The Clouded Train Station (Prologue)

The night was as heavy and dark as a thick cloth soaked in ink, pressing down on the platform, making it hard to breathe. Su Yue stood within the yellow line, staring at the digital clock on his phone screen displaying '23:59'. The last express train back to the city had departed an hour ago. This old station, located in the suburbs, was usually deserted, and now it was completely empty. A dense fog, carrying the damp, earthy smell of soil, silently surged from the end of the tracks, casting a mottled, yellowish glow on the dim platform lights. Suddenly, the broadcast system crackled with harsh metallic noise, followed by a disjointed, monotone mechanical female voice: "Next train... the Nameless Train... arriving shortly." Su Yue frowned. He had traveled this railway line countless times and had never seen this particular train on the timetable. Seconds later, a steam train, as black as ink with tightly shut windows, sliced through the mist and stopped silently before him. The train had no markings, not even the sound of wheels on the rails; it was as quiet as a leviathan sleeping in the deep sea. The door opened with a dull click, and a cold wind, carrying the scent of dead leaves and rotten blood, rushed out. Su Yue shivered. He instinctively wanted to step back, but then he remembered the threats of his creditors at home and the misery of sleeping on the streets. Gritting his teeth, he stepped into the carriage. To be continued...