After the scream - 900 million universes remaining

His entrance seemed to have been a rough one, as his left arm had broken upon impact. The man didn't even seem to notice that his arm hung limp by his side, rendered immobile by adrenaline and excitement.

It was only when he tried to retrieve an item from his massive backpack, the weight of which caused him to wobble backward, that he realized one of his arms wasn't responding.

He let out a cry of pain.

The injury seemed superficial to Jason, but the man likely wasn't used to experiencing any pain.

Yet, the excitement seemed to counterbalance the pain as he exclaimed:

"It's certainly a rough start to the exploration, but with some luck, I'll find others to help me!"

It was only then that he looked up to see Jason watching him with amusement. Arden had already continued on his way, beginning to delve into another corridor.

"You'd better start walking before you ask your questions," Jason advised the man, who was about to speak.

Arden would wait for no one, so it was easy to lose him in the maze of yellow corridors ahead.

They quickly caught up to Arden, who continued to move forward without caring about them or even hesitating at the intersections. With adrenaline partially dissipated, the man was now struggling to keep up with the two Unleashed.

Perhaps it was because he was trying to pull out an immense camera from his backpack. Once the camera was securely mounted on his shoulder, the man pulled out a small rectangular device that Jason didn't recognize.

The entire operation took him a good ten minutes using only his available arm, but now he seemed ready to face any dangers.

Arden and Jason had continued to walk in total silence. Perhaps they wanted to remain as quiet as possible to avoid awakening the monsters inhabiting the place. The man then asked in a whisper:

"How long have you been trapped in the Backrooms?"

The silence could have quickly turned awkward if Jason hadn't taken the trouble to answer.

"About thirty minutes. But why do you call this place 'Backrooms'?"

"You've never heard of the legend of the Backrooms?"

"You seem to know a lot about it, so enlighten us."

Jason almost regretted his curiosity when he saw the abrupt change in the man's expression.

He had spent enough time with Orion to understand the meaning.

'A chatterbox. At least we won't get bored on our journey.'

Jason's hypothesis turned out to be spot on, as the man now spoke in a passionate voice that he tried to keep as low as possible:

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"The legend says that if you ever slip through reality, there's a chance you'll find yourself in the Backrooms, where there's nothing but the smell of old, damp carpets. Madness will creep in as you see the same shades of yellow over and over, hear the incessant background noise of the ceiling lights. You'll be lost in an endless maze where every wrong step could cost you your life."

"And where does this legend come from?" Jason asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Someone managed to escape to tell the tale," the man announced with enthusiasm.

"And how did they escape if there's no exit?"

"Well… uh… maybe the exit closed after they got out."

The man scratched his head with his right hand, unsure of his explanation.

Jason then asked him a question to change the subject:

"How did you get into the Backrooms?"

"Well, I waited for several days with my equipment on my back to slip through reality. Now that I've made it, I just need to record enough footage to make a video revealing the full extent of the truth about the Backrooms."

"And how do you plan to publish your findings if you can't get out of here?"

"No need to be so pessimistic! I'm sure we'll find a solution! By the way, has he lost his tongue?" he asked, casting a furtive glance in Arden's direction.

He didn't seem surprised by Arden's attire, nor by the fact that he carried a katana on his back. He seemed more curious about why the man they were following hadn't said a single word since the beginning.

Arden didn't bother to respond, so Jason answered with a slight shrug:

"He's the type to express himself through actions rather than words."

They continued to walk for long minutes, which quickly turned into several tens of minutes. Around them were the same wallpaper, the same ceiling lights, and the same musty-smelling carpet.

Sweat began to bead on the man's forehead; he was probably not used to walking for such a long time.

Jason cast a furtive glance behind them.

'We should probably take a little break so she can catch up to us.'

They continued to walk at the same pace. Arden must have also sensed that something was following them, but like Jason, he was waiting for it to come to them.

After several minutes of walking, it continued to follow them. It would peek its head around each turn to observe them for brief moments. Jason had to admit that the man's instincts were sharp for a mortal since he turned around each time it tried to observe them, asking loudly:

"Is someone there?"

Even though he thought he had seen something several times, the man attributed the phenomenon to stress. Especially when he saw Jason and Arden continuing their journey peacefully, even after sharing his concerns with them.

He didn't know it, but they were perfectly aware that something was stalking them and that it was about to attack.