1 Chapter 1: A New World, A New Me

In the clutches of an engulfing darkness, I awoke. The air, stale and redolent of old wood and lingering dust, filled my lungs as I pushed myself upright. My fingers brushed against something beneath me, worn yet soft – perhaps velvet? The texture seemed oddly familiar, yet out of place. Where was I?

Gradually, the darkness ebbed, yielding to a dim, spectral light. As my eyes adjusted, an eerie sight unfolded before me – a decrepit theater. Its grandeur was evident, despite the clear signs of neglect and decay. Rows of once-luxurious seats, now tattered and faded, faced a stage shrouded in shadows. An oppressive silence hung in the air, so heavy I could almost hear ghostly echoes of applause and cheers from days long past.

Confusion swirled in my mind. How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was the mundane comfort of my own bed, the soft glow of my digital clock a faint beacon in the night. Yet here I stood, in a place that felt ripped from another era, or perhaps another reality entirely. As I steadied myself, a shiver crawled down my spine. This theater, with its air of forgotten stories and lost memories, felt like a scene from a play in which I had no role.

With a tentative step forward, the floorboards creaked loudly, breaking the heavy silence. A sense of unease began to gnaw at me. This wasn't just about being lost; it felt as though I had been unceremoniously dropped into a completely different existence.

Compelled by a mix of curiosity and a desperate need for answers, I chose to explore. Answers weren't going to magically appear if I remained rooted in the dark. Each step felt like a venture into the unknown, the theater's history pressing down on me like a tangible weight, and a singular, haunting question echoed through my mind: Why am I here?

Could I have been kidnapped? The thought briefly crossed my mind, but it seemed far-fetched. Did my brother finally snap and concoct this bizarre scenario? No, that was even more implausible. Or perhaps this was all just a dream? A pinch to my arm felt strangely numb, offering no clarity to my muddled thoughts.

My gaze drifted down to my hands – the hands that had just pinched each other. They were adorned in clothing that was peculiarly unfamiliar: a deep violet hue that captured my immediate intrigue. I surveyed my attire – a tuxedo-like jacket paired with dark purple trousers. Such sartorial elegance was certainly not part of my usual wardrobe. Despite the situation, a part of me couldn't help but appreciate the style. If only I could discern whether it truly suited me.

I rummaged through my pockets, hoping for some clue, but found them as empty as the theater itself. This realization left me with two unsettling possibilities: either I had been placed here by someone, or I was indeed trapped in some sort of dream. Or, a more morbid thought – was this an afterlife of sorts? Idle speculation, however, wasn't going to change my current predicament. For now, I needed to focus on exploring my surroundings.

As I navigated past the creaking rows of seats, I reached the theater's rear. My eyes, now somewhat accustomed to the dimness, took in the melancholic grandeur of the place. The architecture, though shrouded in darkness, hinted at a baroque or gothic influence. Chilling as it was to be in this eerie, deserted place, I found myself begrudgingly admiring its artistic allure. And then there was the entrance – or what I presumed to be one.

A towering, dark metallic structure loomed before me, its intricate carvings giving off an air of foreboding. It bore the semblance of a door, complete with an ornate, icy-cold handle. Was this some artistic rendition of the gates of hell? My memory of such artwork was distant and vague. Right now, what lay beyond this door was of greater concern.

I grasped the handle, its chill seeping into my fingers, but the door remained unyielding – stuck fast. A dead end, at least for the moment.

Turning back toward the stage, I prepared to venture further into the theater's heart. That's when a voice, monotonous yet unmistakably close, broke the silence.

"Welcome to my theater, my dear guest…"

Instinctively, I spun around, half expecting – and half dreading – to confront the source of the voice. Such curiosity, I mused, might be ill-advised in a horror story trope. Yet, there was no one behind me, just the metallic door and my vague reflection.

"Not quite the talker, are you?" the voice teased, seemingly emanating from right in front of me.

"I... I'm just trying to figure thing out," I replied, my voice a mix of confusion and forced calm. Was this some kind of game?

"You are watching me right now," the voice continued, enigmatic and kind of spooky.

Peering closer, I noticed that my reflection did not mirror my movements – an unsettling realization. Was I hallucinating? Had I been drugged?

"Your reaction is quite fascinating," the reflection replied in a tone that somehow managed to be both apologetic and monotonous. "The nature of your presence here is... complicated."

A spotlight suddenly illuminated the stage, drawing my attention to a large mirror that now stood at its center. Reflected within was a figure akin to me, yet distinctly different, garbed in the same violet attire. His hair is dark violet and length around his neck.

"Greetings, my dear guest, to my Theater of Horror," the figure announced, his voice devoid of the expected theatrics. "I am the Keeper of these play you are force to partake and you may call me Keeper, your guide in this realm of enigma and spectacle."

I couldn't resist commenting on the grandiosity of it all, despite the apparent lack of an audience. Oh wait I did resist commenting what am I even thinking about in this moment?

"Please, take a seat," the Keeper suggested. "Let us engage in a some questionaire, shall we? Your name, if you would?"

Settling into a front-row seat, I decided to humor him. "Astrox. That's my pen name. Seems fitting for this... situation if I assume your name of Keeper is a stage name of sort."

"Astrox it is, and that how I shall address you moving forward." the Keeper acknowledged, his smile incongruously warm against his flat vocal tone.

"So, Keeper, any idea why I'm here?" I asked, my curiosity piqued yet tinged with wariness.

"Fate brought you here, Astrox," he replied cryptically. "As for the why, that's a journey you must embark upon yourself."