The train started moving again at normal speed, pushing forward like it was heading toward forever.
After seeing that shit, I threw up—or tried to. Nothing came out. I hadn't eaten lunch that day because I was too nervous to even think about food. So when my body tried to puke, nothing came up except my guts twisting and turning. I grabbed my stomach with both hands, fingernails digging in, trying to keep everything inside from ripping apart.
When I finally stopped, my whole body was still shaking. Cold sweat soaked through my shirt. I was scared shitless of what I didn't understand. A thousand questions screamed in my head, but I didn't have a single damn answer.
I kept thinking: Why was my country's language written on that wall? Why were all those people wearing the same clothes? And what the fuck was outside Annapurna station?
There's a saying: "Fear of the unknown is scarier than my dad's belt." Not sure if that's real or not, but my dad's belt hurt like hell...
But jokes weren't going to help me now. I needed to figure out what the hell was going on with this train. That was the only way I'd get out—if I even could. I wasn't sure. But I had to hold onto something.
**The lights blinked. Once. Twice. Then came back on, but darker than before.**
**I looked down the empty hallway. Had it always been this quiet? This creepy?**
Or was I losing my mind? I couldn't tell anymore.
Then a thought hit me: *I'd only tried the door at the front. I never checked the back door.*
Okay. Decision made. I'd try the back door. Maybe I could get the hell out of here.
I started walking slowly, being careful. Right foot forward, then left. Left, then right. I kept looking around, checking the shadows. Maybe that thing wasn't close by. But deep down, I knew the truth—and that made it worse. I had to stay alert.
When I got to the back of the compartment, I saw it: another door. As I stared at it, I noticed something weird—the door was shining somehow, and above it, some kind of symbol was carved into the metal. Like a mandala or something. I didn't understand it.
A flash of hope hit me. But then I turned my head and looked at the window near the door, and my stomach dropped.
What I saw made my blood run cold. This compartment—where I woke up—was the *last* car on the train. There shouldn't be anything past this door. Just tracks and empty space.
So why the fuck was there another door?
I stood there staring at that impossible door for five minutes. My brain tried to make sense of it but couldn't. Finally, I decided. Dangerous or not, I was going through.
I reached for the handle. My hand was shaking as I grabbed the cold metal.
I opened the door.
Light blasted into my face—bright as hell, like staring at the sun. White and black mixed together, burning through my eyes. I shut them tight, but the light still hurt.
When everything settled down, I blinked hard, trying to see clearly.
Same scene. Same compartment I'd woken up in. Red seats on both sides, that weird writing on the walls. But something felt *wrong*. The air was thick and heavy, smelling like blood and rotting meat.
And there, in the middle of the aisle, something was *eating*.
I couldn't see it clearly at first. But slowly, the shape came into focus.
It had white fur—pure white, like snow. But covered in blood. Its mouth was open, showing long sharp teeth. Its hands were stretched out way too long, with yellow nails like claws. Same nasty claws on its feet.
But something was weird about its face. As I looked closer, I realized: *it didn't have eyes*. Just smooth skin where eyes should be.
So it must smell things to hunt. That's how it found people.
Then I looked at what it was eating, and I almost threw up again.
A person. Wearing the same uniform as me. The creature had ripped open the person's stomach, guts spilling out everywhere. Its face was buried in the body, silver-white spit dripping from its mouth.
*Drip... drip... drip...*
The liquid hit the metal floor with a hissing sound.
*Sssssss... chreak... cherk...*
I gasped—I couldn't help it. A tiny sound came out before I could stop it.
The creature's head shot up.
Shit. I was wrong. It didn't just smell—it could *hear* really well too.
Its eyeless face turned toward me. It knew where I was.
Then a voice came out of nowhere—cold and robotic, echoing through the train car or maybe just in my head:
**[WELCOME TO THE MIRROR WORLD]**
I froze. Terror and confusion locked me in place. What the hell did that mean? What—
The creature launched itself at me.
I couldn't move. Couldn't think. Even if I could, what was I going to do? I was just some guy who spent all his time on the internet, not a fighter.
The hit came hard.
My body flew backward and slammed into the wall with a horrible *crack*. All the air left my lungs. Pain exploded in my chest—hot and sharp and everywhere. My ribs broke. I heard each one snap.
I fell to the floor, gasping for air that wouldn't come. Blood filled my mouth, warm and metallic, dripping down my chin. Everything started going blurry—the red seats, the white monster, that announcement still echoing.
I couldn't stand up. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
My eyes were closing. Everything was fading to black.
*To be continued...*