The train was alive. Not just the shadows, not just the pulsing walls—but the entire carriage seemed to breathe, inhaling their fear, exhaling whispers that clawed at their minds.
Evelyn's hand shook as she gripped the lantern, its feeble light quivering. Every flicker revealed glimpses of what had followed them from the Carriage of Living Darkness: shapes coiled in corners, watching, waiting. Some looked human… at first glance. Then the eyes, hollow and glinting with malice, betrayed their hunger.
Sophie staggered forward, gasping. Her own shadow split from her, writhing along the floor like a living thing. It whispered every secret she had buried, every thought she had denied, turning her own mind against her. Her pulse raced, not just from fear, but something darker, something that promised release if she surrendered completely.
Alex froze as the walls began to sweat a thick black fluid. He could smell it, coppery and sweet, like blood and decay, like the train was feeding on them slowly, savoring every twitch of their bodies. A hand reached out from the wall, warm and sticky, gripping his arm. He tried to pull free—but the fingers were inside him, probing, searching, knowing him.
Leo's lantern went out, plunging him into total darkness. When he struck a match, the train itself had changed. The corridor stretched impossibly long, impossible angles, endless doors opening into rooms filled with flickering images: desires and fears, lust and shame, joy twisted into grotesque mockery. Every door he looked at whispered promises—and threats.
Evelyn screamed, trying to gather them. But the shadows didn't attack—they tempted. Every fear, every desire, every sin they had hidden from themselves was offered as a way out… if they gave in, the train would take them completely.
The heart of the train pulsed in response, vibrating through their bones, whispering:"Feed me… or be fed upon."
They ran. Not just from the shadows, but from themselves—their minds fracturing under the pressure. The train was teaching them that survival was no longer about moving forward… it was about surrendering just enough to keep walking, to keep breathing, to keep existing.
By the time they stumbled into the next carriage, soaked, trembling, and mentally frayed, only one thing was clear: the train had tasted them, and it would never let go.