*The END is near*
They couldn't get that phrase out of their mind. Their memory was a mush of reality and imagination, it was hard to remember anything before the elevator.
*b̨̭e͙w̦̜̟̮̭a̫̻̠r̡̼̳͢͟e̢̠̦̱ ̞o͖ͅf̪̫ ̡͉̬̻̩3̼9̜9*
The elevator stopped. Silence so deep their ears hurt. Their heart beating faster and faster as panic took over and they rushed to the doors.
"Why did it stop?" they screamed, banging against the indestructible monolithic doors.
*Why did it stop?*
Their heart skipped a beat as the doors started to slide open. They closed their eyes... the letter warned them...
*This ̞is ̡͉̬̻̩3̼9̜9*
The doors are now open, their eyes glued shut. But they had no choice, they can't just kneel there forever; the realization coming as their eyes started moving.
*A door?*
The elevator opened to a small room. A planter, a box and an open door over red carpeted stairs.
*What does this mean?*
Déjà vu hitting them like a brick. Repeated thoughts, it feels like ages.
*Robes?*
They thought as the box's contents were revealed. Their name on the tag.
*What does this mean?*
The phrase taking over their mind.
*W͚̺̜̖h̳͈̞̼̖̰ͅa̜̻̼t͖̦͍ͅͅͅ ̥͇̗̠̼͔d̹͉̰o̬̠͕̙̹̠e͕̯̝s͙̙̬͖̞ ͚̫͇͚ͅt̫h̤̪͙͈̬is̹͎ ̱̫̞̳̜͉m͔̺̹e̲̬̯͙̜a̰̲̖̞̻̥n?*
They felt like they were losing it as they realized there was no elevator behind them.
*W̻͙̻̰͔̩̝̞̻̃̾̎̈͋̈́h̴̺͖̏̈́͒ͣ͛̆͜á͚̠̦͕̦͈ͦ͐̅̏̔̒̀͢͞t̳̬̲ͨ̒͘͝ ̿̾ͣͧ̀ḏ̱̪̙̒ͫͩ̃o͍̬̤̻̝̝͙ͮ̄̀ͅe̠̻͖̟͍̟̗̯̾͐ͮͣͣ͠sͦ͊͐ͯ̐͑͆̂͢ ţ͍ͪ͆ͯ̋̊͒̽̚͜h̻͙̥͚̤̖̦̗̒ͨ̄͘i̵̢͖̣͊̇ͣ͑̾͋͋̚͝s̜̤̦̠̩̀͑̇͐̑ͯ̚͞ ̡͖̤̤̝͓͈̤ͬ̌̆̓͑ͩ̓ͬ̓͜͢m̭̤͖͕̗̐ͮ̿̈͑͡ẽ̴̦͍͔̣ͬ͂̍̎̇ͥ̀͞ä̢̯̼͍̮̤́ͨ̈́ͦ̂͜n̠̲̣̺̭̼̬̋̇ͦ̚͞?͚̗̃*
They looked at the door. Too confused to be afraid. Dressed in the robes, somehow. They stared at the stairs, taking the first step towards the 400th. A scream exploding from their lungs as consciousness downed back. There is no way back. Need to go up.
*What does this mean?*
They thought once again as they continued climbing the ladder, leaving the planter behind.