““It is quite fascinating that such festivity can exist within a dimension of nullity and denseness.”
— Dr. Zhou ████ Li, 1967
Level 909 is the 910th level of the Backrooms. It is comprised of 2 sections with a versatile range of aspects.
The House (宅邸)
Upon entry into Level 909, one will find themselves in a location that appears as a home stylized in an atypical ancient Chinese fashion. Every wanderer who enters the House shall encounter one of its many different layouts, whose differences include the size of the House varying, the furniture being placed randomly, and/or the rooms having been placed in contrasting positions. Regardless, the Chinese-esque appearance of the House remains constant in each encounter with it. A perpetual yayue-like harmony can be heard continuously within the level — with the origin remaining indefinite — yet, it is theorized that it is derived from beyond the confines of the House.[1]
The House within Level 909 consists of 2 stories that possess the aforementioned ancient Chinese architecture. Likewise, the space of the first story is occupied by old-fashioned belongings, traditional Chinese furniture (namely lanterns, antithetical couplets, small shrines, etc.), a room specialized for a single household altar, and one which is presumably used as both a living room and a kitchen. The Qing architecture of the first story seems to originate from the late 19th to early 20th century, though multiple extensive examinations had concluded otherwise, as the exact age of the objects and the House itself have been determined to be approximately 7000-8000 years old, predating the civilization of China itself; the explanation for the abnormality remains contentious.
When proceeding upstairs to the second story, one will encounter a barricaded door that acts as an obstruction to forfend anyone from entering. It is most likely there to prevent the extremely low temperatures that plague this second floor to reach the first one. Whilst only a few wanderers have entered the location without succumbing to its inhospitable nature, it has been chronicled that its appearance is alike to the first, though it is characterized to be more grandiose and spacious. In addition, the rooms within the story are mostly used for storage, typified by the myriad of boxes loaded with damaged furniture, decoration, and so forth.
Walking out to the House's front porch will transfer one to the second section of Level 909, the Lantern Walk. Although seeming quite elementary at first, the sudden switch of environment caused by the transition can be quite jarring and unexpected for many wanderers.
The Lantern Walk (灯笼步道)
Contrary to the aspect of the outdoors from the interior of the House, the Lantern Walk is a section of the level which encompasses a collection of variable alfresco structures and gleaming lantern sculptures.[2] The inconsistent nature of the Lantern Walk introduces difficulty in inscribing a complete interpretation; however, one can still find a few constant factors which the entirety of the Lantern Walk retains, which are the abundance of luminescence, festivity, and food.
The appearance of the Lantern Walk is that of a boundless terrain in which a Chinese New Year festival is occurring. It is embellished with countless decoration pieces and unnaturally high voltage LED lights; thus, they may possess a risk of short-circuiting and provoking serious electrical injuries given the mechanisms that may be present in the area lacks human interference. In other respects, the first section of the Lantern Walk is relatively tranquil due to the absolute deprivation of life, with the exclusion of plants and fungi within the area. Assuming one chooses to proceed into the Lantern Walk, the presence of structures along with its infrastructure would start to arise, altering its topography to sport a more urban quality.
Infrastructure within the Lantern Walk permeates the majority of the second part so to speak, with networks of moderate shophouses encircling throughout the region, forming the layout which is a system of connected circular plazas.[3] Such commodities that are presumably sold within these shophouses are predominantly composed of Chinese cuisines, signified by the boards hanging on the wall of the entrances and the menu. The meals that may still be present seem to yet to decompose, albeit it is perilous to consume. The equipment which is situated within may even contain food that has been cooked beforehand; remaining too close to them retains much risk of injury from the liquids used such as oil, boiling water, etc.
Most credit the Lantern Walk as the last section of Level 909 and withal anything beyond it remaining in nihility due to the absence of any accounts of locations outside the limitations, whereas a few consider the existence of more sections that exist beyond. The sudden transition from the relatively compact space that is the House to the bright, almost blinding colors of the Lantern Walk is more or less an unusual phenomenon among levels with similar properties; hence, it is thoughtfully appropriate that Level 909 has an extension of other sections after the Lantern Walk. Regardless, no evidence of such attribute has ever been presented, with the only mere "clue" of the existence of these locations emerging as the Shangyuan Festival.
Occurrences of the Shangyuan Festival transpire exclusively within specific junctures during August, in contrast to the usual date — somewhere around February — on which it is intended to occur. The said festival appears to displace the environment surrounding it, altering it into an empty void with an invisible surface situated in the middle to avoid an instantaneous plunge into the abyss below.
Following a few minutes of lingering within the area, floating lanterns would spontaneously materialize in random locations within the void. They are capable of penetrating through objects which do not originate from the small space of darkness, as well as the surface one stands on. Hence, it is assumed that these visual occurrences are more or fewer patches of mirages that happen to be scattered throughout the region of the Lantern Walk. A cessation of the mesmerizing phenomenon — while highly varies from person to person — generally follows after half an hour of being inside the void region.
Moreover, a premise has catalyzed which states the void of the Shangyuan Festival may not disappear after the showing ends under certain circumstances; rather, it transfers one to the Void instead of the Lantern Walk itself. The likelihood of this befalling upon someone is most likely to be exceedingly little to none at all, in addition to the very few cases of such incidents and deficiency of sufficient evidence to solidify the speculation.
Entrances & Exits
Entrances
- Noclipping through the walls of Chinese-themed corridors in Level 5 may occasionally lead one to this level;
- Extremely rare conditions only occurring in very specific points may cause Level 13 to shift turbulently, which might have a small likelihood of sending one to Level 909[4];
- Crossing over a bridge extending to the horizon of the ocean in Level 81 up until the point of exhaustion;
- The saturation of the Liquid Pain streaming on the surfaces of Level 990 signifies a presence of a nearby exit to Level 909;
- A transition from torii gates to paifangs in Level 666 would indicate an exit to Level 909 further into the hallway.[5]
Exits
The presence of Level 909's exit materializes solely when one spends a significant amount of time within. Despite being one of the earliest recorded levels, Level 909 currently possesses one mere exit.
- Falling through a patch of snow located outside the Lantern Walk will transfer one to Level 910.
Footnotes
- ↑ Yayue, which is Mandarin for "elegant music", was a genre of traditional/classical music and dance which originated from the Zhou Dynasty performed in royal courts and temples.
- ↑ If one decides to gaze at the outside, either by looking at a window, directly looking at the front porch, or such like, it would appear as if the outdoor environment is a mountainous region that remarkably resembles the Himalayas instead of the environment of the Lantern Walk.
- ↑ A shophouse is a building that has both retail and domestic use.
- ↑ This exit in question considers an effect coined as 'quantum fluctuations' in the role of being a culprit for inciting another probable exit that is perhaps present within Level 13.
- ↑ Also known as pailou, a paifang is a traditional arch or a gateway in Chinese architecture
But perhaps one decides to walk further into this reality.
The Lantern Walk is hardly behind me, yet I can't turn back anymore. Keeping my pace can possibly lead me to safety or more danger, though I assume staying here is much graver. I'm only going to walk forward; the outcome is especially uncertain, but I entrust myself that shelter is nearby. The lights may turn off on you; your place in the line can be closer than you think it is.
I believe this to be a gateway; this one path occupied by bright and welcoming lanterns gives me a sense of relief, but it is rather festive. I'm not sure what to commit myself — dying in a place where I'm unable to scream for help, where the blinding lights are shining with no care, where the bustling essence feels lonely — it's unnerving to ponder.
The Gateway (牌坊)
The Gateway is a sub-section of Level 909 presumed to be a subconscious, transcendental area within a person's sentience. A connection amongst other locations with similar natures is hypothesized to be present, though no authentication has been made despite the aspect of the Gateway as an entrance to further places — rather, it remains inconsequential and as a dismay among the expectations of Level 909's possible locations beyond the limits of the Lantern Walk. It could be that, including other factors such as the pending revelations of such locations[1]― the absence of the Gateway's service/utility may signify a forthcoming event to occur within an unknown juncture that may perhaps involve an emergence of the Gateway's intended properties.
In particular, the appearance of the Gateway is predominantly indistinguishable relative to the first part of the Lantern Walk; there is a plethora of amalgam of small lantern sculptures and decorations placed throughout in an uncluttered manner, with the sole distinct feature being the temple situated on the central point of the total area. How the said structure is characterized is ostensive at best — the main idiosyncrasy being the absence of an interior since the temple is utterly hollow. Signifying a completely purposeless ubiety, the central structure is yet to prove its purpose, and to a higher degree, the entirety of the Gateway itself.
Footnotes
- ↑ The existence of the Gateway is believed to be entirely comprised of texts written under abstruse circumstances, thus the idea of the presence of the Gateway within the Backrooms is yet to reach any wanderers. This conveys that there is an impossibility of encounters with it, let alone the places beyond the Gateway.
I walk into the long path. And I see lights mixing with the colors of yellow and red.
The City ( 四 城市)
As the third section of Level 909, the City occupies the abyss beyond the limits of the rest of Level 909 — it is believed the previous section of the level, the Gateway, indeed possesses the ability to transfer one to further locations. It shifts into a more claustrophobic expanse in favor of the spacious attribute found within the Gateway, with it featuring an interconnected system of small streets and alleyways that generally behave as mere traps/dead-ends.[1]
In contempt with the remote and inaccessible trait of the City, the festive aspect of Level 909 remains immediate. The network of streets is embellished via pendulous lanterns, lights, and (periodically), firecrackers — this specific Chinese New Year celebration is noticeably deviant on account of the vacantness of the expanse, with the entirety of the structures being devoid of any furniture and items with the exception of the first floor.
The peril the City may provoke mostly originates from firecrackers hung throughout the walls of the structures — they are greatly more dangerous than their standard counterpart, including a possibility of a presence of dynamite disguised as an ordinary firecracker, concealed amongst them for it to await a spark to rupture.
Footnotes
- ↑ This system of streets seems to be random, with most either being dead-ends or leading to inconsistent and/or nonsensical locations.
Turn back, it's not too la-
Stop being a nuisance during an explanation.
A transition from festivity to nullity would transpire, assuming one opts to explore further into the City — in turn, the decorations would begin to dissipate gradually. The lights shall be essentially deactivated after a certain distance, with the lone element of the City that remains the echoes of the perpetual yayue-like harmony being performed in the background effortlessly.
Darkness still haunts within the light; perhaps this isn't the way to go. I'm beginning to doubt my decision by virtue of the seemingly infinite distance it brings illumination to, or must I remain on the grounds brightened by the littlest?
I'm quickly brought down to the ground due to exhaustion; hope is yet to be lost with the light shining upon.
You're finally awake.
27/04/2025 05:24
Hours, days, and weeks have cascaded without a single rock to interfere, whilst the festivity already entombed in my mind is yet to flee; the miles and miles of waltzing through the dark, intertwined streets of the City is yet to be proven to be worthwhile; and the seemingly never-ending dash to the light ahead, is yet to end. Disappointment after disappointment and expectations being pulverized, I'm beginning to admit that this may be my turn in the queue.
Without my sense of sight, I finally began to notice that, after weeks of aimless wandering, each path I took are mere circles. The repeating walls of the structures hardly provide any usefulness with their perplexing twists and turns. It is remarkable to me that such a large expanse with virtually unnavigable surroundings, paired with the especially compelling darkness, doesn't contain a single entity. In contrast with others, the space forces one to wander by themselves, doomed to ponder each second of their risky expedition whether every corner they take may be the conclusion of the journey — for lack of a better term — unforeseen misery.
The undiminished solitude and queer serenity of the space are obvious to the unaided eye; but on the contrary, the subconscious recognizes it as room to achieve temporary harmony amid its most troubling junctures. As the intrinsical absence of basically anything that exists, it is ought to fill in something like a canvas; the candescent colors of the artist's paint palette besmears throughout the surface, creating abstractive interpretations or even reminiscences of the past.
Likewise, sitting beneath the shadows while gazing towards the light, accompanied by the eternal background euphony of strings and drums, I started painting.
01/12/2030
Laying towards a stove, I jolted forwards from the heat of the oil boiling upon the surface. While it is a near-death experience, the reminiscence of avoiding similar conditions within the Lantern Walk came during the adrenaline-fueled moment. It gave me the determination to continue into the light ahead — its alluring character may be just a facade of its true nature, though I'd suppose whatever is beyond is undisputedly more desirable than this.
I noticed the light has gradually become more imminent as I approach it. Its seemingly interstellar properties are beginning to fade along with the darkness before me. Despairingly sprinting, with obstructive objects and geometry hindering amidst the chase, I'm mere meters away. At a point where I felt I could almost reach all of its glory, it evaporated as it joined the blackness of my vicinity. In seconds, I watched helplessly as months of tirelessly hoping, walking, and running come to a sorrowful conclusion — a journey that was nothing but a waste.
Once again, the leviathan [the darkness] and the background music fill me with bereavement whilst they accompany me.
31/05/4096
Glimmers of everlasting obsidian remains ubiquitous following what is deemed to be centuries of cascading dimensions of time — with no single cavity in sight — is still, and will be picturesque, forever. Below it, I could almost discern an imperceptible, prodigious nirvana; perhaps, if I attempt to cause instead of to search, I could slither through a crack. As the fragmented floorboards were being broken, I held my courage to leap through the ajar entra–
[...]
From the undying resonances of turbulent winds, I woke up to a contrasting landscape of trees already perished God knows how long ago. The cold zephyr guided by the slender footpath ahead abruptly sweeps through the stagnant bodies of the decaying nature, obscured by the white, flourishing mildew. Alas, the warmth nurtured for me previously has vacated, unable to seep through the cracks.
Of a sudden, the unfinished session where I partook while exploring the City has begun anew. I noticed that, at the left turn ahead, memories were crossing the road like chickens, leaving mystifying footprints on the unending snow. It is rather strange by their character: they are physical renditions and are not merely hallucinations, perhaps, there is a plausibility of contact with them. I could observe something novel about their vividness — for the distance between — is rather great.
As I attempt to catch a glimpse, the common sensation of familiarity breezes in afterward; I felt as if I'm coerced to walk further due to the thought of an ethereal force pushing upon me, as if it is persuading me to proceed forward, whether it is for better, or for worse. My mind swelters from the heated irritation of the cold, meanwhile my body shivers as the downpour of continuous specks of white remains. Environments of jeopardy, at the cost of its use of physical torment in some sort of quid pro quo, lose their psychological effects that are likely to overpower its counterpart; however, the existence of this site is remarkably perplexing and curious. To have both characterize that there must be an anomaly, somewhere. Perhaps, it is the same anomaly that compels us to wander and be stuck to wonder within the endless islands.
From melancholic noises of the winder, winds came hurtling through the corpses of Mother nature, and waves of white snugly blanketing her — I reckon that how fast I am, is negligible. I took notice as they become twisted far off in the mist, the beautifully distorted reality forward is more captivating than the light confined by the walls of twilight. As my vision became impaired from the vibrant colors she painted for me, unable to escape sobriety, the last thing I'll perhaps ever see, is a mere tree.
6/1/8888
I bestowed my remaining equipment to her as an inner sense has called upon me; it is to my low-spirited relief that I'm now bygone from the constraint to carry an almost lifelong weight. The feeling of relief — an experience I never expect to undergo again — calmed me during the time of confinement. The chains grasping my legs rusted, the concrete walls keeping me within cracked, and the dust rendering me sightless washed off my face; I flourished afresh as the withering dissipates. Despite the cold still rushing over me, I could sharply perceive the tiny fundamentals of the distortion. All around, it can be puzzling to comprehend the corpses' structures that compel to awe, or some, a distractive nuisance that enacts nothing but annoyance.
Regardless, I find it a pleasure that I'm able to glimpse colors again following what feels like an eternity of monochromatism. The colors of festivity is truly perpetual within the last snow of the Backrooms. Though it may fade again, I can envisage colors with ease, for I've discovered tranquility in the ocean of static chaos. My journey's ending occurring in this place is pre-destined, but, whether it finishes just as when I'm lying on the grayscale blankets, or when I'm lying towards myself that I would find a way out? Well, that is God's decision.
– ██e██o██ █. █o███s
An island of festivity where joy clouds the air within — a rare gem within the ocean of endless isolation and suffering — isn’t all festive after all. Influenced, it cleverly hides the pain behind for everyone to judge its surface only; the contrasting emotions border each other to create a line of mystery and indestructibility, with only one route to cross. Where in a minute one is in a place of jubilant atmosphere, the next one may abruptly wind up to a mournful expanse.
A closer glance at the festive environment, however, illustrates an odd facet — the ominous solitude despite the well-decorated quality of the space — it is rather eerie and ironical that such a location which appears to be maintained well, designed for the public to drop by, and so forth, retains eternal silence. It is outwardly clear the time and effort taken to embellish the land were just a waste; what was intended for a crowd, is only used by one person. Come to the realization, the reveal of the disappointing isolation of the "place full of joy" was a mousetrap all along, meant for oblivious wanderers to be enticed to enter. Being manipulated by their minds, they progress deep with no cognizance of their situation, unable to notice the highly risky journey they are partaking in.
Regardless, the Last Snow is where supposed laughter and tears coexist, though they do not intertwine. They are separated from each other, incapable of harmonizing due to the imaginary line drawn, enforced by something else, and bounded by the belief of false reality within the space. Confoundingly, the separation is alike to ours — the lines that we draw on the sand are just invisible walls to secure our clan, but, it is at the cost of a temporary sense of safety from others of our kind. Reminiscent of the contrasting conditions of the Last Snow, certain lands can vary greatly in the standard of living while also being adjacent to each other; it is a such absurdity that a situation can occur within the world. Perhaps, the characteristics of the Backrooms — a characteristic of contrasting conditions of each place that it is consisted of — is ethereally present within Terra.
For most, the separation of borders provokes a sense of being trapped or controlled by a higher power — an aspect that is muchly noticeable in this dimension of unpredictability, yet, it is more camouflaged in our world. The idea of being confined from our own will inside an inescapable location lingers behind our minds; in reality, the thought is truly real, feasibly occurring in plain sight. Even if, for the record, it is not absolute; its presence would remain cemented, but as a mere thought that transforms into something more physical as more minds acknowledge its 'existence'.
– Gary
Do not believe in what it says,
For the Backrooms is just a maze;
It is where you stray,
Not a place that sprays its aspects.
You are safe within the confines of your home
There is no reason to worry little things,
As your life is shorter than a riddle
Listen, and you will live in prosperity.
Hello? Is it just snow?
Where have the festivity gone?
Well, I must proceed without lights
In every journey, there is a dark turn after all.
Oh, no
If the answer of all is here,
You're receding away
I beg you, for I care, to not continue.
The path of life is a straight line, dear
Hold on the right direction
Your shoes have stepped on the grass beside,
Go, turn right, now; your grasp on the left w–.
Co-Author & Concepts for Some Parts(also for enduring my annoyance in DMs) BBMBear/Samir
Special Thanks to UserUnhackedd and HumansCanWinElves
- First Heading Image, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0, edited by the Main Author: "Chinese lanterns" by Anyar Changtong.
- First Image(The First Floor of the House), licensed under Public Domain/CC0, edited by the Main Author: "Chinese joss house at Breakfast Creek in Brisbane." by an unknown author.
- Second Image(The Second Floor of the House), licensed under Public Domain/CC0, edited by the Main Author: "Interieur chines. Tempel" by Kleingrothe, C.J.
- Second Heading Image, licensed under CC BY 2.0, edited by the Main Author "Dragon NC Chinese Lantern Festival Cary NC 6198-001" by bobistraveling and "Lantern in the Night" by Jiaren Lau.
- Third Image(The First Image of the Lantern Walk), licensed under CC BY 2.0, edited by the Main Author "Chinese Lantern Festival Cary NC 6179-001" by bobistraveling.
- Fourth Image(The Second Image of the Lantern Walk), licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, edited by the Main Author: "Overhead Lanterns" by Jonathan Miske.
- Fifth Image(The Gateway), licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0, edited by the Main Author: "DSC03817" by Steve Harwood.
- Third Heading Image, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, edited by the Main Author: "Chinese Lantern" by Maxime Guilbot.
- Sixth Image(The City), licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, edited by the Main Author: "市場通り" by m-louis .®
- Eight Image{The Forest), licensed under CC BY 3.0, edited by the Main Author: "New Bicycle Path - Night - Winter 2010 - Velo-Road" by ---=XEON=---.
- Fourth Heading Image, licensed under CC BY 2.0, edited by the Main Author: "Burning souls" by Pedro.
- Map of the Earth, licensed under CC BY 2.0, edited by the Main Author: "Map World Earth Free Photo" by Clker-Free-Vector-Images.
- Grayscale Lantern, licensed under Public Domain/CC0, edited by the Main Author: Chinese lantern by j4p4n.
| Canons | Winter's Butterfly |
|---|---|
| Levels | Megalophobia │ A Child's Abnormality │ White Torture │ Roads to Abyss │ Haphazard Remnants │ Saturation │ Terror Basins │ Innocent Ball Pit │ Day Zero │ Vitrum Madness │ The Last Snow │ The Unit │ Antiquated Perpetuity │ Indigence │ Niagara of Iron(ic) Fists: The Contra-Pulp Fiction Theme, Vol. I & Vol. II │ Ain't All Blood Red │ Pipe Dreams │ The Worm in the Fruit │ Vienesse Sunday │ Old Mister Staircase │ Thalassophobia │ Toko Kelontong
|
| Entities | Mandela Disease │ The Death Locomotive │ Rainbows │ Count the Stars! │ The Thing on Level 7 |
| Tales | The Temporal Yellow │ The Ladybug Heart of a Génocidaire |
| Joke | Em Dash Island │ Meggies |