Descending into the Unknown

You try to think of what else happened since the phone had updated. The odd pink incense from this morning was one thing. You remember seeing the morning sunlight go through the window in your room. Was the stairway the only change that had been made to the apartment? Could you make a rope ladder and escape to outside through the windows? Or was the magic app playing tricks on you?

You could check that later, but for now, there was one question immediately before you. Where did this staircase lead? "We should, uh, check it out right? I mean, I don't understand what's happening, but we can't just freak out, right?" Your words are met by a nod by Sephora, a look of concern from Rebecca, and cold hard looks from Olivia and Erica.

Erica's answer is immediate. "What's this we shit? If you want to explore the spooky black glass staircase, feel free to go down the probably deadly stairs alone, dumbass. I'm going to go to my room, and try to call somebody. Or better yet, I'm going to go to my room and try to wake up from this fucking nightmare because that's the only rational explanation for this. So have fun exploring the mysterious totally safe staircase, idiot, and if you don't come back I'll tell them you died as you lived. Stupidly." She storms off, and you see Olivia follow soon afterward.

Sephora and Rebecca look at you with sympathetic looks. Rebecca seems to have calmed down a bit, now that she knows some monster isn't running up the stairs to get you. She's the one who talks first. "Well, I mean, it doesn't make sense, but I mean, ignoring it won't make it go away any faster than exploring it. And I mean, if this is a dream, isn't one of those answers sort of boring?"

Sephora smiles at this. "Hell yeah, I guess if I'm the one dreaming this, then I vote for moving the dream down the creepy black stairs. And if it's real, well then, we have to explore it anyways, right?" She pats your back. "Let's get going Mr. Explorer."

Sephora and you put on your shoes before you all breathe deep and go into the stairs. The stairs are thin, so you go down single file. You lead the way, as despite their shows of bravado, it's clear that both Sephora and Rebecca are still nervous. You all dive deeper down the spiral staircase into the unknown.

The stairs end at the opening to a room. The room is huge, as big as the entirety of your apartment. It is empty, except for one thing that takes up the entirety of the room. Five circles with lines running between each, making a pentagram within a pentagon. Sephora and Rebecca start freaking out, while you know that this is based on the app.

Rebecca runs upstairs, as Sephora grabs your arm. "Alright, we explored, let's get going..." But before you can speak, the circle begins to glow. You grab her, running back up the stairs. Before the world flashes again, like when you were knocked out last night.