SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:
Class 3
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The Parallel is a secret level that can only be accessed after being "Snatched". It's widely considered to be an illusionary reflection of the backrooms.
Description:
The Parallel appears in the same form as whichever level the Wanderer entered from, minus any Wanderers or Entities previously seen. However, there is no chromatic colour, instead with a grey-scale spectrum with sharp creases perceived as a bright white and perfect flat surfaces perceived as pure black. The only exception to this is living Wanderers. There is no apparent source of light in The Parallel, even though Wanderers appear as being illuminated from above their heads.
The most notable element of The Parallel is the complete lack of entropy and time progression. Objects are often seen suspended in the air until interacted with, and go back to being so when interaction is ceased. It is not advisable to use suspended objects as stepping stones, as they will fall with you. Also, due to the perception of The Parallel matching the exact instant they entered, Wanderers perceive different objects and structures than each other, though they have many elements in common due to only being able to perceive each other based on what Level they came from.
This lack of entropy also removes many time-based degradation of the human body, such as starvation, parching, sleep deprivation, and general ageing but also growth and healing, though Wanderers still experience hunger pains, thirst and exhaustion, as those are psychosomatic, not physical. As such, Wanderers experience immortality unless actively killed by another Wanderer or Entity. Do your best to avoid getting injured, as those wounds will not start healing until you leave. Do not eat or drink, as your body will not be able to process it until you leave.
There is one structure in The Parallel that doesn't match the Level they came from, and that is a building known colloquially as "The Gate". The Gate appears as a constantly shifting piece-wise cube floating and rotating atop a pool of an unknown liquid. At the base of the pool is a bridge to the only room that doesn't shift. Oddly enough, The Gate and the liquid appear to have entropy unlike the rest of the level. At the centre of the cube, which can be accessed by figuring out the pattern of movement of the cube's rooms, there is a room with an exit, guarded by an entity known as Ju'kah. This exit point is constantly shifting and cycling.
Ju'kah is for the most part a human female, with the only exception being her extra limbs and her skin being pitch black from the torso down. Ju'kah can stop the exit's exit cycle for enough time for someone to exit, but cannot actively control what that exit point is. Ju'kah wields a staff which has a jewel capable of teleporting an Entity via an atomic "ship-in-a-bottle" method. This is mostly used when Regrets manage to make it through the cubic maze.
The only known and documented entity to live in The Parallel is the large collection of Regrets that rose due to the number of homicides that used to take place in The Parallel. It seems that the lack of entropy allowed them to exist rather than evaporate immediately like they would on any other level. It's best to avoid them at all costs, as they have an insatiable desire for "imprinting".
Wanderers have reported a shaking, an earthquake-like sensation emanating from below the floor of The Parallel. Due to the fact that non-sentient beings cannot move in The Parallel, and the known weightlessness of the Regrets, this has confirmed that another entity lives in The Parallel, one that many Wanderers have theorised is responsible for the "Snatching" phenomenon.
Colonies and Outposts
The Snatched
- Not a set group, but a colloquial term for people who band together in The Parallel.
- Easy to join up, as they need as many numbers as possible.
- Advisable for those looking to escape.
Entrances And Exits:
Entrances
There is no way to voluntarily enter The Parallel. Wanderers who enter are forced to by a process colloquially known as "Snatching", in which Wanderers feel a sensation of being pulled backwards as they tear through a rift leading to The Parallel. This can occur on any level, but is far more likely in Negative Levels.
Exits
The only way to exit The Parallel is to go to The Gate and request Ju'kah to leave. Be prepared, as Ju'kah has no control over what Level you'll end up on.