The rails trembled beneath her feet, shaking so violently that Evelyn had to hold onto the lantern with both hands. The pulse of the heart—the train itself—was louder than ever, a deafening roar that rattled her bones.
The carriage walls began to melt, stretching into impossible shapes. Floors curled upward, ceilings plunged downward, and shadows erupted from every crack, swirling like living storms. The air was thick, suffocating, electric with malice.
The train's voice filled the void, louder than a thousand screams:"You defy me! You burn! You dare resist!"
The echoes of Alex, Sophie, and Leo screamed from the walls, but twisted, distorted. They weren't memories anymore—they were weapons, claws of light and shadow that lunged at her with every ounce of longing and fear she'd ever felt.
Evelyn spun, swinging her lantern, the white flame cutting through the illusions. Each swing scorched shadows, shattering phantoms into ash. But for every one destroyed, two more took its place, faster, hungrier, louder.
The floor beneath her cracked open, revealing rails lined with jagged black spikes and rivers of pulsating veins. The ceiling dripped with molten shadows, forming grotesque faces that shrieked in unison:"Submit! Become one! Burn!"
Her chest heaved. The lantern flickered violently, threatening to die, but Evelyn gritted her teeth. "You… will… not win!" she screamed. Every word carried fury, grief, and defiance.
The train retaliated. The heart, somewhere deep beneath her feet, pulsed violently. The entire carriage shook as a wave of raw, hungry darkness erupted, smashing walls, ceilings, and floors alike. Evelyn was lifted off her feet, flung into the air, her lantern spinning in a blur of white light.
She hit the ground hard, lungs burning, but she rolled to her feet. She lifted the lantern high again. The flame flared, feeding off her resolve. Every tear, every scream, every shred of pain she'd endured added to it, making it brighter.
The train recoiled. It had never met resistance like this. The heart throbbed, confused, furious, struggling to adapt.
Evelyn staggered forward, stepping into the center of the chaos. "I am not yours!" she shouted. "I am still me!"
And for the first time, lil sis… the train hesitated.
The walls stilled. The shadows froze mid-lunge. The rails beneath her trembled, but didn't split.
Evelyn's lantern burned white-hot in the darkness. And in that instant, she realized: she could fight the train.
But the question remained… for how long?