Chapter 19 : Fifth Floor

Upon stepping through the door, I was met with a pitch-black room ahead of me. It reminded me somewhat of that same space—the empty black room that first pulled me into this bizarre world. But there was something different… this room no longer dragged me in by force, as if it was now offering me a choice. Yet that very sense of control made my skin crawl.

This wasn't just dim. This was pure darkness—absolute and ink-black, with no gradients. The only source of light came from the door behind us, still slightly ajar, but even that light couldn't penetrate this darkness. It was as if the light itself was devoured whole by the void before us. The air inside was different too—cold, windless, and lifeless. A faint scent of dampness and metal filled my nose—the smell of a space sealed away for decades.

Was this black room the way out of this illogical world? Or was it just the gateway to the next nightmare? No one knew. The only way to find out… was to enter and see for ourselves.

One by one, we stepped inside. But the moment the last foot crossed the threshold, the door behind us slammed shut with a deafening bang. The sound echoed deeply, vibrating in my chest like a sledgehammer smashing into reality. And then—

Boom.

I lost everything. Not just the light—but all my senses. Sight, sound, touch, even the feeling of others around me. The world around me was wiped clean, like a blank sheet freshly pulled from the void.

I was no longer part of a group. I was completely alone.

I tried stepping back, reaching out in every direction, even shouting their names at the top of my lungs—but there was no response. No echo. No sound bouncing back. It was as if my voice itself was swallowed by a mute and hungry emptiness.

Worry set in. But I didn't even know what to worry about. Were they still here with me? Or had we been separated? Did this room shatter the reality that connected us to one another?

I tried to stay rational. I turned on my flashlight, pressing the button several times. Nothing happened. I tried lighting a match, striking it over and over, but no flame emerged. It was as if this room was a prison of pure darkness—one that rejected the very existence of light.

No tools worked, and the only proof I had that I was still alive was the cold clinging to my skin and the faint feeling of ground beneath my feet.

I stepped forward, uncertain if I was going the right way. But worse than being lost… was standing still. At least as long as I was moving, I knew I still existed.

But then the question came:

Would I ever find a way out of here?

Slap!

I slapped my own cheek. I couldn't hear the sound, but the sting brought clarity. Pessimism was the greatest enemy in a void like this. If I wanted to get out, I had to believe there was a way. Belief wasn't just spiritual strength—in a place like this, it was the only thing guiding my steps.

So I kept walking, not knowing where I was going. Left, right, straight—no walls, no edges. This room had no end. It was like walking through nothingness. Even my footsteps made no sound. No echoes. No clicks from my shoes.

Then slowly, something changed.

I began to feel… watched. Like something invisible was following me, stalking me, circling me. I tried to ignore it—told myself it was just imagination. It's a natural reaction—in total darkness, the human brain creates its own enemies. Just like the fear you feel walking to the bathroom late at night. No matter how rational you are, fear rises from within.

But the feeling didn't fade. It only grew stronger.

I started to feel touched—on my back, on my neck, on my sides. I tried to remain calm. This isn't real. It's just fear inside my head, I told myself. My mind trying to survive a space humans were never meant to understand.

But then…

I felt something awaken inside me. Like something gnawing from within. A coldness that didn't come from temperature, but from the depths of consciousness. Was this the effect of the room? Or a severe psychological breakdown?

I didn't know. But I knew one thing—

If I didn't get out of here soon, I would lose my sanity.

I had no idea how long I'd been walking. There was no fatigue, no hunger or thirst. Was the room killing off basic human needs? Or had my sense of time and biology been temporarily shut down?

Suddenly, a speck of light appeared far in the distance. So tiny, so faint… like the first star in a night sky. I stopped. I stared.

Could it be an illusion?

Or a false hope created by a desperate mind craving escape?

I didn't care. It was the only real thing I'd seen since entering this place. And I had to chase it.

Without hesitation, I ran. My steps quick and steady, breaking through the void like a castaway finally spotting land after drifting across a black ocean.

The light grew closer, brighter—until I could finally make out its shape. A glowing circle, suspended in the air. Pure, white, and softly radiant like moonlight—yet somehow more alive.

I reached out my hand. When my fingers touched it, it felt like water—thin, cold, and passing through.

I held my breath. There was no other way forward. So I stepped into the light.

Blinding light filled my vision. I shut my eyes and shielded them with my hands. It felt like sinking into a warm sea of light—and for a moment, I felt at peace.

And when the light faded…

I opened my eyes.

And what I saw was… the outside world?

No. I was standing in a large, open parking lot that led outdoors. But the view ahead of me wasn't the world I knew.

The city I saw was a dead one. The streets were cracked and overgrown with weeds. Towering buildings stood decayed, their windows shattered, parts of their walls crumbling and covered in moss and graffiti. Streetlamps were bent, some broken. Rusted old vehicles lay abandoned at the roadside—some burned, some toppled. Silence blanketed everything.

The wind carried the scent of dust, rust, and ruin. There wasn't even a single bird.

A world… abandoned.

I hadn't returned to my world.

But perhaps… this was the next chapter of the nightmare.