Alex's hand trembled over the handle. Sweat dripped down his temple, his whole body shaking with the weight of the decision. His eyes were glassy, but there was something burning in them—something Evelyn hadn't seen in so long it hurt.
Hope.
"I can't do this anymore," he whispered. His voice cracked, raw with exhaustion. "The fear, the screams, the endless running—it never stops, Evelyn. But this… this could be the end. What if this is the way out? What if this is mercy?"
The whispers swelled, the door pulsing brighter:"Yes. Step through. Be free. No more pain."
Evelyn lunged, grabbing his arm, her nails digging deep. "Listen to me, Alex! That's not freedom—it's annihilation! Don't you get it? The train doesn't want to end your pain—it wants to end you." Her voice broke, but she held on. "You step through that door, and there's no coming back. Not for you, not for any of us."
Leo laughed, hollow and sharp, his eyes locked on the glowing frame. "Maybe that's the point, Evelyn. Maybe ending is better than this half-life. Maybe we're already gone and you're just too stubborn to admit it."
The void shook violently, the heart hammering faster, louder, drowning out thought. The door creaked wider on its own, spilling light across their faces, golden and warm. The light smelled like home. Like childhood. Like love.
Alex's knees buckled. He sobbed as his brother's voice echoed from beyond the threshold. "Come home, Alex. Please. It's safe here."
His hand clamped around the handle.
Evelyn screamed, throwing herself against him, fighting to pry his fingers free. "No! Don't you dare! Don't you leave me here!"
The train howled, the sound rattling through their bones, as if laughing at the struggle. The door burned brighter, blinding, consuming. Alex screamed—not in fear, but in longing. His grip tightened.
And then—
The handle turned.
The door yawned open.
Light spilled out, swallowing Alex in a golden blaze.
And he was gone.
The door slammed shut, vanishing into the void.
Only Evelyn and Leo remained, their screams echoing in the silence, their bodies trembling as the train's heart thundered in triumph.