The next door groaned open, revealing nothing but pitch-black darkness. No walls, no floor, only a void that seemed to stretch infinitely. The moment they stepped in, the lantern's light faltered, flickered, and nearly died.
The train whispered, low and omnipresent:"Here… there is no escape. Only fear eternal."
Shadows rose from the darkness, twisting into grotesque figures of past horrors—skinless bodies, flooded corpses, dolls with human faces—all writhing as if alive. Their eyes glowed red, fixated on Evelyn and her friends.
The floor disappeared under their feet. One wrong step and it felt like they would fall into an endless void. Screams echoed from nowhere, bouncing off invisible walls. Each whisper clawed at their minds, replaying their darkest memories, every sin, every desire they tried to bury.
Sophie stumbled, her legs suddenly heavy, paralyzed by unseen chains of shadow. "I… I can't move!"
Alex swung at the shadows, but they were intangible—his fists passed through them, only for the images to twist and latch onto him mentally, forcing flashes of shame, desire, and guilt directly into his mind.
Leo's reflection appeared in the void—a twisted, decaying version of himself, mocking every choice he'd made. It whispered:"You can't save them… or yourself. You will join the eternal night."
Evelyn gritted her teeth. The lantern sputtered, but she held it high. Its light carved a fragile circle around them, searing away shadows at the edge—but the deeper darkness seemed infinite, retreating just as quickly as the light advanced.
The Conductor appeared, his face shifting constantly: half shadow, half charred flesh, eyes glowing molten white. "You've survived… the flesh… the blood… the rot… the fire… the mind. But now…" He gestured, and the darkness itself coiled into spikes, spears, and hands reaching for them. "You face everything together."
The shadows attacked as one—body, mind, fear, desire—simultaneously. Screams tore from them, raw, primal, mingling with whispers of regret, lust, and terror. The lantern's glow flared, and Evelyn forced all her will into it, carving a tunnel through the infinite night.
Step by step, they dragged themselves forward, battling hallucinations, body horror, and psychological attacks all at once. Every heartbeat threatened to shatter their sanity.
Finally, at the far end, a sigil pulsed faintly, promising temporary sanctuary. They lunged toward it. Shadows shrieked, grasping, clawing, whispering:"You cannot escape. You cannot survive. You belong to the night…"
With a final desperate cry, Evelyn slammed the lantern onto the sigil. White-hot light exploded, consuming the darkness. The shadows vanished. The void seemed to collapse in on itself, leaving the survivors kneeling, trembling, barely alive.
Evelyn looked around. Nothing moved. Nothing breathed. Silence.
But somewhere far off, in the distance of this unending train, a faint whisper echoed, chilling and patient:"And yet… the end is nowhere. Deeper still awaits…"