“Yeah, I am underground,” I murmured, letting the drapes fall shut before redirecting my gaze to the miniature labyrinth of literature. I trudged back over to the chair and opted to start checking out the books. Primarily to see if this world had anything relating to the English language.

Surprisingly, the majority of books were actually written in languages native to Earth. I could recognize a few fairly easily. I wasn’t fluent in them but knew just enough to identify their tongue.

“Huh?” I raised my eyebrows, noticing something out of the corner of my eye as I flipped through a book. Did my fingers just... spark? It was quick, but I’m fairly certain they just lit up blue for a brief moment. As if they were a flint striker or something.

Intrigued, I slipped off one of my gloves to a sight that sketched a smile on my face. I was always bothered by how masculine my hands looked. I used to hide them every chance I got when I was younger.

I snapped my fingers a few times, a tiny blue spark igniting for about a second. It wasn’t long, but it should be just enough to start a fire. If this world, dimension, realm, or whatever isn’t that advanced technologically, I’ll still be able to get by when it comes to warmth.

“Maybe this won’t be as hellish as I feared.” I smiled to myself, getting back to my hunt for useful books.

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I must’ve gone over every book at least twice, but nothing remotely useful jumped out at me. At best, some psychology books. Everything else? Either not in English, or a topic far detached from what I needed.

Cutting my losses, I grabbed the candle, slipped my glove back on and nudged open the door, a loud creak breaking the silence in two. At least English is a language in some capacity here.

I stepped out into the darkness infested hallway, the candle dimly warding off the dark’s embrace. Shadows hung at the light’s edge, treading just beyond, waiting for the candle’s final breath.

“H-how?” My mouth fell open slightly, ice shooting straight through my veins. Why is that here?

A pristine white door adorned with an M and a K in gold lettering stood across the hall. That’s... how the rooms were set up in my old house.

Slowly turning around, I peered into the darkness of the room I exited, my lip trembling, “c-coincidence?”

If their room is here, then that means the room I woke up in would have to be Dad’s study. I can’t say for certain, seeing as he never let me inside. From what I can gather about him, copious amounts of books seem to be the fundamental detail for whatever room he works in.

But that’s impossible. My house shouldn’t, no, it can’t exist. It was demolished, and the land it was built on was sold shortly after. And yet I’m somehow inside the damn thing? I saw it fall personally! I can guarantee I wasn’t lied to about that! How am I somewhere that doesn’t exist?!

“Deep breaths,” I told myself, the thrashing of my heart filling my ears as my mind went haywire with the sheer disbelief smothering my thoughts.

Clutching my temples, I slowly sank to the floor and set the candle aside. “Just think... think, it h-has to make sense somehow.” I attempted to soothe myself, my eyes falling shut as I plugged my ears with my fingers. “There’s a p-perfectly valid explanation.”

Every second that passes is making this worse by leaps and bounds. That place under the school did a good enough job freaking me out. I wasn’t hungry for more.

In silence, I sat there taking deep breath after deep breath as I began piecing together my thoughts, desperate to make sense of this. A dream is out, and my mind is still telling me this building was leveled. But that crosses out basically everything? How am I here if none of those things are true? Even if I'm back home on Earth, me being here is still impossible.

Wait, I didn't time trave-no don't be dumb. You would've heard someone by now. There's never a time where someone isn't awake at home.

I didn’t get much further in solving this conundrum. Instead, I sat there, swimming through the black of my mind, a symbol appearing that seemed to part the dark.

The symbol was one I was all-too-familiar with. A constellation, specifically, Orion.

A faint cosmic blue glow and a set of text accompanied it.

Sanctum - To rest among the stars, drifting within the cradle of black, staring into its twinkling eyes.

Orion formed for only a brief second, his stars hastily shooting off into the embrace of the cosmos.

When they faded, the dark beneath my eyelids was granted an explosion of color. Nearly every color imaginable was thrown at me, rapidly painting a tranquil scene of the universe.

Distant galaxies quickly formed, stars dripping into place as comets shot by. Planet after planet was assembled, some with rings as great as Saturn, others as unnoticeable as Jupiter.

And finally, a sight that sated my racing thoughts. A pair of blazing blue suns in the center, planets gradually rotating around them as the stars in the distance twinkled.

“That’s gorgeous,” I smiled as my worries fell to the black of space. The view alone slowed my heart rate to normal levels.

And then, as quickly as it had arrived, the universe faded, my eyes seemingly opening on their own.

“Is that what a rune does?” I whispered softly, leaning my head against the wall as I stared into the ceiling. Maybe only Sanctum does that? Either way, I pray I uncover more soon. That visage was the definition of the word calm.

Gazing down the hall swathed in black, I yawned as my next course of action sank in.

I’ll have to check the other doors. Each one, barring Dad’s study, had its own unique identifier. The rooms in order from here should be Mary and Katy, Alexis and Emily, Violet and Claire, my parent’s room, and my own.

There should be a total of six doors in this hallway. So far, two of the six are accurate. And based on how today’s going, the rest will be too.

I seized the candle and got to my feet, a dreadful sigh escaping my lips. Each door will be a perfect match, and I’ll only grow more stupified. Here’s to hoping that Sanctum works more than once.

The floor creaked and moaned beneath me as I navigated the house, my heart speeding up with each inch traversed. The most bone-chilling part of this didn’t unveil itself until I walked by one of the various portraits decorating the wall.

“And this somehow got worse,” I shivered, shaking my head as I debated diving back into the universe behind my eyelids.

The portrait was devoid of its original inhabitant. A dark silhouette of a person had stolen their place.

Rooms three and four were accurate. Three, representing Violet and Claire, had a stuffed yellow rabbit with a violet in its mouth attached to the door. Four? A series of posters taped to it, each one syncing with Alexis and Emily’s interests at the time. I did try checking their doors out of curiosity, but they were locked.

I trudged along until I noticed the familiar white nightstand in the hallway. One with a particular family photo resting atop it.

“It's the same,” I rubbed at my eyes in disbelief, shakily picking up the object of interest, a series of rapid confused breaths escaping me.

There I was, eight year old me in the middle, surrounded by everyone. Violet’s even hugging me in this picture. The only difference is a bunch of cracks are running through the glass frame.

Fearing I’d drop it, I set it down and turned to face my room, almost missing the oddity imprinted unto my parents’ room. Their door... there’s a series of burns on it? Are those... claw marks, too?  The scratches cover most of the door's area, so they're not a one off.

“Why can’t you just be the same?” I whined, wiping at the fearful tears forming in my eyes. That door definitely wasn’t clawed up back in the day. If it was, whoever did that would have likely been grounded until they’re thirty. I'm just praying that whoever (or whatever) did that is long gone.

Turning away, I wrapped my hand around my bronze doorknob, gulping in anticipation. “Here we go.”

As if dealing with some priceless artifact, I cautiously twisted it open and slipped inside.

As the door fell shut, my candle's flame jumped from its waxen body, shooting straight toward the fireplace, a blue trail appending it.

“What the?” I winced, shielding my eyes as the fireplace roared to life, peaking with the intensity of a flashbang as it coated the room in a ghostly blue hue.

“T-thanks?” I stammered, shock coursing through my veins as I took in my old room. Definitely not... I'm definitely not on Earth. Candles don't do that.

My mouth turned to sand at the sight of the bookshelves now decorating the rotted wood floor, their contents dispersed around, aged yellow pages and broken book spines dotting the room. The white carpet was soaked in some places and just plain absent in others, the singed edges of the missing segments implying burning.

My bed’s contents were scattered about the room, the stuffing of my pillows littered with blatant disregard. My gutted mattress gazed back at me from the other side of the room, the legs of my destroyed nightstand and desk having been stabbed into it.

“What happened?” I mumbled, noticing the items spread out on my bed. A small black book with a yellow sticky note attached, a stick wrapped in a dark cloth sitting to its side.

My eyes landed on the headboard to my bed. A singular crack ran through it, fracturing it in two. It ran straight through the angel engraved into it, separating the whole of her from her friends.

Pacing over to my bed’s headboard, I whispered, “Was this deliberate?” My hand ran along the wings of the centermost angel, the crackling fire permeating the quiet. It certainly looks intentional.

Deciding I've seen enough, I turned away, plopping down on what remained of my bed to read the note.

If you want to know what’s going on, I’ll answer every last question of yours. The catch? I’ll be on the final layer of Alceria. You meet me there, you get your answers. I’ll even let you slug me if you get angry enough. Getting punched for all the strife you’re about to go through is the least I can do.

I’d answer some questions right here, but if I leave too many notes or make them too long, she’ll detect them. Then? Into the void they go.

Two tips: If you go outside at night, it is integral that you possess light. Try not to put too much stake into your senses either. That’s what Vanith’s predators depend on. The key around it is listening for inconsistencies.

And lastly, Do. Not. Fall. Into. The. Ocean. Freshwater bodies are fine; salt isn’t. You won’t like what happens if you make that mistake.

That’s all. Good luck, Ethan. And keep that black book on the bed, it’s yours now.

Who wrote this? It’s typed out, so handwriting is out of the question. The fact that it addresses me by name implies people here know me. More than just that girl…

I hope they aren't on the same level as her. Based on what she seems to know, she concerns me enough as is. She knows stuff that not even a stalker could know. Words that have never known the light of day, barring my journals.

I tucked the note in my coat pocket and picked up the black book.

As soon as I sat it in my lap, I jumped. The book sparked, a single golden flame experiencing a brief existence. It promptly danced around the book’s cover, threading together a singular flaming word.

Alceria

“That’s one way of making a title,” I laughed slightly, flipping open the book.

More words decorated the interior, all immolating in that same brilliant tone of gold.

Layers

Creatures

Nightmares

Progenitors

Guardians

“Layers?” I said aloud, noticing the distinct lack of pages this book possessed.

Swiftly, the fire faded, a series of fresh embers coming forth to ingrain text within the page.

Layers Discovered: 1

Layer 1: Vanith

Layer 2: Unknown.

My potential worries about this entire situation were quickly going up in flames.

The embers, they drew me a map. It came with about everything I could ask for. Landmarks and even a marker for where I am currently were both present.

“I got a hell of a walk, though.” I sighed, my hope for an easy journey withering to nothing when I realized how many miles away the nearest town was. The only nearby marker is one I’m under, someplace named The Resonant Forest.

I changed the notebook back and inspected the Nightmares tab.

Nightmares Known To Lurk Within Vanith:

Ulla - She whose weave spreads threads of illusioned peace.

Etzel - He whose song sings of oblivion.

Pierrotella - They who’ve been deluded into being forsaken for the sake of them.

Quizitiine - She who hides, praying for the being of a being who seeks.

Whatever a nightmare is, I was already planning on avoiding them. These descriptions only reinforce that. I searched through the book a bit more, eventually shutting it as I got to my feet, opting to study it after I got out of here.

Based on my brief preview, it seemed to contain a plethora of useful information. I tucked the book in my pocket, grabbed the makeshift torch, and held it to the fire, transferring a chunk of the flames to the handheld light source.

The fireplace extinguished itself. Taking that as my cue to leave, I slipped out of my room, torch in hand.

“That wasn’t there earlier.” A chill shot straight up my spine right as I stepped back into the hallway. There’s an extra door here?

A white door with a long leather-handled knife stuck into it, the blade reflecting the light of my fire. A piece of aged brown paper was pinned to the wood.

Why is this so different? Flowers are peeking out from the frame. And they’re all rotted to near nothing...

Gulping, I approached the door, alarm bells in my head sounding off as I drew near. Just the sight of this is anxiety-inducing…

Swallowing some of my fear, I flattened out the note a bit.

The only thing that makes sense is that they don’t make sense. I suppose I’ll take his words to heart. A little learning is a dangerous thing. I have to drink deep to sober myself, keep the mind free of dark.

Ugh... come on. This doesn’t do anything for me. There are no hints to any names or extra information.

“Check inside if possible?” I questioned internally, placing my hand on the knob as my stomach churned from raw anxiety alone. I couldn’t move my hand; my brain was second-guessing my commands. The warning sirens were ringing at full blast, nearly petrifying me with trepidation.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly backed up to the wall, shaking my head.

“That might be the last thing I ever do,” I whispered, debating on my next action. S-should I try and take that knife? It looks thin enough to fit in between armor plates. That could be useful if I’m forced to fight, god forbid. It’s just, my gut is telling me that doing that would be only slightly better than opening the door.

I need a weapon, though. My life may very well depend on it.

On the flip side, the mere sight of this feels… wrong. As if the very concept of an extra room is forbidden.

But I don’t really have a choice, do I?

Biting back my reservations, I shuffled forward, forcing myself to reach for the weapon to get a gauge for how stuck it was.

That decision was one I regretted in an instant. Right as my hand wrapped around the grip, I heard and felt it.

The door shook from three very distinct and very loud knocks. They rang out from the other side of the door, rattling the frame from their power alone. The force caused a cascade of decayed flowers to fall to the floor, their bodies fading to nothing in moments.

A whimper escaped my lips as I began inching backward, eyes locked on the door.

Please don’t come out. And if you do, please be an… I don’t know, an adorable fox?

Another knock boomed, cementing my desire for a cute fox to cast aside the umbral veil.

I slugged down the hall backwards, eyes firmly locked on the door as I made my way toward what I prayed was still this house's living room.

By the time I reached the railing overlooking the living room, my heart was kicked into overdrive. Nothing exited the room, nor did any noise continue, but I was near frozen from the bone-chilling worry.

I just hope I have enough time to escape. The living room and, by extension, the front door is just below me.

I could jump over the banister. That’d cut some time. The problem is, if everything is destroyed, then I risk a landing that’ll only serve to slow me down.

An image burned itself into my mind, one of me trying to limp away while some ravenous beast tore through everything I tossed at it. The dread and fear of that potential reality was almost enough to force me into a ball.

“No,” I speculated, steeling my nerves. “I can’t risk that.”

With a deep breath, I began my descent, the hallway fading from view as I perked up my ears.

I was halfway down the steps when my nightmares became reality.

The sharp creaks of a door hinge pierced the silence like a bullet through paper. It invoked chills, causing my heart rate to go through the roof.

As if on auto-pilot, I bolted straight down the stairs for the front door, nearly tripping over a collection of scattered couch cushions.

I threw myself against the door as the thick thuds of heavy footsteps echoed through the building.

On the verge of hyperventilating, I undid the deadbolt and chain, whipping open my exit to a darkened tunnel shooting straight up, a metal ladder glistening in response to the breath of my torch.

I kicked the door shut as the footsteps grew nigh, sending me into the fastest one-handed climb up a ladder I could manage.

I reached the ladder’s peak, my torch revealing a decrepit metal hatch. Please, please, please don’t be rusted shut.

I heard the front door violently swing open with so much force I could swear my "guest" was trying to tear it off its hinges.

“Come on,” I practically hissed, pressing my weight against the hatch as my skin began to crawl, the feeling of being watched washing over me. Open, you piece of crap!

A gust of frigid night air swooped in, nearly culling my torch's life. Soft orange light began spilling in as the door gave way to the star-ridden night.

“Yes!” I nearly jumped for joy when the hatch flew open, a deep sigh piercing my eardrums as the ladder began to shake from a newfound user.

I didn't dare waste another second. Without looking back, I kissed this hell hole goodbye and threw myself to the night above.

Dely

Ah, I remember the days when I assumed this chapter would be a mixture of Aria's old house and a forest. I expected the house segment to only take up about 1,500 words. How naive I was...