The train rattled beneath their feet as they sprinted through the dark, endless cars. Yuuto's lungs burned, and his legs felt heavy, but the sound of that monstrous snarl behind them kept him moving. The air was thick with dread, and every breath felt suffocating.
Kazuki slammed the door shut behind them as they entered yet another car, locking it with a sharp click. "That's not gonna hold for long," he panted, wiping sweat from his brow.
Akari doubled over, gasping for air. "How… how much further?"
Yuuto shook his head. He had no idea. They had already passed through what felt like ten train cars, each more unsettling than the last. Some had seats twisted at odd angles as if something had violently rearranged them; others had been filled with shadows that seemed to shift and flicker. But the worst part was that there was still no end in sight.
"We just need to keep going," Yuuto said, his voice shaking but resolute. "The engine has to be up ahead."
A loud bang echoed from behind them, followed by the tearing of metal. The door to the previous car buckled inward as the creature slammed against it. Yuuto's heart dropped. It was closer than before.
Aya trembled, clutching her pendant tighter than ever. "What… what is that thing? It's not like anything we've seen."
Kazuki's jaw tightened. "It doesn't matter. We can't let it catch us."
But Yuuto knew better. Whatever was chasing them wasn't just another monster from the novel's pages. It felt… different. More dangerous. He had read about beasts and ghouls, creatures that crawled through the darkness, but this? This was something worse.
Another slam against the door, this time with a low, bone-chilling growl. The metal began to screech as it bent and twisted.
"We have to go!" Yuuto shouted, pushing the others toward the next car. They stumbled forward, fear overtaking their exhaustion. Yuuto was the last to step through, slamming the door shut just as the previous one gave way. The creature was now only one car behind them.
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the car they were in shifted. The train groaned like a living thing, the walls warping slightly. The air grew thick, and a strange, metallic odor filled their noses.
Yuuto froze. He knew this part of the book. The worst was yet to come.
"We're not alone in this car," he whispered.
The others glanced at him, confused, but they felt it too—the oppressive weight in the air, the sense of being watched. Akari whimpered, backing up against the wall.
Then, from the shadows at the far end of the car, something moved.
It was slow at first, almost imperceptible. A faint scraping noise, like claws on metal. The darkness seemed to pulse and writhe, and then… it appeared.
The creature that emerged was massive—larger than anything they had faced before. Its body was a grotesque mass of flesh and jagged bone, a shifting, amorphous shape that seemed to defy logic. Its head was featureless, except for a gaping maw that stretched impossibly wide, lined with countless rows of sharp, needle-like teeth. From its body dangled twisted limbs, each one ending in clawed hands that scraped against the floor as it moved.
Aya let out a choked sob. "W-What is that?"
Yuuto's throat went dry. He recognized it now. In the novel, it was called The Consumer. A creature of pure hunger, it devoured everything in its path—flesh, souls, even the very fabric of reality. No one survived its encounter. It didn't just kill; it erased.
"We can't fight that," Yuuto said, his voice hollow. "It's the Consumer."
Kazuki narrowed his eyes. "I don't care what it's called. We need to stop it before it reaches us."
Yuuto shook his head, fear gripping him. "No… you don't understand. Nothing can stop it."
The creature let out a low, guttural growl, the sound vibrating through their bones. It dragged its body forward, its limbs twitching unnaturally. As it moved, the train car seemed to warp around it, the walls bending and twisting as if reality itself was being consumed.
"We need to run!" Yuuto shouted.
But just as they turned to flee, the train jolted violently, throwing them to the floor. The lights flickered again, this time going out completely. The car was plunged into darkness.
Yuuto's pulse raced. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear it—the sound of the Consumer, scraping closer, its growl filling the air.
"We're trapped!" Akari cried, her voice panicked. "We can't see anything!"
Yuuto's hands shook as he fumbled for the book. He needed something—anything—that could help them. But the pages were still blank, offering no guidance, no escape.
The sound of metal tearing filled the car as the Consumer drew closer. Its presence was overwhelming, suffocating. Yuuto could feel the air growing colder, the very essence of the train being consumed.
Then, suddenly, a faint glow appeared. Aya's pendant was glowing, casting a dim light around them.
Yuuto's breath caught in his throat. "Aya… your pendant…"
Aya looked down at it, her eyes wide. "It's… reacting to the monster?"
The light from the pendant grew brighter, pushing back the darkness, revealing the horrific form of the Consumer. It shrieked, a sound that made their ears bleed, its body convulsing as if the light was burning it.
"Aya, keep that thing glowing!" Kazuki shouted, grabbing Yuuto's arm and pulling him to his feet. "We need to get out of here!"
But Yuuto was transfixed, watching as the Consumer writhed in pain. The pendant's light seemed to be the only thing keeping it at bay.
"We can't kill it," Yuuto said, his voice steady despite the fear. "But we can slow it down. The pendant is weakening it."
Aya, her face pale but determined, nodded and held the pendant high. The light flared, filling the car with a warm glow that pushed the shadows back further. The Consumer screeched again, its massive form thrashing violently as it tried to escape the light.
"This is our chance!" Yuuto yelled. "Go! Now!"
They sprinted toward the next door, Aya holding the pendant behind them to keep the creature at bay. The train rocked beneath their feet as they ran, the walls groaning under the strain of the battle between light and darkness.
Kazuki yanked the door open, and they tumbled into the next car. Yuuto slammed the door shut behind them, the screeching of the Consumer fading as they left it behind.
For now.
The train slowed to a crawl, and they collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath. Yuuto glanced back at the door. It wouldn't hold forever.
"We made it," Akari whispered, tears streaming down her face. "But… it's still out there."
Yuuto nodded, his body trembling. "Yeah… it's not over yet."
They were alive, but for how long?