ALL RIGHT.

LET’S CALM DOWN.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

NOW, I WILL ANALIZE THE SITUATION IN A RATIONAL MANNER.

FACT 1: I AM ALONE IN A WHITE ROOM.

FACT 2: THERE ARE NEITHER EXITS NOR PROVISIONS.

CONCLUSION: I AM GOING TO DIE.

…

LET’S NOT PANIC.

THAT IS MERELY A HASTY ASSUMPTION OF THE MOST LIKELY CONSEQUENCE.

LET’S THINK ABOUT THE CAUSE FIRST.

HOW DID I ARRIVE HERE?

THERE ARE NO DOORS.

THERE AREN’T WINDOWS EITHER.

MAYBE THE WALLS WERE BUILT AROUND ME.

“That’s actually not true, you know?”

WHERE DOES THIS VOICE COME FROM?

THERE WASN’T ANYONE IN THE ROOM.

I LOOK AROUND.

THERE IS SOMEONE HERE.

HE IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

HE IS SITING IN A CHAIR, IN FRONT OF A TABLE.

THE CHAIR AND THE TABLE WEREN’T HERE, EITHER.

HOW STRANGE.

HE LOOKS UP FROM HIS CONSOLE AND TAKES A LOLLIPOP FROM HIS MOUTH.

“Well, hello.”

HE SMILES.

I DO NOT KNOW WHO HE IS.

NOR WHAT.

“It’s impolite to refer to other people as things, don’t you think?”

NOR DO I CARE.

“How rude.”

I DO NOT CARE.

THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS BOTHERING ME.

“I’m reading your mind.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

HE’S READING MY MIND.

“You should probably stop that.”

I SHOULD PROBABLY STOP THAT.

…

I WON’T.

I DO NOT CARE.

IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHAT DOES “THAT” EVEN MEAN?

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

“Well, calm down. You must be confused, right? You have tons of questions, no? Fire away! It’s our job to answer and guide you.”

THAT IS A GOOD PROPOSITION.

WHO AM I?

“Very sorry, but can’t answer that.”

WHERE IS THIS PLACE?

“I’m not authorized to reveal that information.”

WHY AM I HERE?

“If you want to know, you should search inside yourself.”

HOW DID I ARRIVE HERE?

“As if I’d tell you that. Iiidiot.”

WHY AREN’T YOU ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS?

“You’re not asking the correct ones.”

WHO ARE YOU?

HE PUTS THE LOLLIPOP INTO HIS MOUTH AND SMILES.

HE SHUTS ONE EYE, AND LEANS HIS HEAD BACKWARDS.

“It’s-a-se-cret <3.”

…

…

…

HE IS STILL SMILING.

ALL RIGHT.

LET’S KILL HIM.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! I’m a pacifist! I dislike and oppose violence in all of its forms. Stop it, those dangerous thoughts.”

SO FAR I HAVE GAINED NOTHING FROM THIS CONVERSATION.

IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO JUST IGNORE THIS PERSON ALTOGETHER.

“What are you calling a conversation, idiot. I’m reading your mind.”

OH.

THAT IS RIGHT.

WE HAVE NOT CONVERSED.

I AM MERELY HEARING VOICES.

…

ALL RIGHT.

LET’S IGNORE HIM.

“Ahaha. That’s a little lonely.”

I LOOK AROUND AGAIN.

I AM STILL IN THE SAME ROOM.

HOW DO I GET OUT OF HERE?

“Oooh! At least you ask something that I can answer. Why didn’t you begin with that?”

SHOULD I LISTEN TO THE VOICES I AM HEARING?

PROS: IT MIGHT GIVE ME IMPORTANT INFROMATION.

CONS: IT’S ANNOYING.

…

…

…

IT’S A TOUGH DECISION.

“I already thought so, but you’re very rude, aren’t you?”

I DO NOT CARE.

I HAVE REACHED A CONCLUSION.

NOT MATTER WHAT I DO, THE VOICE IS GOING TO SOUND ANYWAY.

THERE IS NO POINT IN QUESTIONING WHETHER I SHOULD LISTEN OR NOT.

I WILL HAVE TO LISTEN NO MATTER WHAT I DO.

“Hey, could you please stop referring to me like some sort of weird hallucination? I have a name, you know?

WHAT IS THAT NAME?

“Why should I tell you?”

…

…

…

FIRE.

LET’S KILL HIM WITH FIRE.

WAIT.

A WRECKING BALL MIGHT BE GOOD TOO.

A WARHAMMER.

OR A MORNING STAR. IT SEEMS INTERESTING.

MISSILE, ROPE, SHOTGUN, POISON, SCISSORS.

…

TEACUP.

“You’re too cheerful to be thinking of killing weapons. Anyway, weren’t you interested in knowing how you could leave? It’s very easy, actually. You just need to pass all the rooms, and you’re free to go.”

I NEED TO PASS ALL THE ROOMS.

…

WHAT ROOMS?

WE CAN’T LEAVE THESE ONE.

THERE AREN’T EXITS.

AND WE CAN’T BREAK THE WALLS.

THERE AREN’T WARHAMMERS.

NOR MORNING STARS.

“Well, of course there aren’t. There wouldn’t be a point if there were. You’d be able to leave, then.”

…

THAT IS THE POINT.

“No, no. It isn’t. You need to get my approval before you can go to the next room. And you don’t have it yet.”

I NEED TO GET YOUR APPROVAL.

“Exactly.”

AND THEN I CAN LEAVE.

“Precisely so.”

…

THERE ARE NO EXITS IN THIS ROOM.

YOU CAN’T LEAVE EITHER.

“Can I now? Didn’t you see how I came?”

I DID NOT.

“Exactly. I was just suddenly here, in front of you. I didn’t use a normal door to arrive, so there shouldn’t be anything that makes you think that I need one to leave.”

…

…

…

“Dear me. It seems you don’t understand yet. Nothing to do, then. Experience is the best teacher. This is only the first room, the introduction to the trials of the rest, so you don’t actually need permission for this one. Just this one time, though. You will have to properly earn it from here on, okay? You just need to think about it. Concentrate. And then, leave the room. Go forward.”

…

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

BUT I DO.

IT IS NOT SOMETHING I CAN THINK ABOUT.

IT IS NOT SOMETHING I NEED TO THINK ABOUT.

I JUST NEED TO LEAVE.

HE SAID I NEEDED TO CROSS ALL THE ROOMS.

HE ALSO SAID THERE WERE TRIALS AHEAD.

I DO NOT NOW HOW MANY ROOMS THERE ARE.

BUT I DO NOT CARE.

I CONCENTRATE.

…

NOTHING HAPPENS.

I LOOK AT HIM.

HE SMILES.

HE BRINGS THE CANDY TO HIS MOUTH.

HE IS WATCHING ME.

I CONCENTRATE.

I CONCENTRATE.

I CONCENTRATE.

…

I STEP FORWARD, TO THE NEXT ROOM.