La entrada al "piso especial" no era un portal palpitante o una fisura luminosa, sino un pasillo discreto, casi indistinguible de los demás en la vasta caverna M.E.G. Solo un tenue resplandor azulado en la pared indicaba una anomalía. David les había advertido que era un lugar que ponía a prueba la mente, donde la realidad se retorcía y los recuerdos se manifestaban.
"Agente Eco, entorno cognitivo al que se accede. Mantén la concentración. Las distorsiones pueden ser imperceptibles al principio", la voz robótica de One-Nine-Nine fue un ancla en la creciente inquietud de Alex.
Alex asintió, su rostro pixelado reflejaba una mezcla de aprensión y curiosidad mórbida. Su cámara de pecho capturó el estrecho pasillo que se abría ante ellos, mientras que su cámara de lente mostraba la interfaz del sistema, lo que indicaba una nueva "Zona cognitiva". El aire aquí era neutro, inodoro, sin humo, un lienzo en blanco para lo que estaba por venir.
—Está bien, charla, este es el evento principal —susurró Alex, su voz sonando extrañamente fuerte en el silencio—. "Nivel... ¿mente? ¿Delirante? No sé cómo llamarlo, pero David dijo que te mete en la cabeza. Si me ves hablando con un calcetín, es el nivel, no yo. Todavía".
El chat ofrecía advertencias nefastas y humor negro:
[Bruce Wayne]: "La fortaleza mental es vital. Cuestiona todas las percepciones. No confíes en tus sentidos más básicos". [Dr. Sheldon Cooper]: "Las simulaciones neuronales distorsionadas pueden generar alucinaciones coherentes. Identificar la inconsistencia lógica es crucial". [User_Worried]: "¡No me gusta esto! ¡Esto es demasiado personal!" [Freddy Krueger]: "Oh, Alex. Mi dominio. El lugar donde los sueños se hacen realidad. ¿Cuáles son tus verdaderos miedos? Lo sabremos juntos". [Rick Sánchez]: "¡Ja! ¡Un nivel de psicosis! ¡Por fin algo que puedo entender! ¡Ahora no dejes que el niño se mate de estrés!"
Puntos de emoción generados: +3000 (para nuevo terror psicológico)
Caminaban en silencio. Al principio, el pasillo era normal. Muros de hormigón lisos, bien iluminados, con un diseño sencillo. Pero entonces, Alex notó algo. Una pequeña fotografía enmarcada colgada en la pared. Era de él. De su habitación. Su sillón. La manta. Su mando de juego. Objetos mundanos, pero no deberían estar ahí.
—¿Ves esto? —susurró Alex, señalando la foto para su cámara de pecho—. "Esto es... mi habitación. Mi sillón. ¿Cómo...?
Uno-Nueve-Nueve no reaccionó. Su postura era inflexible. "Medio ambiente. Manifestación de recuerdos. Anomalía visual. No se detectaron amenazas físicas inmediatas".
Alex se acercó, con la cámara enfocando su lente. La foto se distorsionó por un segundo, se desdibujó y luego volvió a la normalidad. La sensación era nauseabunda. Era como si el aire mismo se burlara de sus sentidos.
Continuaron, y las anomalías se hicieron más frecuentes, más personales. Una puerta que daba a lo que parecía la cocina de su abuela, con el olor familiar de las galletas, pero con una luz parpadeante y un fondo negro. Un pasillo se extendía, mostrando una infinidad de rostros de personas que Alex había conocido, algunos sonrientes, otros con expresiones de reproche. Su propio rostro pixelado se reflejaba en los paneles de cristal de la pared, pero a veces, por un instante, veía su rostro real, claro y sin censura, solo para que volviera a pixelarse en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.
El chat reconoció la invasión de su privacidad:
[Jonas Kahnwald]: "Los ecos del pasado se manifiestan. El tiempo es una ilusión en este lugar". [User_Memories]: "¡Son sus recuerdos! ¡Este nivel se alimenta de su mente!" [Malorie Hayes]: "No te fíes de lo que ves, Echo. Es una trampa para tus ojos. Y para tu corazón". [El Profesor]: "Una distorsión cognitiva. La mente es el objetivo. Mantén el enfoque en la realidad, Alex".
Puntos de emoción generados: +4000 (por invasión de privacidad y terror personal)
El peor momento llegó cuando Alex vio a su madre. Una figura fugaz en un pasillo lateral, llamándolo por su nombre, su voz sonando clara, cargada de preocupación. "Alex... ¿Dónde estás? Ven a casa..."
Alex se quedó paralizado. Su corazón se apretó. Era solo una ilusión, lo sabía, pero el dolor era real. Su cámara de pecho captó su inmovilidad. Su lente mostró la figura de su madre desvaneciéndose en la distancia.
"No es real. No es real —murmuró Alex, apretando los puños—. "Es el nivel. Es una trampa".
Uno-Nueve-Nueve permaneció en silencio, una presencia constante. "La manifestación emocional es un efecto secundario esperado de las anomalías cognitivas. Continúen con la misión".
The chat urged him to stay strong:
[Joel Miller]: "It's an illusion, Alex. There's nothing you can do. Save what you can."
[Chihiro Ogino]: "Don't get caught by memories. They are beautiful, but this place will pervert them."
[User_Sad]: "That's so cruel! Poor Alex!"
[Captain America]: "Your mind is yours. Don't let them manipulate it. Keep your purpose."
Excitement points generated: +5000 (for emotional impact)
Alex struggled to maintain his sanity. He activated his Basic Navigation to the maximum, allowing the translucent arrows to be his only anchor point. He refused to look at the illusions, forcing himself to focus his vision on the real path, on the tiles beneath his feet. The cost in excitement points skyrocketed, but it was worth it to keep his mind in check.
"Agent, is there a way to... counteract this? Any pattern in the distortion?" Alex asked, his voice tense.
"Cognitive anomalies are based on individual perception. My neural system is shielded against these influences. I have no data on a universal countermeasure," One-Nine-Nine replied. "However, coherence in action and focus on the objective are effective strategies."
Alex understood. It was a battle of wills. His against the level. He couldn't let it win. Not after what he had been through. The Hunter's death, the vote... he had paid a price for being here. He wasn't going to let his mind be the next victim.
They continued, Alex's Enhanced Hearing picking up the subtle crystal creaking in the distance, becoming more frequent. The light began to flicker more erratically. The Cognitive Level wasn't just a labyrinth of memories; it was a labyrinth with a threat.
Suddenly, the reflections on the mirror walls distorted in a different way. They weren't memories. They were elongated, grotesque figures writhing on the reflective surfaces, moving like shadows in a funhouse mirror. They weren't in the real hallway, only in the reflections. But their forms were sharp, defined.
The chat immediately identified the threat:
[Ellen Ripley]: "They're not reflections! They're entities! They're camouflaged in the crystal!"
[Freddy Krueger]: "Ah, my little friends. The ones who hide in your worst thoughts. Want to play with them, Alex?"
[User_Terrorized]: "Oh my God! They're like demons in the crystal!"
[Solid Snake]: "An invisible enemy. The key is detection. Can you see their real source?"
Excitement points generated: +7000 (NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL/PHYSICAL THREAT!)
Alex stopped. His breathing quickened. They were Twisted Reflections, entities Backrooms forums described as manifestations of despair, lurking in high-distortion levels. They didn't attack directly, but they could drag a victim into their own madness. And on this level, where the mind was already at stake, they were a terrifying threat.
"Agent, do you see them? The things in the reflections," Alex whispered, his pistol ready. His chest camera showed his trembling hand. His lens camera tried to focus on the blurred figures in the mirror.
"Affirmative. Psychic manifestations. They have no real physical form but can influence mental state and perception. Prolonged visual contact is not advised," One-Nine-Nine replied, his P90 raised, but not firing.
Alex nodded. Keep his gaze down. Focus on the real path. But the reflections were everywhere. Every shiny surface was a trap for his eyes. His mother's voice, the faces of his friends, mingled with the grotesque figures in the mirrors. It was a total assault on his sanity.
They continued walking, but the tension was almost unbearable. Alex fought to keep his vision on the Basic Navigation arrows, ignoring the visual and auditory cacophony this level hurled at him. One-Nine-Nine was his anchor, his rock.
The chat watched his mental struggle:
[Batman]: "Mental resilience is the last line of defense. Do not yield. Do not break."
[User_Strength]: "Hang in there, Alex! Show them you're stronger than this place!"
[Dr. Sheldon Cooper]: "Perseverance in cognitively hostile environments can lead to a breaking point. I suggest a recess."
[Rick Sanchez]: "Recess! No! I want to see him go crazy and start talking to cockroaches!"
Excitement points generated: +4000 (for mental struggle)
The journey became torturous. Time dilated, every step an eternity. Alex felt his mind fraying. His mother's voice returned, the faces judged him. And the twisted figures in the mirrors seemed to whisper his name.
Just when Alex thought he couldn't take it anymore, Basic Navigation guided him to a small opening in the wall, a side corridor he hadn't noticed before. It was dark and narrow. The light pulsed differently here.
"Agent, what is this?" Alex asked, his voice broken.
"Structural anomaly detected. New transition zone. High probability of level exit," One-Nine-Nine replied. His P90 was high, but his voice sounded more... hopeful.
Alex didn't hesitate. He plunged into the opening, scrambling through it, his chest camera barely capturing the narrowness of the passage. One-Nine-Nine followed without difficulty. It was a short, dark passage, smelling of dust and ozone.
When they emerged, the silence was broken by a familiar sound. A constant, oppressive hum. The walls were a monotonous, grimy yellow. The air, heavy and damp, smelled of mold.
They were back in Level 0.
NEW SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: YOU HAVE LEFT THE DELIMITED ZONE. INITIATING NEW ZONE.
AUDIENCE REACTS TO NEW ZONE: +10,000 EXCITEMENT POINTS (UNEXPECTED RETURN! IMPACT!)
The chat's confusion and theories exploded:
[User_Confused]: "They're back in Level 0?! How?!"
[Jonas Kahnwald]: "The cycle. Always the cycle. Everything returns to the beginning."
[The Professor]: "A loop. The exit isn't forward, it's backward. A psychological trap."
[Rick Sanchez]: "Ha! How stupid! He almost killed his brain just to end up in the same place! This is pure comedy!"
[Freddy Krueger]: "Labyrinths don't always have an exit, Alex. Sometimes, they just have a beginning. Over and over again."
Excitement points generated: +8000 (for plot twist and frustration)
Alex stood motionless, staring at the endless yellow walls. The hum drilled into his skull. His Enhanced Hearing picked up the sound of distant footsteps, and a familiar drag. It wasn't the gelatinous creature. It was something heavier.
"No... it can't be," Alex whispered, his voice filled with despair. His pixelated face turned towards One-Nine-Nine. "We're back. We're back here. Why? Why?!"
Agent One-Nine-Nine remained silent for a moment, then his robotic voice was the only answer. "Agent Echo, multiple human heat signatures detected in approach. Rapid movement. Appears to be Echo Hunters."
Alex closed his eyes, the weight of defeat and the horror of repetition overwhelming him. They had gone through cognitive hell, only to return to where it all began. And the Hunters, those he had "dealt with," were back, like an echo of his own violence. The System's joke was cruel. His show had only just begun, and he was already trapped in an infernal loop.