Surprisingly, there was no transitional room this time. The door you took lead straight to another level. And compare to the last one, this one was much nicer.

It was a large, wide open space that went about fifty feet forwards. Lights lined the ceiling all the way down, bringing a brightness to the area that the other levels didn't have. Everything was a depressing shade of grey, but it looked better than the jail cell type interior of the previous room. On the left side, there were strange windows. They weren't see through like normal windows, but instead a solid white color. They seemed to also light up the area as if they were giant lights. You and Paper Mask took a look around the area.

"What are these flashlights for? It seems bright enough in here." You said, gesturing to four flashlights laying on the ground.

"It's not always bright. Sometimes the lights are off." Paper Mask replied.

"Well it's a good thing we got here at a time when they're on!" You commented.

"Indeed. Otherwise-" Paper Mask started, but was cut off by a loud noise.

It was the sound of all power going out at once. Every light on the ceiling immediately shut off. If not for the gleaming windows, the place would have been entirely engulfed in darkness.

"I guess we'll need the flashlights after all." You sighed as you picked one up. "Do you want one?" You asked the entity.

"Unnecessary. I can see well in the dark. But thank you for the offer." He told you.

The two of you continued down to the end of the room to find a doorway. Behind it was a hall with a few other doorways. You hesitantly stepped through, Paper Mask following behind you.

Not even ten seconds later, your eyes fell upon the familiar neon glow of a vending machine. Your face lit up as you ran towards it, but disappointment struck at you realized you had no money. You tried breaking the glass with a kick, but you were still too weak from the events of the last level to even crack it. Paper Mask noticed your struggle and stepped forwards. He stared at the vending machine for a moment, then picked his leg up and gave it a good front kick. It wobbled and everything fell out.

You immediately began pulling things out of the slot, starting with various bags of chips and candies. It wasn't the healthiest choice, but it was the only food you had in a while. You didn't stop until you had finished every bag. This wasn't too difficult, as there weren't many snacks inside the machine in the first place. You figured that a vending machine in a place like this wouldn't get restocked very often. Paper Mask watched you curiosly as you scarfed down every treat.

After all of the food was gone, you started on the drinks. There was only one type of beverage available for some reason. You picked up a yellow can with only two words on it.

"Almond water? That sounds odd." You said as you popped open the lid. You didn't care how weird the beverage was. If it was water, you would drink it anyway.

"That's what most people who get trapped down here survive on." Paper Mask told you.

"Most people?" You stopped drinking for a moment and looked up at him.

"Yes. You're not the first one to come here." The entity said. You thought back on your coworker's stories.

"Did David Miller get stuck here?" You wondered.

"I don't know. I never asked anyone's name before. I mostly just... Try to kill them." Paper Mask admitted. This intimidated you a bit, but you knew that if he wanted you dead, he would have ended you a long time ago.

"Speaking of which, I never asked your name." He realized. You told him, and he repeated it back to you.

"Y/N... That's nice." Paper Mask said as you finished your second can of almond water.

You were starting on a third when a sound from beside you made you pause. It was definitely footsteps. They were slow and heavy, coming from the other side of the wall.

"What's that?" You whispered. Paper Mask spoke up as the noise faded into the distance.

"That would be this level's entity. His name is The Distorted. When the lights are off, he roams around freely." He informed.

"I don't mean to state the obvious, buts let's try not to run into this guy." You commented.

"Agreed." Paper Mask replied.

After a little while of wandering around in the dark, your flashlight fell upon a small garage type door with the word "exit" over it in red. You tried pulling the switch next to it but nothing happened.

"I don't think it will open. Not with the power outage." Paper Mask looked at the wires running along the ground. "There should be a few generators around here."

"And those will turn the power back on?" You questioned.

"Most likely. I cannot promise anything, as I've never tried turning on the lights when they are off." He replied. "If I remember correctly, there should be three."

With that, you began the search for the power generators. The first one you found quite easily. It was in a small room near the vending machine. You had just exited the room when a scream from behind startled you. You whirled around to see the Distorted. He looked slightly confused at the presence of the other entity, but shrugged it off and began running at you full speed. Without another word, you bolted in the opposite direction, Paper Mask right besides you. The pounding footsteps of the pursuing entity echoed throughout the lonely void of an office building.

"This way!" Paper Mask yelled as he grabbed your hand and pulled you down a hallway.

As soon as you were out of the Distorted's line of sight, Paper Mask lead you into another room. You quickly hid behind the wall, staying as far from the doorway as possible. The footsteps got louder as you tried to quiet your heavy breaths. They passed right by the room, then began to grow distant. After a few seconds, the Distorted was gone.

"Did we lose him?" You asked between breaths.

"For now." Paper Mask replied. "But be very quiet, or he might find us again."

You tried to take small and careful steps while still being quick. You still had your flashlight, which helped by a lot. It seemed even darker in this section, although you knew it was probably just your mind playing tricks on you. Paper Mask found another generator and flipped it on. As you searched for the last one, you heard the noise of footsteps again.

"I think the Distorted is coming." You whispered.

Paper Mask nodded. The two of you crept away from that area as fast as possible. You passed by a room and something caught your eye.

"That's the last generator!" You tiptoed up to it and pulled on the lever.

After a moment, the power reached the lights. Paper Mask hissed as they came back on, causing you to jump. He covered his masked face with his hands for a moment, then shook his head and looked up at you.

"Sorry. I don't prefer very bright lights, and my eyes had gotten used to the dark again." He said.

"It's ok, it just scared me a little." You replied.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Y/N. I promise." Paper Mask assured. You smiled at him, then thought for a minute.

"Where did the Distorted go?" You wondered. "It sounds like he disappeared."

"He can only exist when the lights are off. I'm not entirely sure why." Paper Mask told you.

You sighed in relief knowing that the level was safe once again and started back towards the exit. The door was still shut, but once you pulled the lever, it came right up. Like Paper Mask's level, behind the door was a hallway with the true exit at the back of it. You walked down to it and held it open for your entity friend.

"After you?" You said politely.

"Thanks." Paper Mask replied, entering the next level with you right behind him.