks and their wearers to abscond from this labyrinthian structure, today they are all but burned out completely. The only light present in these otherwise obnubilated ruins comes from the several lucernaria, or small surface apertures, from which the natural sunlight slithers down in small beams from holes on the ceilings and floors, cascading down from level to level. As a result, the first level of the catacombs is consequentially the most thoroughly illuminated, whilst the final fifth layer is nearly shrouded in abject darkness.

The catacombs are dry and dusty, and travel in the lower levels can become increasingly perilous due to the amount of stray sediment polluting the air. Navigation here is exceedingly difficult without a proper mask and artificial lighting. The temperature in the upper levels ranges from temperate to cool, while the lower levels are uncomfortably cold. Inside the statue-housing rooms, the temperature is significantly higher, but in no point in the catacombs is the temperature unbearably hot or cold.

The Ancient Statues:

Each of the rooms in the catacombs is filled with ancient statues carved out of marble and limestone. While they are estimated to be over four hundred years old, many of them are in very solid condition. There has never been a reported sighting a statue that has crumbled or collapsed due to natural causes. However, about a third of the statues found in the catacombs have indeed been reduced to piles of rubble. Why is this, you may ask? The reason is due to the masks that adorn each of the statues' stone visages.

The statues were crafted by the ancient society that dwelled in Level 204 in the shape of deceased person that wore that statue's mask. The reason for this is thought to be that the act of planting the mask on a stone likeness of a person, preserved in an underground catacomb, would be much more sustainable than planting it on the actual corpse of that person, which would eventually decay and leave the mask without a face. This way, a mask can remain connected to the wearer's face through the stone, even in the afterlife. As the connection between mask and the stone is the only thing linking the spirit of the lost individual to said mask, removing the mask from the statue will cause it to instantly collapse.

Because of the fact that these ancient masks are still connected to the spirits of their wearers, in addition to them being sentient in some way, removing a mask becomes very dangerous. Every mask in the catacombs is actively hostile towards members of the Masked Maidens and resists attempts to remove them from their statues. Applying too much force or using a tool such as a pickaxe causes both the mask and statue to destroy themselves. Trying to retrieve the mask gently never ends well, either. Without being assertive and confident, the mask will begin to take control of the Maiden instead and enact harm upon the wearer's body in self-defense. These masks are incredibly potent, and thus the "will" of the masks is much stronger than that of our own, and they are not to be underestimated or taken lightly.

Collected fragments of several statues' bases.

The statues themselves range from five to twelve feet (1.5 to 3.6 meters) tall on average, with realistic proportions and painted clothes. The paint has since worn off, leaving most of the statues completely grey. All of them take the form of adults. While many of them are impossibly tall for humans, it is thought that these statues are exact replicas of the lost members of the ancient society, given that the masks that would fit the deceased wearer are also perfectly molded to the statues' faces.

The statues are always arranged in rows in the center of the room, and every instance of these statues holds the same position: a tall, straight posture with both arms at the sides, palms open and feet together. The clothes range from elaborate to simple, and it appears that people from all walks of life were placed equally among each other in these rows. The amount of statues in each row, as well as the number of rows themselves, vary depending on the size of the room. Each statue is situated on a small pedestal, rising about one foot off the ground. Coming in contact with the pedestal will cause the nearby mask of that pedestal's statue to awaken and become aware of your presence. From there, it will most likely begin to exert a sort of invisible pressure on you to expel you away from it. Once again, and I cannot stress this enough, do not go looking for these masks, for even if you manage to secure one, it will continue to torment you to the best of its ability for stealing it away from its previous wearer. This entire article is only to clear up confusion and questions as to why this Sub-section remains prohibited, not to encourage you to test your luck.

The Obsidian Guardians:

At the corners of each of the statue rooms are four Obsidian Guardians. The Obsidian Guardians are unique statues made out of an unknown black mineral, likened to obsidian. They vaguely resemble humanoids, but are much more similar in shape to a chess piece — namely, a rook. They are faceless and bear no masks, and are approximately fifteen feet (4.5 meters) tall. Because of their towering height, many of the ceilings of the statue rooms are raised to accommodate them. When anyone enters the statue rooms, the Obsidian Guardians will remain still and silent in their corners of the room. The instant that one touches a mask that belongs to one of the statues, however, the Obsidian Guardians will spring to life, sliding across the floor at alarming speeds. Upon coming in contact with a statue, the Obsidian Guardians will smash through them, obliterating both any statues and masks that stand in between an intruder and itself.

The Obsidian Guardians will attempt to ram into intruders at high speeds, and move with enough force to have the equivalent impetus of a semi-truck driving at over 60mph. Needless to say, colliding with an Obsidian Guardian is lethal. As a result of many failed attempts to retrieve these masks, several of the statue rooms have four Obsidian Guardians resting in their corners around piles of rubble. These statue rooms have had all their statues decimated, and their remains lay strewn about with the skeletons of those with the misfortune of being unable to escape.

Entering and Exiting the Level:

The catacombs have one constant and distinct entry point, which also doubles as the exit point. The aforementioned doorway in the shape of a stone face is the only known way to currently exit and enter the level. Attempts have been made to no-clip in and out of the catacombs, but they have all been unsuccessful. The doorway is located on the first level of the catacombs, in the north side of the structure, above an ascending staircase.

As stated before, entry is only possible into the level if one is currently donning a mask. The mask will ask as a cover against the petrifying glare of the stone face's eyes. Regardless, whether or not you are in possession of a mask, this Sub-section is not to be entered, both for the preservation of these ancient relics, and your own safety.

by Kitty Rika

May 19th, 2021:

After what felt like eons of living in a prison for the innocent, I finally feel like my life is finally getting somewhere better. With the mask I feel like I am home again. Without it, I feel like I am trapped within my own mind. That I am within the flow of my own thoughts, blocked by a locked door without the key. The mask is the key; I am finally free.

Let's carry on the show, shall we?

To someone who tried their entire life to escape the yellow halls, the cold concrete floors of Level 1 would feel like a shallow grave of a reward. But that's what this world is, a purgatory. And from what we've learned… home isn't so different after all. Living your entire life to get nothing but a hollow prize that never truly existed. Let's see if we can find any differences together.

We were traversing through the stone cold halls. Us, and the others. Sullivan is an interesting character. He never wants to take his mask off. It seems like he never will or possibly never even could, but how can we blame him? I wouldn't want to be taken off either. We are perfect for each other. Janice is… different from what we have seen… It almost feels like a warm welcome after everything we have been through. Such a pity that we both ended up in this situation after all.

That's when she started to ask questions while I was away.

It's amazing, it really is. I just couldn't believe that I feel like I have a purpose in something. It's something I dreamt of every day in The Backrooms. I feel like I fit in somewhere with the rest of the puzzle. It's a very comforting feeling knowing that you matter in something for once. If this is my true purpose, then I will fulfil that mission.

We then continued walking down the damp halls of Level 1, looking for something that was unknown to me at the time. I didn't know where I was going with them, but I knew that I'd be better off there then where I was before. We saw a few Entities in the distance, but we never confronted one; we didn't need to.

Something about the cold of Level 1 really made me feel a lot better then in Level 0; still damp, but it wasn't warm. It was actually soothing and kind of refreshing. Usually I tried not to slip on the countless puddles of water on the floor. It's a strange thought to think that someone's fate may have been sealed by a puddle in this Level. Maybe while being chased? Most likely…

Damn… when did I get so dark with my thoughts? Well, I guess I was always dark.

But after a long walk, we finally found it. Glimmering in the distance was a beautiful golden mirror. The gold itself looked real and was carved with a floral design. It was expertly crafted. And as I walked closer to it, the more it seemed to glow. It was all foggy inside, its contents left to my imagination — and my curiosity. I wanted to know more.

When we walked in we were greeted by a large hall that looked to be in medieval origin. There were many mirrors all lined up on each side of the hall. Each mirror was labeled with a number. We came out of a mirror labeled "Level 1". It seemed to be in random order, which was weird to think about.

I was honestly amazed by that place. Just the ability to travel anywhere in a few seconds is pretty powerful. I was just wondering about how it was discovered and what possibilities this gives us. As we continued down the hall I could see a bunch of other masked members, but some of them looked… off. Hazy and foggy is the only way I could put it. That was until I walked up to one. It was me! But, like a ghost. Janice explained that this was a normal effect in Level 939 and told me not to interact with them.

I was curious, but I stopped myself and continued on forward. Then, when we reached the Entrance to Level μ we had reached a barrier.

So, we head over to the mirror that was labeled "Station 2: Level 67". I thought to myself, 'baked goods?' I wondered what they meant by that until I saw for myself. It was a bakery. It looked pretty retro, which I thought was cool. The place had a purple accent to it. It was neat!… however Sully mentioned how it was colored orange so I thought it might just be an effect.

Janice mentioned to behave at The Waiting Line. There were Facelings stretching on for quite a bit… I tried to be patient, but all I had in my mind were complaints. She told me that the Facelings would turn on us if we tried to cut through. I was hesitant but I waited. Once we finally got to the counter, there was another Faceling there posing as a clerk. He pointed at all the baked goods and even showed me a cinnamon roll. Those were my favorite back when I was a kid. Janice told us not to take any of the food shown at the counter.

But I had this urge to say something… I don't really know if it was the Level that told me this, or if my mask said it for me… But it seemed to have saved us.

Champagne, dear maiden?…

The clerk looked at me and pointed to its right, away from the line or visible eating area.

I was surprised myself, but I guess my mask knows a lot more than I do myself. We made it to this lounge area. More Maidens wearing masks were walking around here too. Seemed like everyone was busy. The ceiling was taller then normal and had these colorful birds flying around these bushes full of flowers hanging from above.

Janice told me that this would be my new home for now. I had my own little room waiting for me. As we walked towards it, I could see many different members doing their tasks. It looked so interesting… did one of them have a tail?… You know what? Never mind that.

When I got to hall that contains the entrance to my room, Janice was called by another member on the other side of the hall.

I walked into my room as I watched Janice run to hers at the other hall, preparing for her adventure. She's been so nice to me; it's different from the careless feeling I get from most people in The Backrooms. I felt the same amongst the rest of The Masked Maidens but she felt… different.

As I closed the door behind me, I looked around to see a bed, some books on a shelf, a couch, and a carpet. Even a few cabinets and a lamp. Felt like home to me. I guess this was furnished by the Level itself? Who knows. The room also had purple accents like the rest of the Level, but I learnt that it was one of its effects. I wondered what its true colors were. Well… I guess I can finally show my true colors here.

May our journey together be filled with victory.

by Stretchsterz

Masked Messengers

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Image of a blue and brown variation of a Masked Messenger.

How to care for your Masked Messenger

Masked Messengers are hardy creatures that we use to communicate between other members of the group with clandestine messages. They are able to survive much harsher conditions that humans can, and thus can traverse levels that are dangerous to us with relative ease. However, this does not make them invulnerable to any mishaps, and thus it is best to treat your Messenger like a treasured pet and care for them accordingly.

Pink and white variation of Messenger feathers.

While Masked Messengers are able to make journeys during both day and night, they require sufficient rest in between. They can sleep at any time, whether it be day, night, or neither, due to their incredibly adaptive sleep cycles. However, when receiving a letter, it is always recommended to let them sleep for at least 24 hours (regardless of your current level's day/night cycle) before sending your Messenger back out with a reply. Though they are invisible to others, Messengers tend to grow anxious when in crowded places, and thus it is best that when accompanying one you find a secluded and quiet place to tend to their needs.

Masked Messengers are able to consume a wide variety of food, as they are omnivores. Almost anything that a human can digest is something that a Masked Messenger can safely consume. Though they prefer seeds and nuts, they are also able to break down meat and even dairy. Their diet requires much less food than a human diet, and thus they can live comfortably off of one meal every one or two days. The same applies for water — though they have exhibited the ability to consume regular water, Almond Water, and Cashew Water without any difficulties.

Masked Messengers fully mature in one year, and are theorized to not age. This may be incorrect, however, as Masked Messengers were discovered only a year ago and thus not enough time has elapsed for us to be able to judge their lifespans. The lack of a distinction between one Messenger and another that may signify age leads us to believe that their bodies do not break down over time. Regardless, it is important that new members keep their Messengers safe and treat them respectfully as one would any pet, because they will not be replaced in the event that one is lost.

We look forward to hearing from you soon. May your truth be unmasked,

---

Yours truly,
Evangeline Holmes.

---

by Kitty Rika