Chapter 2 – The First Passage

  I opened the door.

  I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this…

  A narrow hallway stretched before me, with no end in sight. Its walls were made of aged, decaying wood, and the floor was a checkerboard pattern of black and white tiles. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of dust and dampness, making me cough. This place felt like it had been abandoned for decades.

  I turned around… nothing.

  A void. Absolute darkness.

  There was no way back.

  ---

  Level One – "The Decision"

  I kept walking, the sound of my footsteps echoing through the corridor. There was no other noise—only my breathing and the rhythmic tapping of my shoes against the cold tiles.

  As I moved forward, an eerie sensation crept over me. Something was watching me. I couldn’t see it, but I could feel it, lurking somewhere in the distant shadows.

  Then, I came to a crossroad.

  Two doors stood before me:

  The door on the right read: "Follow the unknown."

  The door on the left read: "Stay where you feel safe."

  My chest tightened. This wasn’t just a choice—it was a psychological test.

  Safety? In a place like this?

  Strangely, the left door felt… inviting. Like it knew me. Like something behind it was calling me, whispering that it was the right choice. But that only made me doubt it more.

  I hesitated, reaching out slowly…

  Then, I heard breathing behind me.

  I spun around—nothing.

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  The silence remained, but the feeling of something being there only grew stronger.

  I couldn’t stay here any longer.

  Without a second thought, I yanked the right door open.

  There was nothing.

  And then—I fell.

  ---

  Level Two – "Reflection"

  I hit the ground hard. The air was knocked out of my lungs, but strangely… I felt no pain.

  I pushed myself up, gasping, and looked around.

  A small, white, square-shaped room. No doors. No windows. Just endless white walls.

  Where was the door?

  I turned in every direction. Nothing. The walls were identical, seamless—no exits in sight.

  Then I noticed something off.

  I had no shadow.

  I looked down. Nothing. The room was brightly lit, yet I cast no shadow.

  A shiver ran down my spine. And then… a massive mirror materialized in front of me, as if it had always been there.

  I stepped closer, staring.

  My reflection looked back at me—but it wasn’t moving.

  Then, it spoke.

  ? "What are you looking for here, Christopher?"

  My breath hitched. I hadn’t said anything. Yet… my reflection was speaking.

  ? "Do you even know who you are?"

  A cold wave of unease washed over me. This wasn’t a reflection. It was something else.

  ? "You’re lying to yourself, Christopher. The door didn’t open for you by chance. You’re here because you no longer belong to the world you came from."

  The room began to shrink.

  The walls inched closer—slowly, but unmistakably.

  No. No, no, no! I couldn’t stay here!

  I scanned the room in desperation, and—there. A door. Behind the mirror.

  It hadn’t been there before.

  I lunged toward it, refusing to look back.

  ---

  Level Three – "Scarcity"

  I found myself in an empty store.

  It was massive, filled with aisles stretching endlessly in every direction. But the shelves? Bare.

  Then, a whisper slithered through the silence…

  ? "Choose wisely, for this is all you will take with you."

  I turned to the nearest shelf. There were only four items:

  1. A bottle of water.

  2. A lighter.

  3. An old, titleless book.

  4. A rusted key.

  Each seemed ordinary. Yet, somehow, I knew that this choice mattered.

  I hesitated.

  The water could be vital. The lighter could help in the dark. But… the key?

  It was simple. Unremarkable. And yet, something deep inside urged me toward it.

  I reached out, my fingers brushing against the cool metal—

  The lights cut out.

  And then, I heard footsteps. Rushing toward me.

  ---

  Level Four – "The Passage"

  I threw the door open and leapt through, slamming it shut behind me.

  Panting, I pressed my back against the wood, straining my ears.

  Silence.

  I exhaled shakily and turned.

  I was in an old train station.

  The fog was thick, curling around the dim streetlamps. Everything was eerily still.

  I stepped forward cautiously, searching for an exit.

  Then, suddenly—

  A neon sign buzzed to life above me:

  ? "Do you deserve to pass?"

  A strange weight settled in my chest. Pass where?

  I kept moving, scanning the station. Then, I saw it.

  A door.

  A wooden door, standing absurdly out of place, embedded in the station’s cold stone wall.

  And it wasn’t shut.

  It was slightly ajar—as if someone had just stepped through.

  For a moment, I hesitated. Every door had led me deeper into this mystery. Would this one be any different?

  Maybe if I stayed here, I’d find something new.

  I turned away from the door, wandering past the empty trains, through the thickening fog. A creeping unease crawled up my spine. Something wasn’t right.

  Then, I heard it.

  Fast. Rushing. Footsteps.

  I froze. My heart pounded as I spun around—

  And I saw myself.

  A perfect copy of me stood there, grinning.

  But it wasn’t a friendly smile.

  It was the kind of grin that sent ice through your veins.

  My knees nearly buckled. My vision blurred at the sheer horror of it.

  Then, my copy spoke, voice twisted, distorted—

  ? "Christopher, you’ve spent your life asking for meaning… but why have you never searched for it?"

  A shiver ripped down my spine. My breath hitched.

  This place wasn’t random.

  I wasn’t here by accident.

  The copy of me laughed—a deep, unsettling laugh that echoed through the empty station. The fog grew thicker.

  I bolted.

  I ran like hell toward the door, my heart hammering. My surroundings blurred—all I could see was the door.

  I reached it. Gripped the handle.

  And pulled.

  And what I saw defied all logic.

  --- (End of Chapter.)