“

“The ancients waited for cherry blossoms, grieved when they were gone, and lamented their passing in countless poems. How very ordinary the poems had seemed to Sachiko when she read them as a girl, but now she knew, as well as one could know, that grieving over fallen cherry blossoms was more than a fad or convention.”

— The Makioka Sisters, 1936

Level 666 mimics the Senbon Torii (Thousand Torii Gates in Romanized Japanese) of the Fushimi Inari-taisha in the Kyoto Prefecture of Japan.^[3] It is only one path, whose extensive length cannot be determined. Although its architecture mostly corresponds to the original site, the corridor is built without consideration for reasonable geometry. As a case in point, some areas may appear perfectly straight, while some possess curvatures that are acute to the point where the gates would merge with one another. Furthermore, the installation of the torii makes it often impossible for wanderers to step out of the interior. If, for instance, one finds a gap of adequate size that can be used as a passage to the outside environment, there is an invisible "force" that blankets the entire edifice preventing anyone from doing so. Corridors may abruptly twist upwards or downwards, creating pits of varying sizes that are impossible to navigate through without climbing equipment.^[4]

Further anomalies in the level are mere minor inconveniences. They are more often encountered as one traverses further from their initial starting zone that can differ in location, though the respective whereabouts is theorized to be near the center the level. Gravity is strangely dictated by the interior, as the path revolves in random directions on the sky — one may catch a glimpse of the unusual sight through cavities between the gates. However, this could cause slight headaches and nausea, in part due to their subconscious sentiment of disorientation.

The countless increases and decreases of elevation are heavily unstable, with certain locations having a 90 degree leading further into what otherwise would be the ground, though for the corridor's purpose, further forward. The opposite is also true; some areas are impossible to ascend without proper equipment, and abnormal increases and decreases with a wavy-like pattern act as barriers or obstacles for wanderers. Rarely, however, spikes and "triangles" which are made of the stone blocks of the ground may protude out of the ground, potentially causing injury due to their sharpness.

Although seemingly constructed out of concrete, the torii's resilience is far greater than that of the confusing material. Analysis of said material, whose samples came from fallen and chipped pieces of the gates, concluded that its structure consists of hexagonal lattices alike to graphene, although layered upon each other. Of how the molecular structure can form such texture remains an anomaly as well as its tensile strength, for a similar bond that exist in nature, graphite, produces a mineral that is comparatively and terribly brittle. The concrete-like material in question, however, has scored an inconsistent 10 to 14 on the Mohs hardness scale.

Excluding concrete rubble on the floor, there are few distinguishing objects that distubs the uniformity of the level, such as kanji characters that can be seen written and lanterns on the gates. Nevertheless, there still are furniture to be found within the hallway. These oddly include tea tables and chairs, differing from the Frontrooms' counterpart where one would not find such objects.

The Outdoors is an inaccessible, anomalous region of Level 666 the path is located in. Since the discovery of the level, entry to the secluded area has yet to be successful.^[6] From sightseeing through gaps in between the gates, it appears as an expansive, temperate forest of sakura trees encircled by a snowy mountain range, with unusual and random patches of bamboo growth dotted throughout the landscape (which also includes the mountain ranges). Some of these bamboo "overlap" with the trees, as the surroundings of the intersection often exhibit rapid discoloration and a visual effect akin to television static. Weather in Level 666 evidently takes place here. The illumination in the sky is always blocked by an overcast despite the level never experiencing rainfall, though for most of the time the level is relatively windy and on occasions blustery.

Structures such as temples, shrines, and even cemeteries can be seen quite frequently, especially toward further into the level where the concentration is much greater. The temples especially have origins traced from not only Japan but also from the rest of East Asia, though their geometry can seldom be grotesquely distorted.^[7] The most common distortions include upside down temples, especially for the one-story, broad-fronted archetypes; and for high-rises (i.e. pagodas), capsized structures as if they are sinking into the ground, and worm-like geometry, with the structures' trajectory upwards bent arbitrarily.

Taking a direct photograph or any type of visual media of the Outdoors would result in the corruption of the file. Although in some cases they are still retrievable using backups or recovery software, the image itself would instead be replaced by the sight of another corridor when opened. Curiously, however, for live broadcasts the effect would have a significant delay of around a minute before it would end due to corruption. Screenshotting the frames for the streams unfortunately does not have the same delay. The individual frames have been reproduced through photocopying, though they are currently classified by the groups responsible for the process.

Time in Level 666 is linear, meaning a clock would not malfunction and would display a likely correct time when used in the level.^[8] However, daytime and nighttime each lasts precisely 6 months instead of 24 hours — acting more like seasons, with a "sun" that rises and sets in random directions instead of east to west. A pattern similar to seasons in the Northern Hemisphere, daytime happens during summer months and nighttime during winter months. Spring months are integrated into summer months, while fall into winter.

The wind speeds in the level are faster on average during daytime due to cooler air, and temperatures tend to drop to 5 degree Celsius during nighttime from the average 15–20 degree Celsius when it is bright. The change between day to night (or vice-versa), instead of a slow transition, is sudden. This could be disorienting, potentially increasing vulnerability toward potential hazards. In addition, compasses will malfunction due to the theorized magnetic effect the forest may or may not possess.

Geologically, the Outdoors seems to be extremely unstable and rapid. Numerous division lines have been detected, and adjacent regions do not seem to correlate with each other. For example, a structure might have both of its halves separated far away or an empty space would be present on the border, therefore it is theorized the expanse seems to be divided into "tectonic plates." The area visibly experiences earthquakes that may be 10 magnitude on the Richter scale, although the corridor in which the level takes place in is favorably not affected by it.^[9]

Two anomalies exist in Level 666 that are only specific to the level. Much of their effects are commonly seen during extended periods of exploration, which is usually the case for most wanderers as exits are rather difficult to come upon normally. While they do not pose a physical threat, they can elicit psychological detriment to viewers depending on the severity of the subject(s)' deformation.

【 三点一. Rotation Effect 】

Also colloquially referred to as an "LSD Trip" or "Acid Trip," the Rotation Effect is a visual ignis fatuus. The anomaly gets its name from causing wanderers to experience hallucinations of the level's corridor being spun and contorted rapidly, a perception that draws parallels to a psychedelic experience. Despite its slang term, there are no relations between the anomaly and the drug itself, Lysergic acid diethylamide. Its effect is usually viewed from the interior, provoking a more claustrophobic and panicked feeling that coerces one to rapidly flee. As such, energy lost during this time, especially the fact that the level contains little to no food sources, makes the fatality rate for the anomaly remarkably significant.

Videos recorded while the wanderer is experiencing this anomaly has confirmed that it is simply illusory. Although this is the case, it is not recommended to simply stand still during an event of a Rotation Effect, as the alteration of the environment may still somehow catapult objects including wanderers, which can cause severe head injuries and internal bleeding. To circumvent through such danger, it is advised to instead walk amble away from it without turning toward the area affected.^[10]

【 三点二. Mummified Skin 】

While the preservation of corpses, animals and humans alike is not unique to Level 666, the manner in which they are kept may provoke a lifelong, panic-inducing series of flashbacks of disturbing images. The reaction of those who are exposed to such a scene is more enhanced, as more often than not, most develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) despite numerous tests — where the subjects possess varying sensitivities toward gore — showing that every person underwent the same aftermath/ordeal.^[11]

For most corpses affected by this phenomenon, the outer layers and organs that are near or on the surface appear to decompose as usual, showing signs of fungi and bacterial growth that have eaten away and obscuring the identities of the deceased wanderers. The organs and the parts deep below the surface of the body; such as muscle fibers; the inner parts of the eyes, nose, and ears; and blood vessels (specifically the veins), do not show signs of rot as decomposers seem to refuse to spread deeper. Instead, they appear as if the organism had just perished a few seconds before. In rare cases even, slight movement and natural contortion can still be detected — alive despite the organ directly above it is already fetid and decaying.

Photographs or any visual mediums taken of the corpses have been outlawed due to obvious fact. Anyone in possession of one has to either incinerate the image and any mediums that could contain it immediately, or face retribution if caught distributing the material(s) regardless of intentions.

Level 666 possesses no concrete evidence that it houses entities as of yet. Corpses have been found to bear scratch and bite marks on rotten skin and, contradictorily, clean and deep wounds within fresh viscera, which suggests potential attacks from an entity or a third party. A non-entity is theorized to be the killers, however. In interesting fashion, the retained cuts and stabbings look to be uniform and precisely performed by the perpetrator, targeting vital organs and major blood vessels that would otherwise be impossible to lash without basic medical knowledge. Injuries that do align with those found in common attacks with Hounds and Smilers appear on these bodies as previously mentioned, and the circumstance behind this remains ambiguous. Not aiding with the case, Level 666 is also a routine site for homicides in the Backrooms, being the location for many notable cases of murders and assassinations.

• Entering rooms labeled as "5" or being devoured by the beast in Level 5 may lead one to Level 666;
• Although extremely dangerous to perform, passing through the wall of fire at the end of a hospital hallway in the "lava section" of Level 210 can transfer one to Level 666;
• In rare cases, jumping through a window in Level 403.17;
• A prolonged period of unconsciousness in Level 910 will lead one to wake up here;
• Having a karma rating below -80 but higher than -100 in Level 999;
• Falling into the second section or "Fall" in Level -40, though this may also bring one to other levels.

• A sudden loss of consciousness may signify an awaiting exit to Level 45, following many cases of wanderers who had gone through the same situation;
• A puddle, formed by an unknown cause, has a miniscule probability of transferring one to Level 100;
• Once the torii eventually fade into becoming paifangs, the corridor would eventually lead one to Level 909.^[12]

“

“The thought of dying has never bothered me, but getting hurt, losing blood, becoming crippled and the like—no thanks.”

— No Longer Human, 1948

Perhaps, some day, we’ll dance around not fenced by reality’s roundness, but in jagged rocks of intertwined stars—memoirs of us undefined in superposition—enacted not in stone but eternal air. I was never into the fad of the abstract except when I needed an excuse to sadly swish paint and add random dots everywhere around a canvas and call it a painting so the art professor could give me a pad in the back.

And the temple at the edge of Heaven and Hell seemed to be alike in a way. It seemed I was at the edge of the canvas, but let's move that out of the way first. Its twists and turns made it look like it took some undergraduate students to design its interior, not to mention the nightmare toxically dating its engineer: The floating structure amidst a foggy wave of gray dust, and lifeless, green shells of dead trees to pour concrete on. Her base salary has to be the maximum wage or the utmost gallantry wouldn't even be deserving of grazing upon her face. All red, spilling over concrete, rotting on the gates' bases, and turning smooth black.

I gave up trying to squeeze my head in between the gates to see more of the exterior, so I just walked through again. It was windy and all even though there wasn't really any big gaps for the air outside to get in, probably because it was so long it had made itself the wind it needed to cool itself, but ironically, it became a steam pipe instead. I took off my jacket that was tightly grabbing me like a shark and headed off toward the blackness at the end of the hallway. The pale white sky shining lines of yellow, dusty sunrays on the stony pavement was getting dimmer and dimmer, so I took my kerosene antivenom and lit the colossal soundstage on fire as the lantern light danced around the wick. It was those faulty lanterns that people usually take whenever they needed something to cool off in the hallway other than the putrid, hellish tea that sometimes appear here.

Wobbling and clacking, its wooden sticks supporting the undeserving craft hanging desperately as to not fall and ruin its magic. And I just ran forward into the blackness. Oh, yeah. The blackness. Pure in emptiness--holy, almost. I almost forgot to tell you that. I guess I was distracted enough to ignore a message of God. Remember about being on the edge of a canvas? It is that. The hallway just ended abruptly as if it was a lazily cropped painting and it was cut right in front of me. I tried looking at the sides but it was light-tight. When I retreated from it, it had this oddly, white, and ghostly shadow that was emitting off like clouded steam. I'd heard of this thing where some levels just cut themselves off, and if you happen to cross upon these empty sections, you just get erased basically into negatives. But nobody said anything about fog coming off of them. Because of that, I searched my bag for anything I could throw—any nook or cranny. Ouch. It was an empty can that'd been folded, with its aluminum skin spiking on its edges that were smaller than a single grain of sugar. It was of course a Coca-Cola.

I tiptoed my way and approached the empty space to make sure I wouldn't fall and decapitate my head, leaving my body to get eaten by the stars of the sky. It was about ten meters away from me. I slinged my hand like a propeller and let go of the can; thankfully, I landed the throw. I heard a Clang! right after it disappeared into its shadow; and that can only mean one thing. When the dust had settled, I kicked some pebbles right into the blackness, and yes, it sounded like it had fallen down a pit. Even though there was still a chance I was just hallucinating, I put my head in a way that if it would eat my entire body, it would only get my hair's tips. I don't know what made me that confident to be honest. Maybe it was pulling me into it for all I know, but it just soared more than the saturated red paint that covered the gates. It was an anomaly so to speak. If you've crossed a road for days on end, you would stop buy anything that stood out.

《 二. Ain't All Blood Red 》

『 Narrative 』