The snow this year was heavier than usual. The dilapidated train station on Guangyuan Road, which was soon to be demolished, was covered with a thick layer of snow.

It was half-past eleven at night.

Ethan handed over his ticket to the ticket collector, who glanced at the ticket, then looked up at Ethan and asked, "How old are you?"

Ethan, who hadn't slept well the night before, replied in a slightly hoarse voice, "Nineteen."

"ID, please."

He fished out an ID from his pocket, and underneath the overly wide cuffs, a slender hand extended the ID through the window. The ticket inspector gave the ID a scan, checked the information on the computer behind his glasses, and after confirming everything, couldn't help but look up at Ethan and say, "You look quite young."

In the dim light of the late night, the thick layer of snow on the ground helped Ethan to vaguely make out the appearance of a young man standing outside the ticket checkpoint. He looked clean and neat, with a pair of deep blue earphones around his neck, neatly trimmed short hair, and a face reddened by the cold wind, his pitch-black eyes misted over with frost, exuding a naive charm.

Ethan smiled faintly and obediently replied, "Everyone says that. Sometimes I even get ID-checked when I go to the internet café." He reached out to retrieve his ticket and ID that were handed back to him, but they didn't budge at first. Furrowing his brow, he exerted more force to finally pull the documents from the man's grip.

Suddenly, the man said, "Kid, it's almost New Year. Make sure to get home early and don't wander around."

A frozen smile stiffened on Ethan's face as he forced a polite tone, "Thank you, sir. Don't worry, I'm of legal age. I'm just going to visit relatives, not running away from home."

Finally reassured, the man said, "The world is chaotic. Take care."

"Yeah, you are a kind-hearted person."

He chuckled and said, "Go on, then."

As Ethan took a few steps away, his tense body gradually relaxed. He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the fake ID had indeed worked wonders, securing him a seat on this train. He took out his phone and powered it on, the screen inundated with a dozen missed calls and several dozen unread messages. He swiped open a few of them——

"Ethan, I know this decision is difficult for you, especially during this critical time of the college entrance examination, but Mom loves you and hopes you can give up taking the college entrance exam in China and come abroad with Mom."

"Ethan, I've already arranged for you to attend a domestic university, studying architecture, with a seamless progression from undergraduate to postgraduate. Your supervisor will be Dad's former colleague from the studio."

"Time is running out. Make a decision quickly, it won't be easy to handle the formalities if you delay."

"Ethan, you need to make a decision quickly, dad and mom, which one will you choose?"

"Why don't you come home?"

"Darling, where have you gone?"

"Call me back! Now!"

...

Expressionless, he marked all the messages as read.

Eleven sixteen at night.

The train was set to depart in fourteen minutes.

This train had infrequent departures, and tickets were particularly hard to come by. Yet luck was on his side, as he managed to seize an opportunity when someone returned their ticket, allowing him to snag a sleeper berth.

Ethan's breath vapor dissipated quickly in the frigid air as he put on his earphones and briskly made his way towards the train platform.

"Stop right there—"

The sudden shout made Ethan freeze in his tracks. In the snowy, icy surroundings, a young man clad in minimal attire was being chased by a station security patrol officer. Two full-grown men lunged forward, tackling him to the ground, but he quickly fought them off, even managing to land a kick, then continued bolting towards Ethan.

"Eek—!"

His age was a lie, and so was his ID. Ethan didn't want to get involved. In one leap, he boarded the nearest train car, pulling his hoodie over his head, leaving only a pair of dark, watchful eyes peeking out from within the train.

The man sprinted past without a glance, swift as a cheetah across the tundra, leaving a swirl of fine snow in his wake. The two security personnel stumbled in pursuit, but had no hope of catching up with his speed.

No time to spare, Ethan retracted his gaze and found his allocated train car by tracing the number on his ticket. He pushed the door open, and a stale odor rushed out to meet him.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath as he pinched his nose, then took a deep breath and plunged into the car. Opening the window, a cold draft rushed in, causing Ethan to gulp for air. Once the smell dissipated a bit, he took stock of the place where he would be confined for six days and six nights.

It was a compartment for two. The opposite side remained vacant. Choosing the relatively cleaner-looking berth on one side, Ethan hung his backpack on the bed frame. The bedsheet was disgustingly dirty, stained with some unknown liquids or substances, causing Ethan's frown to deepen as he scrutinized the spotty mess.

He took a deep breath and another, then convinced himself to accept the reality. Picking up the sheet, he tossed it to the ground, retrieved a white shirt from his backpack, and spread it over the mattress as much as possible, curling up within the boundaries of the shirt. He gently closed his eyes.

His stomach was aching.

At that moment, the train suddenly jolted into motion. Ethan sat up and looked out at the retreating scenery, the platform gradually fading into the distance, enveloped in darkness and the faint glimmers of distant lights, allowing his tense nerves to ease.

Finally leaving this place behind.

The train, bound from Washington D.C. to somewhere in Russia, would run for six days and six nights. Those two "social elites" could never have imagined that this pampered young man would board this train. Ethan smirked smugly; he just needed to conserve his energy for the six-day journey. He wouldn't starve.

Before long, exhaustion overcame him, and he dozed off.

In and out of sleep, he heard rustling sounds. Ethan slowly opened his eyes, momentarily disoriented, then suddenly realized his predicament. As he snapped wide awake, he found himself meeting a pair of pitch-black eyes.

Their eyes locked, both wearing puzzled expressions.

The man took a step back, seating himself on the opposite berth, calmly observing Ethan.

Ethan paused momentarily, and upon fully discerning the man's features, he suddenly recalled something.

His eyes widened gradually, thoughts whirling in his mind, but then he swallowed them back like a hot potato. Abruptly turning his head away, he averted his gaze, his heart pounding. Oh no, wasn't this the same person who was being chased and pinned down on the platform? How did he end up in the same train car? Who was he really? A good guy? A bad guy? Why were station staff chasing him? What if he had ulterior motives and found out about Ethan's whereabouts?

Ethan discreetly observed him.

He appeared to be in his early twenties, tall and sturdy, with handsome but aloof features. The shirt on his upper body was drenched in patches, clinging semi-translucent to his lean and robust physique, accentuating the contours of his muscles.

He's in good shape, Ethan thought somewhat enviously.

Adhering to the principle of 'I won't harm others, so don't harm me,' Ethan cautiously huddled in a corner, tensely monitoring the man's movements.

Ever since he boarded the train, the man had been sitting by the bed's edge like a statue, motionless and rigid, his body angular and taut. His face maintained a brooding countenance, and the depth of his gaze frequently settled on Ethan.

However, as the pain in his stomach intensified, Ethan broke into a cold sweat, biting his teeth to stave off the shivers.

Rustling emanating from the opposite side drew his keen attention. He opened his eyes and found a warm, large palm covering his clammy forehead, while the man's deep voice resonated by his ear, "Are you unwell?"

Feelings of grievance surged within Ethan but were forcibly swallowed.

"I'm fine," Ethan stated through gritted teeth.

"You're shivering."

"Please, no more talk."

Struggling to fetch medicine from his bag, he fumbled and dropped the backpack, spilling its contents onto the ground.

As his foot suddenly received a solid knock from a thick book, Ethan bent down to inspect it, realizing it was a hefty mythological encyclopedia. A golden embossed bookmark was nestled within its pages, revealing a familiar edge.

Where had he seen this bookmark before?

As Ethan, weakened by illness, failed to steady himself, Anthony reached out to pick it up. He observed the familiar edge with some hesitation before finally pulling the bookmark out and reading the inscription:

[Invitation]

We invite investigator 'Ethan' to participate in this game. Please board the train departing this Saturday at 11:30 PM to reach the game's location. Failure to do so will result in the permanent closure of the game room."

Beneath were two lines in colorful, shimmering silver font:

"What sleeps eternally is not the deceased; even in the vast and wondrous passage of time, death has its end."

"It is you who shall bring about its conclusion."