Level 163 : "The Call of the Void"

This Level can be best described as a series of generic highrise buildings surrounded by a thick fog. This fog makes it impossible to see where the base of the buildings is; it is unknown whether there is some sort of ground below the fog or the Level simply exists within an endless void. This second option is the more popular theory of the two. Due to this, when talking about the bottom of this Level we will use the term "void".

When entering the Level, visitors will always appear inside of an elevator. After ascending for a few minutes, the elevator arrives at a room on the roof of the tallest skyscraper, which is simply known as the "central building". This building is currently the only one that can be accessed safely since the other existing structures in this Level are generally too far away to be reached.1

The weather in this Level is always cloudy and windy, and there are no reports of rain or snow. Temperatures usually fluctuate between -5ºC and 5ºC, although there have been records of temperatures as low as -12ºC.2

The roof of the central building is mostly empty, only featuring some vents, AC units, and electrical equipment, as well as the entrance to the aforementioned elevator. The floorplan of this roof features two halves: the first half has the shape of a right-angled trapezoid, and the second half is slightly elevated and has a rectangular shape. In the center, a cubical structure can be found, which is where the elevator resides.

Many of the travelers who have visited this Level have reported constant feelings of vertigo and disorientation, as well as occasional nausea and headaches. There have also been many instances of the phenomenon known as "the call of the void", which can be defined as a strange urge to jump one may have when looking down from a tall height, such as a skyscraper. Nearly all of these cases have resulted in the subject acting on this urge and falling. This is a well-documented phenomenon in The Frontrooms. However, it usually doesn't result in the subject jumping, but in Level 163, its effects seem to be amplified.

What happens to the vast majority of the subjects who do jump into the void is unknown, although there was one Wanderer who stated in a now-deleted forum post that, after falling, they found themselves in level-198, where they kept falling for several days until appearing in Level 11.3

While many think that falling all the way into the void simply leads to one's death, some theorize that the existence of the void is a sign that this Level is, in fact, a part of The Blue Channel, and thus, anyone who falls here will keep falling until they die of a natural cause such as starvation. Another theory suggests that anyone who falls into the void is sent to Level 254, which they say might explain why no one has ever returned after the fall. So far, neither of these theories has been proven.

Besides the "call of the void" phenomenon and the void itself, there are no other known environmental hazards in this Level, and the only known entity is the elevator.4

Due to the nature of the symptoms that visitors suffer inside this Level, settling it has proven to be rather difficult, and most visitors tend to try to find an exit as soon as possible due to these unpleasant symptoms. No serious attempts have been made to create an outpost in this Level, as of writing this article.

This is the post that the Wanderer who survived the fall into the void made on November 15th, 2021, and then deleted soon after.

Okay, where do I even start…
My name is Tay. I've been stuck in the Backrooms for… who knows. Time doesn't matter. Not in the Backrooms.

I'm currently in Level 11, lying down on an old mattress I found inside some building, drinking Almond Water. I really need to replenish my energies after what I've just gone through. I hope that anyone who may read this listens to me when I say: if you find yourself in Level 163, leave immediately. There may be no dangerous entities, it may be a class 0 Level, but trust me. It's not safe.

How I got to Level 163

Everything started going wrong when I went inside a building in Level 11 and found myself in Level 13. I hate Level 13. Something about it is miles more depressing than any other Backrooms level for me. I guess it reminds me of the place I lived in as a kid.

After going around for a while, I found an elevator. I could do two things: I could be stuck in Level 13 forever, or maybe take one of the usual exits to any of the other (arguably worse) Levels it's connected with; or, I could take a chance with this elevator. So I decided to enter the elevator and let luck decide my fate.

Surely enough, I got lucky; one of the available buttons was Level 11. So I pressed it without hesitation and waited. The elevator started moving. Minutes passed, and it was still moving. I found it strange that the elevator was taking so long to travel between two Levels that are so close to each other, but I didn't think much of it.

After a while, the lights went out. I went on full alert, thinking some entity was invading the elevator, or maybe the elevator had simply decided I should fall to my death. But after a few seconds, the lights were back, and everything seemed normal again. I was starting to get nervous; none of this felt normal at all. "But then again, is anything in the Backrooms normal?", I thought.

And finally, after what felt like an eternity, the elevator stopped, I heard a "ding" sound, and the doors opened.

Inside Level 163

I stepped out of the elevator, only to find myself in a dimly lit room. The walls were concrete, the floor was concrete, everything was covered in pipes and vents. This didn't look like anything I'd ever found in Level 11 before.

Right in front of me, I could see a metallic double door, colored in yellow. An emergency exit sign was hanging on top of it, shining in green. "Maybe", I thought, "this could be some sort of maintenance room, and going through that door will lead to the rest of Level 11". With no other exit in sight, I stepped forward and opened the door.

As soon as I did this, a freezing, violent wind slapped me in the face. This was not Level 11. I looked around; this new area looked like the rooftop of a skyscraper. I soon realized what was going on.

I'd heard rumors before, rumors about this mysterious place that elevators would sometimes send you to, no matter what Level you picked. But it was just that, rumors. And I tend not to to listen to rumors. But, for once, the rumors were right. I was in Level 163, and I had to get out.

While I was thinking all of this, I realized something: I was walking. I was walking straight towards the edge of the building. It was as if my legs had a mind of their own, as if some force was slowly pushing me forward. Until I got to the edge.

I soon found myself looking into the void. Yes, the void; there was a thick, almost purplish fog covering everything, and when I looked down, I could not see any ground… I could only see fog. Everything was just that purplish color as far as the eye could see. And then, thoughts started invading my mind, thoughts that I couldn't shake off no matter how hard I tried.

"You should jump."

I had this terrible urge to just jump. I didn't want to die, I didn't feel any sort of sadness or discomfort. I just wanted to jump. Something was taking me over, there were voices telling me to jump over and over. And I couldn't ignore it.

As long as there was still a part of me that could think rationally, I kept thinking of what would happen if I did jump: I didn't know what was at the bottom, but a fall like this was almost guaranteed to kill me instantly. I couldn't risk it. No, it wasn't worth it, no matter how much these voices told me to do it. But then again… what if I jumped?

Before I knew it, I gave in and jumped. I was freefalling, and suddenly the voices disappeared. That's when the panic kicked in. I was about to die. I started screaming. And then, something knocked me out.

Inside Level 198

When I opened my eyes again, I was still falling. I started screaming again, but then I realized that something was very different. The fog was gone. It was daytime, and when I looked all around me, all I could see was a slightly cloudy blue sky. Had I been transported to another Level?

I looked down. More sky. I looked around again. Still, more sky. There was no trace of the building I had just fallen off of. I guess there was nothing in this new Level, and I was simply doomed to fall forever. I stopped screaming. No point in wasting air and energy like that. Then I remembered another rumor I had heard. Apparently, on rare occasions, when falling from a tall distance, there was a certain Level you would be transported to: Level 198. A level where there was nothing but sky, no solid ground to stand on. All you could do was freefall and wait to be transported to a different Level.

I'd also heard the story of this one girl who fell from a building in Level 11 and was transported here. She spent at least a week straight falling before being transported back to Level 11. If the rumors were true, I might spend a while in this place, but at least I might return to where I wanted to be. And, after my visit to Level 163, I was willing to trust the rumors.

So I calmed down, and waited. I didn't care how long it would take, as long as there was a chance to get back to safety.

Returning to Level 11

That was 5 days ago. Just 30 minutes ago from writing this, I have completed the freefall in Level 198. I appeared back in Level 11, right at the door of the building that sent me to Level 13 and started all the madness. It was finally over. At this point I'd completely forgot what I was doing in Level 11 before everything happened, but that didn't matter. I survived.

I still don't fully understand Levels 163 and 198, but it seems that my survival was a mere coincidence: I've read that everyone who has fallen into the void in Level 163 before me has simply disappeared, never to be seen again. That sounds scary. I could've easily been one of those people who were consumed by the void, but I simply didn't join them. A stroke of luck, perhaps, was the difference between death and survival. Fuck me. I need to be more careful.

Whatever the case, I'm alive. And I'm never touching an elevator in my life ever again.

Entrances

In Levels above Level 9, all elevators have a small chance of sending you to this Level instead of the planned destination. There's also a chance that the button for this Level will appear in an elevator. There's also a theory that this level may be directly connected to the Elevator Shaft, although it's impossible to access this level from there unless inside an elevator.

Exits

• On arrival, if a visitor leaves and re-enters the elevator before the doors close, the elevator will violently descend, and the visitor will be sent to Level 3, Level 4 or Level 5.
• If the visitor, instead, waits for the elevator to leave and calls it again, the elevator will arrive and function like a regular elevator entity.
• Relating to this previous exit, there's a chance that, instead of the elevator, you will find the white door that leads to Level 998.

The previously mentioned case of falling and no-clipping into level-198 is still under investigation; in the case that this method can be replicated, this will be considered as a legitimate exit to the Level. In the meantime, the void is considered a hazard since the usual outcome of falling into it is still unknown.

Written by AlrexX
Image of skyscrapers modelled using Source Engine by AlrexX
Image of floorplan made by AlrexX