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This nightmare is the brain child of Spectre48, made for the 2025Charcon contest.
I… don't have many words to describe this one.
Special thanks to Mel-Raspberry for their INCREDIBLE oversight of the whole thing,
ReyDay, and
Praetor3005.
I find myself lying on the ground next to Spec in the middle of an expansive, misty field. I recognize this place— one of the first few levels… "Level 10." I take a deep breath, and continue staring at the sky.
"Are you awake yet, Spec?"
"No."
I sit up in the grass, slowly bringing myself to my feet. I reach down to offer Spec a hand, but he doesn't take it.
"Yknow, sometimes I wonder if any of this is really worth it."
I pause. This I did not expect— Spec did not strike me as one for… deep conversation.
"Why?"
Spec sighs, before rolling over onto his back and meeting my gaze.
"I feel like every time I try to help someone— try to find out more about this place, I just end up with more questions than I started with. That, and more injuries…"
I pause for a moment. This is a sentiment I've heard echoed in Team Hermes quite frequently— while I am not so good at these… human feelings, I think this may be something I've ended up becoming strangely familiar with.
"Even if we didn't find an answer today, we still found something, did we not? Even if it isn't a large discovery, we've witnessed connections within Level 400 that previously were unknown. That isn't nothing, Spec."
I can see the doubt on his face.
"Yeah, but what does that actually mean? I could tell you the names of everyone in my apartment building back in 11, but that doesn't help anyone traverse the Backrooms safer. Yeah, we found something, but it's not relevant. In other words, what a waste of a perfectly good Tuesday…"
"Just because you and I do not see the importance of a discovery does not mean those in the future won't find our data beneficial. The Ariane Circle has quite the lengthy catalog of information… I doubt all of it finds use. The point is that we've discovered it— so someone else doesn't have to risk their life to do so."
"I guess you have a point."
Spec sighs again as he stands up. He and I have a silent conversation— he thinks I'm naive. I think he's too pessimistic.
After a moment, he cracks his neck to the side, throwing his hands up.
"Ah, what the hell. If nothing else, at least it was fun to watch that prick get owned."
"See? Sometimes, it doesn't matter if you've achieved results— sometimes the best achievement is the story you can tell."
"Did you seriously just 'friends we made along the way' me?"
"I'm not quite sure what that means."
Spec just smirks at me as he walks off into the distance.
"Ask the partner you insist you don't have."
And just like that, he's gone.
The day's events have been chaotic, but these experiences have helped me realize something I otherwise would not have.
I… have some serious personal contemplations ahead of me.