The door ahead opened, revealing nothing but impenetrable darkness. The air was thick, heavy, suffocating, and each breath felt like inhaling cold, wet ash. Evelyn's heart raced as she stepped inside, senses straining for any hint of light.
"This… I can't see anything," Alex whispered, his voice tight with fear.
Evelyn's fingers brushed against the walls, slick and cold. "We have to move slowly. Don't panic."
The darkness shifted. Shapes began to form: indistinct figures, shadows coiling and writhing as if alive. Soft whispers drifted from every direction:
"You cannot leave… you belong to the night…"
Evelyn's pulse hammered in her ears. Each step forward made the shadows twist closer, brushing her skin with cold tendrils that burned despite their chill.
Suddenly, the floor gave way to an endless abyss beneath their feet. The friends froze. "We're… falling?" Leo stammered.
Evelyn clenched her fists, forcing herself to look forward. Floating lanterns appeared out of nowhere, illuminating paths that seemed to twist and turn endlessly. Each path reflected their deepest fears: failures, losses, moments they had buried in shame.
The shadows formed humanoid shapes, their mouths opening in silent screams, eyes hollow voids. One reached toward Evelyn. "Face it," it whispered, its voice like scraping metal.
Evelyn's mind screamed: This is the last test… I can't lose myself now. She focused, recalling every puzzle they had solved, every shadow they had faced, every memory they had reclaimed. She stepped forward deliberately, refusing to flinch.
The shadow lunged. Evelyn grabbed it—not with hands, but with will. "You are nothing!" she shouted. The figure shuddered, cracking like glass, and evaporated into the darkness.
One by one, the others faced their own shadows. Alex screamed as a twisted version of himself reached for him, but with Evelyn's guidance, they pressed on. Sophie and Leo did the same, and the shadows dissolved under their combined resolve.
The abyss narrowed, forming a corridor that led to a faintly glowing door at the far end. Evelyn's chest heaved, sweat sliding down her temples, but she forced herself forward.
"This carriage… it's done," she muttered, eyes forward. "But I know… the train is far from finished with us."
As they reached the door, the darkness whispered one final warning:
"Beyond this door… lies the truth you dread most. Prepare yourself… or be lost forever."
Evelyn's fingers tightened on the railing. Her stomach churned, but her resolve was unshakable. One step at a time. One carriage at a time. The Midnight Train was relentless—and she would have to be stronger.