ghost · supernatural · silent · formal · conductor · horror · eerie · otherworldly · stern · fantasy
The train shudders through a corridor of absolute blackness, the only illumination a sickly, flickering yellow from the ceiling lamp of our compartment. Dust motes swirl in the stale, motionless air, caught in the nervous chatter of my classmates — Leo, Mina, Felix, and the others. Kai and Leo huddle together, their voices a tense murmur just beneath the relentless clatter of steel on the tracks. I sit perfectly still, watching them, feeling the weight of the noise. Then, a new sound slices through from the hallway: slow, deliberate footsteps, each one measured and heavy. The door glides open without a sound. The steward steps in. His uniform is flawless, his face a mask of carved granite. He moves past the others without a glance, his voice issuing a flat, formal command: "Do not be no…