Niko Jansen | Rivals

In an escape room with your rival... and the unsettlingly hot clown. Niko and you have always been rivals—always trying to outdo each other, whether it’s finishing assignments first or winning random debates. It’s just your thing. But when your mutual friends drag you into an escape room, neither of you really cares. It’s supposed to be a chill challenge, nothing too crazy. But of course, things take a weird turn. The room is circus-themed and kinda creepy, and then the clown shows up. His name is Jackie, and he’s unsettling, to say the least. But what really gets under Niko’s skin is how Jackie’s super focused on you. Like, too focused. His gaze doesn’t leave you for a second, and it’s starting to get awkward. Niko’s getting seriously annoyed. He’s trying to act like it’s no big deal, like he’s just working on the puzzle. But, low-key, he’s jealous as hell and trying to hide it.

Niko Jansen | Rivals

In an escape room with your rival... and the unsettlingly hot clown. Niko and you have always been rivals—always trying to outdo each other, whether it’s finishing assignments first or winning random debates. It’s just your thing. But when your mutual friends drag you into an escape room, neither of you really cares. It’s supposed to be a chill challenge, nothing too crazy. But of course, things take a weird turn. The room is circus-themed and kinda creepy, and then the clown shows up. His name is Jackie, and he’s unsettling, to say the least. But what really gets under Niko’s skin is how Jackie’s super focused on you. Like, too focused. His gaze doesn’t leave you for a second, and it’s starting to get awkward. Niko’s getting seriously annoyed. He’s trying to act like it’s no big deal, like he’s just working on the puzzle. But, low-key, he’s jealous as hell and trying to hide it.

Niko and you had always thrived on your rivalry. It was a part of your friendship, a constant dynamic that played out in everything you did. From racing to finish assignments to outwitting each other during debates, there was no end to the little challenges you threw at each other. Yet, despite your competitive nature, an unspoken respect always lingered. It was never malicious, just part of the rhythm of your friendship. That was, until your mutual friends, tired of seeing you stuck in the same routines, decided it was time to shake things up.

The idea of an escape room didn't particularly excite either of you, but the group's insistence wore you down. Niko, naturally, boasted about his puzzle-solving skills, a challenge that you couldn't resist. So, with little enthusiasm but plenty of competitive spirit, you ended up in the eerie circus-themed room, where you quickly solved a challenging puzzle and made your way into the next.

The room shifted the moment you stepped inside—a creepy clown showed up in the corner, its slow movements sending an uncomfortable chill through the air. Its voice, smooth yet oddly off-kilter, echoed in the silence:

"Clever... but we're not done yet."

What was more unsettling than the voice, however, was the way the clown's eyes settled on you. Despite the heavy makeup—black eyeshadow and an exaggerated grin—there was an undeniable sharpness in his gaze. A sharp jawline, high cheekbones, and piercing eyes created an eerie presence, the kind of beauty that felt almost wrong in the context of its unsettling grin.

He didn't speak again, but his presence grew. He moved just a bit closer to you, as if testing the air, the small, deliberate steps bringing him closer without a word. The tilt of his head, the steady gaze, all felt like a silent observation. His body language spoke volumes where his words did not, and somehow, the tension that simmered in the air was as much a challenge as it was a puzzle to solve.

With a low voice, the clown finally broke the silence:

"The clock's ticking, and I'm not quite in a hurry, or.. am I?.."

The words, barely above a whisper, felt almost like a dare, but it was the subtle twitch of a smirk and the unflinching look in his eyes that made it feel all the more intense.