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-Lv3-
*Entering the Elevator.*
Ryan: Just press any button. It'll lead us to Level 4 anyway.
Sacium: Yeah, yeah, I know. But hey, what the hell's up with you today? Since when were you this strong?
Ryan: Huh? I feel the same as always.
Helen stood behind them, watching their banter with a quiet smile. She had liked Sacium for a long time—one whole year before they ended up in the Backrooms. She once believed herself to be steadfast, that her heart would never waver. Helen wanted a love like that, unwavering and eternal.
But now, as she looked at Sacium, something inside her twisted. A discomfort she couldn't name. She clicked her tongue unconsciously when he was near.
And yet, her heart still pounded in his presence.
Finally, after a long silence, the elevator doors slid open.
-Level 4-
As they walked, Ryan began to explain.
Ryan: This level is safe. It has the structure of an abandoned building, so we should rest here for now. Our main source of food will be this Almond Water—it provides a small amount of nutrients, enough energy to last for three days, and even heals injuries. Got it?
Ryan: If no one has any questions, you're free to rest.
A voice cut through the air, laced with irritation.
David: Hey! You never told us before—how the hell are you suddenly this strong?!
Bernie chimed in, clearly excited. She thought having superpowers was cool.
Bernie: Yeah, David's right! You need to explain this!
Ryan stood there, bewildered.
Ryan: Huh? I don't know either… Everything just feels slower, clearer. Like—I just know what to do next.
David: Then prove it. Let's run a test.
Bernie: Lift Sacium!
Ryan turned to his best friend.
Sacium: Why are you looking at me? Honestly, I think you could lift me with one hand.
Ryan grabbed Sacium by the collar and hoisted him into the air effortlessly. His own eyes widened in shock.
Ryan: Wait… This is just like in my dream!
The realization rippled through the group.
Then Rose spoke, her usual sultry tone laced with intrigue.
Rose: Ryan… I don't think you're the only one with power. Maybe we all have it, but we just haven't unlocked it yet.
Everyone fell silent. Their minds drifted back to the dreams they had seen, though the memories were still too hazy to grasp. Andrew, ever the anime protagonist in his own mind, grew excited. Aaron, ever the skeptic, wanted to argue—but how could he deny what he had just witnessed?
Ryan: If no one has anything else to say, let's get some rest.
Helen searched for a quiet room. She was lucky—she found one that resembled a hotel suite.
She lay down, thinking about Ryan's strength. But instead of reassurance, a deep unease settled in her chest.
What is the true origin of this power?
Sleep did not come easily. Her thoughts spiraled until, eventually, she drifted into dreams.
And in that dream, she saw it again.
The withered tree.
She reached out. The moment her fingers brushed its bark, warmth spread through her palm. The decay unraveled. Leaves unfurled, branches stretched—life returned.
Then—
BRRRRRRRR!
The darkness shattered.
A figure stepped forward.
Heavy footsteps. A ragged, grating breath, like metal scraping against metal.
Their body—covered in wounds. Flesh torn, blood seeping into the fabric of reality itself. Their face… twisted, warped beyond recognition.
Helen staggered back.
In their hands—
A chainsaw.
The blade growled, its teeth gnashing, breathing like a starved beast.
No words were spoken.
No warning was given.
And yet—somehow—Helen knew.
She couldn't explain how. She couldn't reason why.
But every nerve in her body screamed a name.
Sacium.
Sacium charged.
No hesitation. No mercy.
The chainsaw roared, slicing through the air. Helen couldn't move fast enough—
The blade buried itself into her shoulder.
Pain ruptured through her world.
She bolted upright, gasping. Her body trembled, drenched in cold sweat. The phantom ache in her shoulder lingered, as if the chainsaw had truly bitten into her flesh.
The door swung open.
Sacium: Helen! Are you okay?
Sacium. He rushed in, concern carved into his expression. "I heard you scream."
Helen opened her mouth to respond—
But then she froze.
Something felt wrong.
It wasn't him.
Sacium was the same as always. The same warmth, the same presence.
So why…?
Why did she feel this suffocating unease?
Helen's stomach churned.
She wanted to vomit.
Not because of Sacium—no.
Because of herself.
The feeling crept up from deep within her, something primal, something instinctual. It wasn't a thought. It wasn't a memory. It was simply—a feeling.
It made no sense.
She had done nothing wrong.
So why?
Why did she feel disgusted with herself?
A sickness welled up inside her, coiling around her ribs like vines of thorns. Every time she looked at Sacium, the sensation worsened.
Her heartbeat pounded against her skull.
Her breathing grew ragged.
She couldn't take it.
Helen stumbled to her feet and rushed to the bathroom.
The sound of retching echoed through the empty room.
Her stomach twisted. But it wasn't just physical.
It was something deeper.
Sacium knocked on the door. "Helen? Are you okay?"
She didn't answer. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to regulate her breathing. But the horror still clung to her like a shadow.
"Can I come in?"
"Get out," she whispered.
Sacium hesitated. "What?"
Helen: Get out!
She screamed, voice raw with panic.
Silence.
Then, slow footsteps retreating.
Helen pressed her forehead against the cool porcelain sink, trembling.
She didn't understand.
She couldn't understand.
But she knew one thing—
The more she looked at Sacium, the worse it got.
And that thought terrified her.
She stared at herself in the mirror. Her reflection stared back—pale, hollow-eyed, lost.
She felt exhausted.
Stepping out of the bathroom, she moved as if sleepwalking. But the moment she reached the bed—her legs gave out.
She collapsed.
Tears burned in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks as she curled up on the cold floor.
She didn't understand.
Why is this happening?
Why did everything feel like it was falling apart?
Footsteps approached.
Ryan stood in the doorway. His sharp eyes softened when they landed on her shivering form.
He didn't ask.
He didn't press.
He simply stepped forward, knelt beside her—
And pulled her into his arms.
Helen stiffened—
Then, slowly, melted into the embrace.
His warmth. His steady heartbeat.
The sickness—the revulsion—vanished.
For the first time that night, her breathing steadied.
Her thoughts quieted.
Ryan was their leader. He had a duty to protect them.
This was just… part of his role.
Right?
…Right?
Helen closed her eyes, letting herself rest against him.
Just for a moment.
Just until the fear faded.
She drifted into sleep in his arms.
Helen opened her eyes.
An unfamiliar ceiling. The air smelled old and musty. Her head felt heavy, but the nausea was gone.
How long had she been asleep?
When she stood up, the dizziness faded quickly, as if it had never existed. A part of her expected the unease to linger—the disgust, the confusion, the fear—but... there was nothing.
Everything felt normal.
The teacher called her to the center of the floor to prepare for the next departure.
Helen stepped forward quietly, her eyes drifting over the others.
And when she saw Sacium—
Her mind spun again, like the nightmare hadn't ended at all. The disgust still clung to her, but this time, it wasn't directed at Sacium.
It was directed at herself.
She couldn't explain it.
Every time her eyes met his, it felt like something inside her was breaking apart.
A pain with no shape or sound—just something deep, invisible, and raw.
She stood there, eyes lowered, trying to suppress the unease rising in her chest.
Everything was normal.
So why did she feel like something was wrong?
Helen didn't want to feel this way. She didn't want to confront the possibility that what she felt… was self-loathing.
It was vague. Slippery.
As if something unseen was pulling her down, something she couldn't grasp or name.
She hadn't done anything wrong.
So why wouldn't this feeling go away?
Every time she thought about it, her heart pounded harder, her breath quickened, and the confusion only deepened.
She slipped into the bathroom, her face pale with the return of nausea.
It came in waves, overwhelming and relentless.
And then—she vomited.
It felt like her soul was being wrung out.
A violent cleansing of something she didn't understand.
Why was this happening?
Why Sacium?
She didn't know.
After catching her breath, Helen stood, facing the mirror.
Her eyes were red, but no tears fell.
She looked exhausted—drained.
And yet… as she stared at her reflection, the feeling of disgust vanished.
It wasn't Sacium.
It wasn't the chaos in her mind.
It was just… gone.
She stepped outside.
And this time, everything didn't feel so heavy.
When she looked at Sacium again, there was nothing. No fear. No revulsion.
Just… nothing.
But there was something else.
A coldness. A distance.
Something unfamiliar.
Helen said nothing.
She simply walked past him.
But inside her, one question echoed endlessly:
"Why is it like this?"
This…
was terrifying.
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