---------------
.
.
The Hub is a Level composed of interconnected highway tunnels and a Tower at its center. Mellow, yellow light illuminates its concrete walls, while an innumerable number of evenly spaced doors face inwards, leading to destinations unknown.
That was the sight the members of the UBSS were used to. From the moment they wake up to when they rest on their makeshift beds, the lights never once flicker. It was neither dim nor bright. Even still, wanderers find it easier to fall asleep in the tunnels that never darken. Only here do they feel safe enough to fall into a deep sleep—to finally rest from the perils of the Backrooms instead of watching over their shoulders at every moment.
*Clank!* *Clank!* *Thud*
A loud noise woke a few wanderers who were resting in their tents. The more hardened ones immediately peeked out to check the situation.
"Sorry about that. I'm in a hurry!"
"Don't you have eyes?! Watch where you're going!"
What they saw was a mess. Supplies were everywhere on the floor. In the middle of it all was a man sitting on his ass, angrily shouting at a woman running away from the clutter.
"Oh, it's just Hannah..."
"Back to sleep... Zzz..."
"I'm really sorry!"
After leaving those words behind, Hannah continued to sprint through camp. Only one thing was on her mind.
Medical tent, medical tent, medical, medical, medic... there! Thomas!
She barged in, her eyes scanning through the rows of sterile beds. Most were empty. Apart from a few adults and a teen with a buzz cut, Thomas was nowhere to be found.
"Hey there! Are you looking for anyone specific?"
A nearby doctor approached Hannah. She wore the same clean clothes as regular wanderers, but a medallion hung from her chest, which served as an ID badge.
"Yes, but it doesn't seem like he's here."
"We have a few patients in the ward. Can you tell me his name?"
"Thomas."
"Ah! We do have a Thomas who just came in. He is resting on that bed over there. He's a very fuzzy sleeper, that one!"
Hannah followed the doctor's pointed finger. She shook her head. "I'm looking for a different Thomas. He has long hair, not a buzz cut. Although, that kid does look like him... wait a damn minute."
Hannah approached the unconscious teenager and scrutinized his face. "Thomas?" Tentatively, her hand moved towards his head.
"What are you doing?" the doctor asked.
"Just testing something."
Hannah's hand hovered over the patient's head. Then it started to lower.
"..."
"..."
Seeing the serious expression on Hannah's face, the doctor decided to quietly observe from the side.
Before Hannah could pat his head, her hand was slapped away. Not expecting it, the doctor jumped in surprise.
"How the fuck... It really is Thomas." Hannah grumbled while massaging her sore hand, but she soon smiled as she managed to find him. Then, she turned to the doctor. "Why is his hair cut so short?"
"Yeah, why is his hair so short? It doesn't suit him, " the doctor replied as she studied Thomas. When she tried to pat his head, like Hannah, her hand was slapped away. "Oh! Quite strong, isn't he? How fascinating..."
Hannah cleared her throat. "I was asking you the reason why, not just thinking out loud..."
"Well, that's a strange question to ask. He already looked like that when he was brought in."
The doctor shrugged.
"I find that hard to believe," Hannah said.
"Doubt me all you want, but I have no reason to do that. Hair is not useful for anything I do here," the doctor shrugged again.
"How do I know you aren't lying to me?"
"Huh? You serious?" The doctor was confused. "This is hair we're talking about. Can you eat hair and make a living selling it? Should I check if your head is working properly?"
"...I was just making sure."
Hannah mentally facepalmed. She wasn't thinking straight.
"Hey, you're hurt." The doctor noticed the bandages wrapped around Hannah's left arm. They were tainted red, and the color kept deepening. "Let me take a look."
"The wound must have opened up while I was running here," Hannah said. She sat down on a bed next to Thomas's. The doctor commenced her treatment with haste.
Removing Hannah's bandages revealed a deep and bloody gash. The doctor frowned upon seeing the injury. It was worse than she expected.
"Have a seat. Don't you dare move a muscle!"
The doctor rummaged through a cabinet, retrieving an ornate bottle and a mouthguard. She uncorked the bottle of mysterious liquid before handing Hannah the mouthguard. "I'll be strapping your arm to the bed railing. Believe me, you'll need it."
Hannah looked at the mouthguard with doubt. "That much?"
"More than you can imagine." The doctor replied gravely, completely restraining Hannah's arm.
After biting down on the mouthguard, Hannah signaled the doctor to begin.
Surely, it can't be that bad? she thought.
In the next moment.
"FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUU—!!!!!"
A drop of the mysterious liquid trickled from the bottle and down the wound. Steam rose from the point of contact, and an audible hiss could be heard throughout the tent, along with Hannah's screams.
The gash began to close up. Flesh grew at a speed noticeable to the naked eye, albeit hard to see through the curtain of steam.
However, just a drop of the mysterious liquid wasn't enough to heal the wound. Hannah endured a few more drops.
"I'm surprised you're still awake after that." A pale Hannah soothed her racing heart as the doctor cleaned the wound and applied new bandages.
"Never again! Never... again!" she said between crooked breaths. "Keep that toxic waste away from me."
"Not toxic waste," corrected the doctor. "The Keymaster calls it a 'potion.'"
Surprised, Hannah hurriedly said, "As in those magical drinks from games?"
The doctor excitedly responded. "Uh-huh! It's such a mindblowing remedy, isn't it?! Weirdly enough, the Keymaster calls them defective even though they work so well. We have someone who goes through his garbage occasionally since he throws away useful items like these. He lets us take them with no fuss. Other factions take them as well..."
Hannah nodded her head. The Keymaster cemented himself as a slightly nice entity in her tier list of predominantly terrible entities.
The doctor finished wrapping new bandages on Hannah's arm. "The potion, wonderful as it is, is just too rare. I used enough to heal your wound to a more manageable level, but not completely. Take some time off. Do light work inside the camp than out."
"Noted." Hannah nodded. "What about Thomas? How is he? Did you use the potion on him too?" She looked at the unconscious Thomas with worry.
"He's just exhausted. Getting injuries as bad as yours and managing to return are rare. If everyone was as lucky as you and surviving with injuries like that, I'd have used this potion within a week of getting it! How did you get this injury anyway?"
"I lured a Skin-Stealer away. Someone just had to sneeze at the wrong time while we were hiding."
"You're lucky you're alive!"
"No, it wasn't that bad. Me being lucky would be when I escaped a horde of them in the Negative Levels. What terrible times those were..."
The doctor imagined the scenario and turned pale.
A horde of them? You can call that luck? I get that you escaped, but isn't a horde pretty much instant death?
The doctor gulped. "...if you say so. Anyway, Thomas is perfectly fine. Well, apart from being severely sleep deprived. I expect him to wake up sooner or later."
Relieved, Hannah said, "That's good." She tried to pat his head again but flinched from the pain coming from her arm. "Can I get some pain medication for my—"
Hannah paused. No, she was cut off.
"What the fuck is that?!"
A scream rang throughout the camp.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!?!"
"JINX! I SAID IT FIRST! ANYWAY, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!"
"CALL THE PRINCIPAL!!!"
More screams rang out outside the medical tent. Hannah turned to the doctor and said, "Stay here. I'll have a look at what's going on. Take care of Thomas!" She got out of bed and peeked outside to investigate the source of the ruckus.
She saw nothing but distortions. "Woah!" Surprised, Hannah fell back behind the tent flaps.
"Humans. I bring friends."
Someone spoke. They sounded like a woman with a strange accent. The voice was eerie yet soothing.
Hannah again reached for the tent flaps, slowly pulling them aside to reveal the outside view.
The distortions had coagulated. In the center of the chaos, the amalgamation of nightmares descended in the shape of a person.
Every hair on Hannah's body stood on end.
"Shit just hit the fan."
Her hands shook as she retrieved a handgun from her backpack. With a flick, she turned the safety off.
Mister Rupert said I should only use this when things get serious... this feels super serious!
Hannah took aim. Her hand trembled uncontrollably.
"Shit..." Hannah cursed. Not only did her body seem to reject the notion of pointing a weapon at the entity, but her dominant arm was also sporting a serious, half-healed injury.
The logical choice would be to use her other arm. She did exactly that. The handgun felt unfamiliar in her left hand.
However, the most logical choice would have been to flee as far away as she could. Yet she didn't.
As Hannah took aim, she noticed the distortions around the entity expel two limp bodies onto the floor.
Her eyes turned into slits. "Mikey?! And is the other one... his student? What was it again... ah! Jiminy! Are they dead?!"
They looked worse for wear. Judging from the way their chest moved up and down, Hannah guessed that they were only unconscious. However, she also saw what seemed to be blood coming from Mikey's thigh. He's hurt!
Hannah lowered her gun, unwilling to shoot at an entity so close to her friend.
Then, suddenly.
"Fire!"
A barrage of bullets rained down on the pitch-black entity. Multiple orange trails cut through the air in a blink of an eye.
Before they could hit their target, the distortions around Nutrisha swallowed the bullets.
"The firesalt bullets were absorbed?!"
Hannah followed the voice laced with disbelief. It was Mister Rupert. Around him were wanderers with all kinds of guns from the armory.
"Keep firing!"
No! What if you hit Mikey?!
Even if Hannah screamed, her voice would be drowned out by the gunfire.
Bullet casings littered the floor around the gunmen. They didn't stop shooting until their ammo was almost exhausted.
However.
"I mean no harm."
Unscathed, Nutrisha waved her hand. The absorbed barrage of firesalt bullets flew out of her distortions and struck the tunnel walls. Each bullet exploded upon impact, causing a mini-earthquake. Once the echoes died down, she spoke once more.
"Help the humans."
She gestured to the unconscious duo near her feet. After saying those words, Nutrisha fell silent, standing still.
"...what now?"
The UBSS wanderers looked at Nutrisha, completely tense. They noticed and recognized Jiminy and Mikey, but they kept their formation, guns aimed with tense fingers.
"Let me borrow this, Doc."
"Wait, hey! You can't just—!"
Hannah rushed out of the tent, potion in hand. Nutrisha noticed her and eyed her curiously.
"Hannah! What are you doing?! Stand back!" Rupert shouted at her. It was still unclear whether or not the entity was hostile. In the Backrooms, chances were they weren't friendly. Shooting at it didn't help those chances either.
Hannah felt like her heart would explode as she ran toward Nutrisha, and this feeling was even greater when she noticed Nutrisha glance at her.
All it would take is a wave of Nutrisha's hand for Hannah to drown in the distortions...
"Good. Come."
But Hannah reached Jiminy and Mikey unscathed. Immediately, she uncorked the potion and doused Mikey's thigh. The latter's face scrunched up but ultimately didn't wake.
The resulting steam made it hard to see. At the very least, it meant that the potion was effective.
The flesh healed quickly. Hannah saw something inside the wound that was quickly rising to the surface.
It was a bullet.
"Did you... do this?"
Hannah couldn't help asking the entity. She glared at Nutrisha after checking the men's conditions.
"I saved them. From other humans. You are welcome."
"..."
Hannah was doubtful, and for good reason. Rupert said it himself. None of the gods of the Backrooms are truly good.
Hannah peeled her eyes away from Nutrisha. Other things take priority. We have to make sure that Mikey and Jiminy are alright before anything else.
She turned her head in Rupert's direction. The wanderers had yet to move from their position.
"Guys! Help me get them to the medical tent! Mikey's been shot!"
None stepped forward.
"Come on!"
They looked towards Rupert. The elderly man pondered for a few moments.
"Go," he ordered.
Albeit guarded, a few wanderers hesitantly walked over while the rest lowered their weapons. They kept their guns close, just in case.
Jiminy and Mikey were placed on stretchers before being moved to the medical tent. Hannah followed them back inside and was met with a very pissed-off doctor who snatched the empty potion off her hand.
Nutrisha watched the events unfold with interest. She usually kept to herself in Level -1, a Level that never lets humans congregate. Seeing a group of them interact was always a fresh experience, and for the first time, she was interacting with them directly.
Near her, Rupert stared at Nutrisha with a complicated gaze. Being perceptive, she noticed it straight away.
"You are human leader? Give orders. Their king."
Rupert stepped forward, his posture ramrod straight despite his age. "Not a king, but a principal. My name is Rupert, and I represent the United Backrooms School System, also known as the UBSS."
He showed little fear towards the entity before him. From what he observed, she was one of the more reasonable ones around. His evidence? The fact that no one was dead after their insolence.
That didn't mean he could afford forgoing a respectful demeanor.
Rupert placed a hand on his chest and bowed. "Forgive me for being blunt," he said with his gaze low, "but can you tell me the name you go by?"
"Oh my gosh! The Mother of Shadows!" Nick suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Rupert.
Nutrisha looked at the teacher with interest.
"...The Mother of Shadows? What are you talking about about, Nick?" Rupert frowned but focused on the fact that Nick seemed to know who the entity was.
Seeing the elderly principal's confusion, Rupert excitedly explained. "If I am right, the entity before us is the rumored Mother of Shadows, the ruler of Level -1!"
"Yes. I live in Level -1. I am Nutrisha."
"Wow! I didn't think you existed! This is incredible news!" Nick proceeded to pull out a notepad out of nowhere. "How do you spell Nutrisha? Also, can you answer a few of my questions? Are you the cause of the separation effect in Level -1, or is it..."
"Not me. Level -1 is only home."
Rupert stared in shock as the two began to chat. Aside from Nutrisha's limited vocabulary, they might as well have been talking like old friends.
And there was another thing.
Level -1. Once again, it rears its head. This is no coincidence.
Rupert's mind raced with multiple thoughts. Conspiracies, hidden agendas...
This is all because of him. It must be.
One thing was sure.
Thomas has to be connected. A cause, a symptom, or an effect. One way or another, his presence was likely bad news.
What is the true face you hide? Are you really that entity from the poster...?
Rupert cleared his throat, patting Nick's shoulder. "Ehem. I have questions of my own."
"Sorry, principal. I got carried away." Nick scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry principal."
Even Nutrisha apologized, much to their surprise.
Rupert waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need to apologize. I would like to thank you for bringing back two of our members."
"You are welcome."
He continued. "If you don't mind me asking..." A frightening light gleamed inside Rupert's eyes. "...can you tell us what happened to our fellow humans?"
Nutrisha nodded. She reached out with her hand. The wanderers tensed up while Rupert closed his eyes. Her pitch-black finger entered Rupert's forehead, and images of the past started rushing in.
They're desperate... In a few seconds, Rupert pieced together the bigger picture. For now, he kept his thoughts to himself.
"And what do you want us to do, Nutrisha?" he confidently asked. The number of entities that have helped humans without asking for anything in return can be counted on one hand. It was unlikely Nutrisha was one of them.
But before she could respond, a familiar voice cut in.
"She wants you to help her find a special human."
Everyone looked towards the voice and froze.
"Keymaster!"
"It's the Keymaster!"
The wanderers exclaimed in surprise. The ruler of the Hub had appeared out of nowhere and casually joined the conversation.
While looking at Nutrisha, the Keymaster clicked his tongue. "I told you already that I'll handle things from my side of the Backrooms. I've already given the humans in this Level and other Levels wanted posters."
"Posters?"
"These things."
The Keymaster produced a wanted poster from thin air.
Curious, Nutrisha studied it.
"Smart Keymaster."
"I know. Anyway, I'm here for something else." The Keymaster smirked before scrunching the wanted poster into a ball. When Nutrisha tilted her head in confusion, he said, "I found who you're looking for. We won't need this anymore." Dismissively, he threw the wanted poster behind him.
...what? Has the entity been found? Already? Rupert couldn't believe it. Just several hours ago, the Keymaster asked for his help, but it has been resolved so quickly. This means that Thomas is innocent?
His face showed his incredulity. Neither of the entities were mindreaders, however.
Meanwhile, the distortions around Nutrisha brimmed with excitement.
"Really? Really? Really?"
"Yeah. I saw him myself, menacing armor and all that. I even confirmed the presence of mana. He's definitely a special human."
"Let's go now."
"Alright, alright. But first..."
Instead of leaving immediately, the Keymaster turned to Rupert. He spoke with a sly grin plastered on his face.
"You should know this already, but you made quite the ruckus earlier."
Rupert couldn't look the Keymaster in the eye. Staring at those blood-red sclerae always unnerved him. It was almost like the Keymaster was on the verge of crying out blood at any moment.
It was just another reminder that the person, the entity before him, was no mere man.
"...yes."
"Someone might have noticed."
"...I hope not."
With an amused expression, the Keymaster repeatedly patted Rupert's shoulder. "Good luck, hehe..." Once he finished amusing himself, he said, "Nutrisha, follow along now."
"Okay."
In the next moment, the Keymaster no-clipped away.
"Good luck, principal."
Nutrisha mirrored the Keymaster's words.
She disappeared within her distortions, following after the Keymaster.
The tunnel regained its usual yellow light, leaving a stunned silence as the wanderers stared at the spot where the entities withdrew from.
"..."
Rupert's mind was now a mess.
.
.
.
Instead of feeling relief after surviving an encounter with two powerful entities, Rupert's expression became grim.
I was hasty. In more ways than one, I was hasty. Such a bad habit.
Multiple bullet casings littered the ground near his feet.
"How much ammo do we have left?" Rupert asked the UBSS wanderers holding guns.
"Enough for... 60 rounds."
I was far too hasty.
"Three of you, go to the train station and see if you can trade for more bullets. Be discreet. The rest will instruct all members of the camp to make sure no one outside can look in."
""Yes, sir!""
Seeing the wanderers follow his orders, Rupert went to the medical tent. Inside, he found Jiminy and Mikey sleeping on beds beside each other and Hannah sitting by Thomas's bedside.
He flashed Thomas a gaze full of suspicion before suppressing it. Not now, he thought.
Rupert spoke. "Hannah, I'll need you to find and return with the rest of Michael's class. From what I gathered, they should be in Level 39."
"Can't someone else do it? I have to stay and recuperate. Doctor's orders." She said, pointing at her bandaged arm. It hurt like a bitch and it made moving her limb torture, not like she would ever admit it. Hannah also didn't want to leave Thomas alone.
"Sorry, but everyone else is busy right now."
"Hmm..." Hannah thought it over. "Did they use a Level Key or go there normally?"
"They used a Level Key," he said.
"I'm sure they can wait. At the very least, I'll wait for Thomas to wake up before going."
Rupert thought it over, then nodded. "Alright. But make sure to bring him with you."
"With me? Why?"
"You're still recovering. Let someone else carry your things for a change. Especially since you will bring extra supplies for Michael's students."
"..." Hannah nodded in the end. The more she thought about it, the more she found the idea agreeable.
He must have been bored studying all the time. I know I would have felt that way, so I'm not surprised he decided to explore outside the camp to cool off. By bringing Thomas along, I can at least keep an eye on him AND get a lucky streak.
"Level 39 isn't dangerous, but you should still be careful."
Rupert glanced over at Jiminy and Mikey. Hannah followed his gaze, quickly realizing his implication.
"Come on, Mister Rupert. I came back after years in the Negative Levels. This will be a walk in the park compared to that."
Rupert gave her a knowing smile, but his eyes were still solemn. "Just don't take five years to come back. I don't think I can wait that long."
Before Hannah could reply, Mikey suddenly stirred, blinking awake. He slowly sat up, his eyes scanning the room in confusion. Then, as his gaze settled on Rupert and Hannah, they gawked at the unexpected sight.
"Well, would you look at that?" Rupert said with a smirk, patting Hannah on the shoulder. "Have your rest. Someone else just became available."
.
.
.
.
.
Unbeknownst to the UBSS camp, someone was watching, drawn in by the ruckus. They whispered to the walkie-talkie in their person. Soon, a reply returned.
"Keep an eye on them. If what you say is true, and the Keymaster isn't there..." The voice on the other side sounded gleeful. "Continue surveillance. We must get as many Level Keys as we can."
"Understood."
The line cut off. The observer remained quietly watching, waiting.
.
.
.
.
.
"Nutrisha... I have a question that's been brewing since you asked me for my help."
The Keymaster continuously no-clipped through multiple Levels with Nutrisha following just beside him.
"What."
"You see, I can't, for my life, figure out why you're looking for this special human."
"..."
"You have me, don't you? So it can't be because of mana."
"..."
"What's so special about him, huh? Tell me."
"..."
Nutrisha kept her silence. However, the Keymaster didn't feel upset. Whatever she was hiding, he could take it for himself.
Pfft, as if. She'll kill me if I do.
"If you don't want to answer, that's fine."
But I can take a sizeable chunk of the pie.
The Keymaster decided on a wait-and-see approach.
The Hub.
Level 8.
Level 21.
Level 84.
Level 159.
Level ####.
Level ######.
Level #########.
Level ############.
They traversed the Backrooms, entering Levels that no human had ever set foot in. They were beyond human reach, filled with entities and worlds that would boggle the mind of anyone who entered one, much less traversed multiple.
"You are sure?"
"Yes, I am almost certain this person is who you're looking for."
After arriving at a specific Level, the Keymaster stopped no-clipping and began walking at a casual pace. Nutrisha walked beside him, keeping her distortions under control.
Three fingers. The Keymaster raised three fingers and then spoke.
"First things first, his armor was super menacing."
"Okay."
"Secondly, he has mana."
"Okay."
"And thirdly, I saw him teleport. He doesn't need to abide by the Level paths as strictly as those defective humans."
"Okay. But."
"But?"
"I will check."
"Check for what, exactly?"
"..."
"Alright then, keep your secrets."
They continued walking through the vast corridors made of sleek, dark stone. Glowing vines drooped down the walls from the ceiling, faintly illuminating the way forward.
Then, they both paused in their tracks.
A dead entity leaned against the wall, covered in its green lifeblood. The entity wore armor riddled with stabs. What made it clear that it was dead was the fact that its head was a few feet away from the body.
Nutrisha looked at the Keymaster. It was full of uncertainty.
"That," he pointed at the body, "means we're getting close to him. Let's keep going."
"..."
The Keymaster walked past the body. A few steps behind, so too did Nutrisha.
It was the start of a grisly sight.
After turning a corner, more bodies from various entities entered their eyes. Humane, mythical, or straight-up Eldritch in appearance. The eerie glow of the vines cast unsettling shadows against the carnage. They died in a variety of horrific ways.
Bisected. Half eaten. Burned. Missing limbs. Deep lacerations. Crushed to a pulp. Buried in the wall. Their weapons didn't remain unharmed, as most were broken or embedded in their owners.
"Keymaster."
"Yes?"
"(You) Might be wrong. We go back."
Nutrisha expressed her concerns. The special human that she met... could he have really done this?
"Wrong? I don't think so." The Keymaster shook his head. "He must be confused after being thrust into this inescapable prison. I was like that too once, albeit less murderous."
"Yes. But this (is) different."
"Oh, come on! At least meet him! I used a substantial few hours of my precious time to look for him. You owe me that much."
The Keymaster materialized one of his keys. He stabbed it into the air and twisted. A click resounded in the corridor.
As if an invisible floodgate had opened, a pillar of highly pressurized water emerged from the tip of the key. The water completely flooded the corridor, washing away the blood, guts, and bodies.
"There. Now, it can't bother you."
"..."
Albeit reluctant, Nutrisha kept following the Keymaster.
The bodies continued to pile up. They told a story—a war was waged here. These corridors were a battlefield for a monumental conflict.
"More like a massacre," the Keymaster mused. "Did he do all this on his own? I'm surprised. Even I would struggle with this many ants to trample."
"No. Army."
"A battle between two armies, you say?" The Keymaster scratched his chin in wonder. "I doubt it. We've only encountered the remnants of one faction, not two."
"A feeling," Nutrisha said mysteriously.
Hearing her words, he shrugged. "If you insist."
Finally, after walking through the corridors for who knows how long, they arrived before an exit to the outside world. They stumbled upon an open area with mountainous terrain and a sky covered by dark clouds.
The ground was made of nothing but ebony stone and boulders. But there was no way to see that, not when a mountain of bodies painted the terrain with a mixture of blood, guts, and limbs.
"There he is."
They saw a figure on the horizon. He was sitting on the edge of a cliff, facing away from them, resting above the mountain of bodies below his feet. True to the Keymaster's words, the man wore menacing black armor. His long dark hair went past his shoulders, blowing with the chilly wind.
Apart from the lack of a helmet, the man's armor was similar to the one in the poster.
Upon seeing the man, Nutrisha's feet refused to move another step forward. This didn't go unnoticed.
What now? The Keymaster rolled his eyes.
"Nutrisha, come on. He is right there! Is this really the moment you choose to get cold feet?!"
She didn't meet his eyes. She was focused on the man on the horizon. "You are wrong." The distortions around her spread erratically, embracing the Keymaster. "That is no human."
"...What?"
Nutrisha didn't explain. "We leave now."
Just as Nutrisha finished speaking, the man moved. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes gravitating towards them.
The distortions engulfed them even faster, prepared to take them away.
But at the last second, a gauntlet pierced through the distortions and grabbed Nutrisha by her head.
"!"
Nutrisha's distortions faded like smoke in the wind. The grip on her head was ironclad, unyielding, and overwhelmingly powerful.
Time seemed to stand still.
With a casual tone, the man broke the silence. "Who is your master?"
The Keymaster was shocked. How unbelievably quick! A key materialized in his hand as he stabbed it towards the man's face.
The man evaded the strike with a mere tilt of his head. Again, he remarked off-handedly as if the attack was a trivial thing.
"I said, who is your master?"
The Keymaster didn't answer with words. Instead, he twisted his wrist to turn the key while grabbing Nutrisha's arm.
A resounding click echoed throughout the mountains.
In the next moment, a powerful repulsive force erupted from the key.
The shockwave rattled the air. Rocks shot out like bullets, boulders were shredded, and the land toward which the key was pointed was leveled.
The man's long hair was blown back, but that was all. The earth beneath his feet shifted, yet he remained steadfast as he held onto Nutrisha's head. He didn't seem fazed in the least.
"Back off already!"
The Keymaster no-clipped Nutrisha out of reality for a split second.
"What?" the man muttered in astonishment when his hand phased through Nutrisha. His surprise was short-lived as the Keymaster twisted another key at his face.
But this time, the key was overloaded with mana.
Another repulsive force exploded from the tip, and the key shattered.
The attack was indiscriminately destructive. There was no sense of direction, and therefore, it went in all directions.
Chaos ensued. A rapidly expanding void was brought into the world.
The initial shockwave instantly struck both parties, and they shot across the land in opposite directions.
The man slammed into a faraway mountainside, his momentum unchanged as he crashed into another.
The same was about to happen to the duo.
"Hold on...!"
The Keymaster no-clipped himself and Nutrisha to a neighboring Level moments before flesh met solid stone.
The mountainous terrain transformed into a vast, infinite library.
"Keymaster!"
Nutrisha embraced the Keymaster as her distortions shielded them. Despite no-clipping to another Level, their rapid-fast momentum remained unchanged.
*Crash!*
Instead of sturdy rocks, they collided with innumerable bookshelves. Nutrisha took on the brunt of the impact as they kept punching holes through the many shelves in their path.
*Crash* *Crash* *Crash* *Crash* *Crash* *Crash* *Crash* *Crash*
The collisions slowed them to a stop... eventually.
"I didn't come prepared for this," coughed the Keymaster while clutching his side. His hand emitted a warm light, healing his injuries. "Nutrisha, are you alright?"
"Fine."
Such was the incomprehensible nature of the entity known as Nutrisha. If it were anyone else, the trail of shattered wooden furniture and fallen books would be enough to kill them a hundred times over.
The smell of sandalwood permeated like invisible viscous smog—overwhelming yet still soothing.
"Good. That's good. That's great, even! Holy shit!" The Keymaster sighed in relief. Then, he cried out. "What the fuck was that?!"
The man they encountered was an anomaly. Although he looked and talked like a person, that was where the similarities ended.
"How did he even touch you?! I thought he was only a special human and a newly no-clipped one at that?!"
"Not him, I said. Different, I said."
"But...!"
"Not him."
"Okay, fine! I admit, I wasn't exactly listening to you."
It wasn't uncommon to find powerful human-like entities in the Backrooms. There were several of them. But that man... he was strong. The Keymaster didn't recognize him.
Someone, however, did.
"You've met before."
"..."
"I saw the way you looked at him. You have no face, but I've known you long enough to write a book about your little twitches. You know him."
"..."
"You have so many things you keep to yourself, Nutrisha. So many things..."
The Keymaster massaged his forehead as he materialized a key. He stabbed it into the ground, creating a door that led to the Negative Hub. "First things first, we need to get out of here. We can have a lovely little chat afterwards."
Albeit hesitant, she nodded her head. "Okay. I will talk about the foreigners."
Foreigners?Not wanderers? The Keymaster took note of her wording. Foreigners. It made him all the more curious.
"No. We can have a chat now."
It wasn't the Keymaster who replied. The calm, cold voice came from behind him.
Before the Keymaster could turn around, a vicious kick to his side sent him hurtling through more bookshelves.
"Keymaster!"
Nutrisha tensed up at the surprise attack.
"You. Don't leave. Not yet."
The man had followed them, appearing like a vengeful ghost. He seemed relatively unharmed, his armor devoid of chips or scratches.
He kept his eyes focused on Nutrisha. The latter entered a state of high alertness. "You don't have the same presence as them. You don't even have mana, which means... you are a native of this realm."
Instead of answering, the distortions around Nutrisha grew in size and intensity. The entire space around her turned pitch-black.
"Don't be hasty. Are you sure you don't want to answer me?"
The man raised his hand, and in an instant, the unconscious Keymaster's limp body hurtled toward him at breakneck speed. Before Nutrisha could react, the Keymaster was being held up by the neck, now a hostage.
"I don't want to kill anyone unless I have to," said the man, his tone becoming increasingly heavy. "Tell me, are you a denizen of this place? And If you are... do you or this man serve a king?"
Nutrisha replied gravely. "We have no king. Let go (of) Keymaster."
The man scrutinized Nutrisha, then the Keymaster. The weight of his attention alone was suffocating.
"...Good." He dropped the Keymaster to the ground. Nutrisha immediately used her distortions to warp the Keymaster back to her side, an action the man watched with keen interest.
"Not too hurt." She concluded after briefly examining him.
Then, she pushed him into the door that led to the Negative Hub.
The man showed no signs of stopping her, but his presence remained a constant weight in her mind.
"I mean no harm to bystanders. I was simply being cautious. It's my first time meeting a denizen as irregular as you."
Nutrisha's head twitched.
"First time? Impossible. We have met. Did you forget?"
The man seemed taken aback by her response.
Confused, the man's lips parted to say more, but the distortions around Nutrisha thickened. The door to the Negative Hub that the Keymaster conjured stirred. Distortions spewed forth from it like a fountain of dark ink.
The Infinite Library Level began losing color, shifting into shades of black and white. It was as if the features of the Negative Hub were spreading to this new Level.
"I don't even know who you are..." As soon as he said that, the man's eyes flashed with realization.
After giving thought to the matter, the man said, "Whatever memory of me that you have... I'm telling you now. I am a different man."
"Your war continues," Nutrisha said gravely.
"...so you know about that. Unfortunately, circumstances do not change easily."
The man stood still with confidence, his demeanor calm and collected despite the distortions that had spread throughout the infinite library, surrounding him from all sides.
It shouldn't be possible to see Nutrisha through the chaotic space. Yet he could see. His gaze pierced through the mayhem.
"You and my predecessor weren't friends. Your animosity is real." His piercing gaze sharpened even further. "Our past doesn't concern me, but... this will make for a good exercise."
The man's shadow stretched outwards. It clashed with the pitch-black distortions in a bid for dominance.
The Level shook, on the verge of collapse.
In a place no man has ever wandered, two types of darkness ravaged the infinite library.
.
(Author: Next one will be with Thomas. You must miss him by now with all the screen time I've given everyone else.)