Level 21, also known as "Numbered Doors", is the current 22nd level found in the Backrooms.
Description[]
Level 21, also known as "Numbered Doors" by wanderers, is an expansive, currently without a determinable sized labyrinthine complex made up of a vast array of hallways, corridors, rooms, and many others alike. The most notable consistency that can be observed across Level 21's appearance is how most, if not all corridors possess equally-spaced doors on each side, generally maintaining their outer appearance to be identical throughout the entirety of Level 21; these doors have been said to appear as standard, framed metal doors which have all been measured to height around 7ft tall, and widen approximately 40 inches, as well as always possessing a shiny metal doorknob on its right side. The level's structural appearance mostly covered with carpet, usually colored in 'modern' colors ranging from white to gray to tan and many others. The walls are generally constructed from a balanced mix of plaster and concrete, giving them an oddly smooth texture and appearance.
The primary lighting on this level is provided by ceiling lights that appear to repeat themselves on the plaster ceiling or either regular office ceiling tiles. The tiles can occasionally be arranged either vertically or horizontally. The lights are fluorescent; however, unlike fluorescent lighting in Level 0, they don't provide sound and can take on various shapes and forms. The light switch on the wall is also linked to the ceiling and can be turned on and off; however, some do not have one. Lights rarely fade or flicker at random times, and certain lights may be constantly off without shining again. There are also windows in the level, with another side shining white light or a void with stars, can also appear to light up the hallway, but they cannot be damaged or opened and are most likely to be seen in The Lobby Room.
Vents and air-conditioning systems on the ceilings filter the level's air and provide a fresh breeze throughout rooms and corridors; people say Level 21 is very comfortable; the temperature on the level can reach 18°C. There are also multiple fire sprinklers and fire alarms, so even though it is unlikely that the level will catch fire, they will activate if you set it on fire. Additional decorative items such as fire exits, fire extinguishers, plant pots, chair rails, and wall lights can also be found.
The architecture of Level 21 is complicated due to the various passages and turns that frequently result in dead ends and intersections. The halls are consistently constructed in an orderly manner according to the model. The halls' design and color scheme are constant, giving the observer the feeling that they are familiar at times. Every hallway on Level 21 has a unique layout and design, which could involve things like the width of the hallway, the color of the walls and the carpet, as well as the size and shape of the fluorescent lights. Every corridor has a different vibe; some resemble hallways in hotels, offices, schools, etc. Some rooms can contain supplies, like weapons or food. There are no known entities in the level, however, previous logs have rendered the concept of opening all the doors dangerous.
The Lobby Room[]
The Lobby Room is a sizable room where several passageways lead. These interconnecting rooms allow people to move to new passageways with different styles and layouts than the ones they just left. The architecture room is perplexing due to its appearance, which seems like multiple rooms or hallways sharing space, making a peculiar structure comparable to a labyrinth. The fact that The Lobby Room has a particular appearance that is shared by the halls that link to it.
Structures in The Lobby Room are utterly pointless and unnaturally bizarre, including the misplaced doors along with the closed room with no entrance, the walls and pillars that are positioned in the middle of the room to function as an overload threat, the excessive amount of light sources and the variety of fixtures that place in the same space, the different color and pattern of carpets that lie in the same location, and others that can be explicitly stated. Using these unnatural constructions, The Lobby Room was formed by sharing an area of each hallway space to link each other and allow people to walk to another place.
The Lobby Room is the location where you can find a variety of furniture and items, such as chairs and desks, along with bookshelves and other reading materials near the wall. You may also get supplies and unrelated objects here. They consist of food, weapons, almond water, and level keys. Additional objects have only been sighted on rare occasions. It is also known that exits may be discovered here due to the size, and the exit door also has a number sign indication, making it easier to find.
Beyond The Doors[]
Doors are sporadically positioned on either side of the hallway, ranging from closely spaced to far apart. A hidden room seems to be there beyond the door. Because of the unpredictability, each room is quite varied and almost unique. Although most of these rooms are made to imitate hotel rooms, offices, classrooms, and empty spaces, others may be created differently. Being non-Euclidean in nature, they can look large and allow for the fitting of ridiculous size within without impacting the remainder of the hallway, which is typically a non-Euclidean area.
The door may occasionally be locked even though it could have been opened previously. However, this would never happen if there were someone inside. The doors will finally be opened if enough time has passed; this might take from five minutes to two hours or even more. This occurrence seems to change something about the inside of the room, as though it were doing so. Wanderers report that artifacts and objects appeared within the chamber afterwards, and that the occasion appeared to clean the room and repair any damage that had happened. The room's appearance may change, and whatever was in the room will vanish. So it is not suggested to keep valuable objects inside the room and use the room on the level as a residency permit.
Certain rooms have an oblique effect that enables them to mimic the design or aspect of a corridor, such as a carpet and ceiling light. Wall lights, fire extinguishers, exit signs, and other items indicated previously in the hallway and lobby room may be found inside the room. On the other hand, furniture and ornamental objects that are generally put in rooms might emerge in the hallway near the room containing these furnishings, however, this is most likely to occur in The Lobby Room.
Shifting Area[]
Certain areas of the level could gradually transform into a dilapidated, abandoned passageway. The rotting and split wall revealed the inner flesh of the shattered concrete wall, the stained and torn carpets revealed the dirty tiles, and dust from the broken concrete could be seen and smelled everywhere. It is not advised to stir up the dust since it will fill the air and make breathing difficult for everyone nearby. Most of the fluorescent lighting in this area emits less light, making the space darker and less luminous. Some of the lights are either damaged or out of operation. The majority of the doors in this location are locked and inaccessible, but a few may be unlocked and lead to regular rooms that are similar to regular ones but distinct from the filthy conditions along the corridor.
In certain places, power outages might result in total darkness throughout the area. A shattered wall can expose clusters of pipe and cable. The wires carry high voltage, and the pipes contain an unknown liquid that appears hazardous and should be avoided; however, the pipes and wires are hidden behind the wall at a safe distance, and no one has died at this level yet.
This area differs from other areas of the level in that other areas will experience phenomena that result in any damage or dirt within the level being repaired or cleaned, but not in this shifting area, where nothing changes when something happens. This information led to the conclusion that the shifting area used to be standard and clean like other ones, but with time it suffered damage and included wanderers. There were scratch marks and other signs on the wall that didn't appear to be caused by people, leading to the belief that there were once entities on this level.
In the midst of awakening, my mind by now knows nothing more than a vast hallway, repeating itself indefinitely. The walls extend forever in all directions. The light shines in the distance, covering up the darkness. The side doors, as well as the carpet pattern, keep repeating like my own thoughts.
The atmosphere is nothing more than the mere emptiness of an interminable hallway. In this isolated and unsettling place, I can feel a sense of familiarity with the simplicity of the space.I was by myself in the dimly lit corridor, surrounded by an endless length of nondescript walls that seemed to go on forever. My footsteps reverberated as I walked, each step a reminder of the vast emptiness that surrounded me. My mind was filled with both wonder and uncertainty; time and space seemed to warp and twist in unsettling ways.
I continued walking, my attention concentrated on a faraway spot that beckoned me forward. At each stride I took, the walls surrounding me shifted and transformed, taking on new patterns and forms. Some of them were ornate and intricate, covered with deftly designed patterns and motifs that moved in the flickering light of the torches that lined the ceilings. Others lacked any distinctive features or marks and were plain and featureless.
I felt surprisingly at ease despite my strange surroundings. There was a sense of calm in the cold air, a feeling of silent meditation that seemed to seep into my bones. It was as if I had been transported to another plane of existence, one where the worries and concerns of the outer world were nothing more than distant memories.
I moved along at a steady, leisurely pace. I had no clue how long or how far I had been traveling. This location exuded a sense of timelessness as if the past, present, and future were all interconnected. It was a liberating sensation to be released from the limitations of the real world.
The doors, the carpet pattern, and the ceiling seemed to repeat at every intersection, leaving me exhausted and wondering what this place might be. A bedroom with a soft bed and other ornamental items awaited me beyond the door, providing me with the familiar impression that I used to reside here. A lovely bed made me want to rest in this liminal space, but I kept walking indefinitely.
The place begins to dim with some light, but the isolation and loneliness remain. It feels like I'm walking into the depths of this place. I begin to lose sight of my shadow, but I can see a few lights in the center of the darkness as it attempts to brighten the hall but instead creates a liminal light level. A window next to me is visible despite the pitch black. On the other side, I can't see anything; it seems to be a void full of stars, which makes the corridor view nostalgic.
Beyond numerous doors, all appear to be hotel rooms and share a similar look. The light shining through the door lit up the hallway as I kept opening the door. At the end of the hallway, there is one that is distinct from the others; I can see the number of doors and wonder where it could take me. The atmosphere gets brighter as I move toward the door while contemplating until I approach it...
— Charles Schmidt
August 20th, 2019
Colonies and Outposts[]
There are no known colonies or outposts in this level.
M.E.G. used to plan to construct outposts at this level since it is the connection between all levels in the Backrooms. The strategy begins by sending explorers to the entrance — Warp Tears on the wall — in Level 20 to access Level 21. Once inside, they try to find the door with the numbers on it and mark the location of the exit. As soon as they discovered the exit to Level 4, they started constructing outposts to transport supplies and valuable resources from one level to another. Yet when a M.E.G. member sent supplies and other items, one of the explorers reported that the exit was unexpectedly changed to Level 37, which led to the failure of the outpost plan.
M.E.G. is currently using this level to investigate random and undiscovered levels. This level is also used as a rest stop when traveling, although M.E.G. never plans to have any groups or outposts settle permanently here. Although there are no colonies or outposts, there may be groups of wanderers or explorers that can be found, though it is difficult to find them due to the small group sizes and the infinite level.
— Tiffany Lauren
Entrances and Exits[]
Entrances[]
Various tears in the walls of Level 20 can be entered to reach this level. These Warp Tears can be encountered occasionally on Level 11, Level 9, Level 6, and Level 13. Alternatively, a door in a staircase within Level 216 sends one here.
Exits[]
The level is considered a hub to access other levels, as a few of the doors are marked with a random 3-digit number; entering that door will take you to a random level, such as Level 22, or many other levels; however, this does not work for anomalous levels due to unknown circumstances. The exits will change levels and the number of doors will change as time passes—between two hours and two days. As a result, if you find any escape and travel to any safe level, you must act quickly before the exit vanishes. Entering a door surrounded by a stone wall will take one to Level 898. Noclipping through the floor will take one to Level 139. Finding and breaking a locked, moldy wooden door leads to Level 0.
In some of the level's rooms, there was a low-pitched sound that seemed as though nothing had happened, yet it was the sound of some equipment functioning. To hear the sound a little more, you must place your ear to the wall—it worked in some rooms. I'm curious about what's behind the wall and what this is.
Every level in the Backrooms, including this one, has a phenomenon called "protection" that keeps the area appearing clean at all times and cannot damage anything there. So I almost gave up on my investigation into this, but then I realized that some areas in the level are absent of a phenomenon called "Shifting Area," which causes the area to become run-down and abandoned and can cause damage inside the area.Here is some information I got from my investigation and research.
Numerous pipes interconnect with a strange machine behind the wall and beyond the ceiling. The pipes in the level are all linked to these unusual machines; the pipes are all brand new, undamaged, and made primarily of traditional materials such as lead, PVC plastic, copper, or any other. Yet occasionally they are built using unconventional materials like wood, steel, pressed ash, glass, granite, and an uncountable number of other materials. These pipes transport a variety of liquids, primarily ethylene glycol (antifreeze), and have similar components to Level 2's pipelines.
These liquids in the pipelines provide a massive amount of energy to an anomalous machine; as it receives more, it works harder. These hardworking machines make a loud noise when they operate, but we can't hear it because, despite its appearance, the drywall is highly effective at soundproofing. The pipes and machines in the shifting area are nearly always damaged and broken, with no functioning, but occasionally some are normal, filling the region with loud machine noise.
These machines appear to have displays and have constructed the rooms' contents. If there is dirt or any damage inside the room and no one is inside, the machine will work by locking the doors and cleaning or fixing anything in the room. It also provides some additional items and objects that are helpful to wanderers. There is no phenomenon inside the room that will protect and clean any content; instead, these machines will do it. But if no one is in the room for an extended period, the machine will completely alter the look of everything there. It is not advised to use this level as a permanent address since anything of value would eventually vanish. The unworking machine will influence the room, making it look vacant with a small interior; this occurrence is common in shifting areas. Further study of these abnormal technologies is on hold because of a lack of progress in understanding their other actions, which are often unpredictable.
The machines construct exits by making the exit area similar to or the exact same as the level to lead to. The room will build a path into the level itself by gradually grading it. It is uncertain what the number has to do with the exit since when the exit gate changes, the number will change also. According to a notion, each level has its own number, such as doors that marked 105 go to Level 0. Nonetheless, each wanderer claims that the numbers on the exit doors that lead to the same level are contradictory, rendering this unconfirmed.
Additionally, it is theorized that this level is the mirror of Level 139 and that the level also has an exit to Level 139; it is also theorized that Level 139 exists below the Level 21 floor. Level 21 is also said to be connected to The Void because it could lead to any random positive level in The Backrooms—it cannot lead to a negative or anomalous level—and some wanderers claim to have encountered The Void while breaking through the ceiling in a shifting area. implying that the void is beyond the ceiling of Level 21.— Researchers Andrew
Original version written by: Unregister fandom user.
Previous version rewritten by: Mike.
New version rewritten by: WindXD.
Collaborator: (help with grammar and Wikitext): Xanth, Bobz, and Mike.
Machine concept inspired by Level 188 fail rewrite, which was made by: Moscovium-289
| Levels | Futuristic Halls │ J. Barry Mental Asylum │ ⍟ Abyss Inn │ Numbered Doors │ Out of Order │ Otherworldly │ The Attic │ Artistic View │ Roller Rink │ Dead Mall │ Desolate Terminal │ Video Rental Store │ Surreal Continuum │ Arabian Desert │ The Moribund Highway │ ⍟ Greenfield Campus │ Alone │ ⍟ Stairwell Of Spirals │ Shooting Gallery │ Downtown Diner│ Shocking Anomaly │ Anemoia │ Soundless Solitude │ 261 Turner Lane │ Level 13? │ A Brass Number 6 │ Grayscale Halls │ Unrecognized Landscape │ Lukewarm Hotel │ Solitude Snow │ The Tranquil Disruption │ Blue Horizon |
|---|---|
| Themes | Liminal Theme |