The staircase spiraled downwards, creaking under their weight as if warning them to turn back. Evelyn's stomach twisted with unease. The deeper they went, the heavier the air became, thick with the metallic tang of fear.
At the bottom, a hallway stretched endlessly, lined with countless doors, each glowing faintly with an eerie, pulsating light. Some seemed to bend and shift when she looked away.
"This… can't be real," Alex muttered, voice trembling.
Evelyn's eyes scanned the doors. "Nothing about this train is real. But if we don't choose, we'll be trapped forever."
The whispers returned, sharper this time, curling inside her skull:
"Every choice is a lie… every path leads to despair."
The friends split cautiously, testing the doors one by one. Every wrong choice twisted the hall, the walls bending impossibly, corridors folding in on themselves. The lanterns flickered, casting shadows that moved on their own, snaking across the floor.
Evelyn's own reflection appeared in one cracked mirror along the wall—but her reflection smirked wickedly, moving before she did. A voice hissed from it:
"You cannot escape yourself."
Her pulse hammered. "Focus," she whispered. "We need patterns… symbols… something that tells us which door to take."
Maya pointed to faint silver etchings above each door—triangles, circles, broken lines. Evelyn studied them, noticing repeating sequences. Every correct door opened a safe path; every wrong one folded the halls, looping them back to where they began.
Suddenly, a sound scraped along the floor—a dragging, deliberate step. Evelyn froze. From the shadows emerged a figure, tall, faceless, coat hanging loose, moving toward them slowly. Its presence warped the air, a suffocating chill crawling along their spines.
"Run!" Alex shouted.
Evelyn grabbed Sophie's hand, pulling her through the correct sequence of doors. The faceless figure followed, silent and relentless, always just behind them, a nightmare tethered to their heels.
Finally, Maya found the last symbol—the correct door. Evelyn threw it open, dragging her friends through. The door slammed shut behind them. Silence fell, thick and heavy, broken only by their ragged breathing.
The new carriage was empty, the lantern in the center swinging gently. Evelyn sank against a wall, heart racing. "The train… it's testing us. Every step… every decision… it's learning."
A low whisper echoed, chilling her blood:
"The next carriage will see your secrets… and tempt you with what you desire most."
Evelyn's fingers trembled as she touched the railing. She knew the horrors were far from over, and the Midnight Train had only begun to show its true face.