Chapter 2: No Way Out
Backstory: Why do they want to document Urban Legends
Souta had always been fascinated with the unknown. As a child, he devoured books on myths, haunted places, and unexplained mysteries. His curiosity was fueled by his grandmother, who often told him chilling stories of spirits and places "better left undisturbed." But it wasn't just folklore to him—he wanted answers.
That's why he started his urban legends blog, "The Hidden Truth", documenting supernatural locations across Japan. He had visited abandoned shrines, cursed villages, and eerie tunnels, but most had turned out to be nothing more than exaggerations. Still, every once in a while, he encountered things that couldn't be explained.
Riku and Mayu were his closest friends, and despite their differences, they supported his investigations in their own ways.
Riku, the skeptic, had no interest in the supernatural. But as a photography student, he enjoyed capturing eerie aesthetics and always tried to find logical explanations for strange phenomena. He viewed their investigations as a way to challenge myths rather than prove them.
Mayu was the opposite—she loved the thrill of ghost-hunting. She wasn't as obsessed as Souta, but she enjoyed the adrenaline rush of exploring the unknown. Plus, she wanted content for her growing YouTube channel.
Their urban legend hunts had always been a game—until now.
Present: The Train That Shouldn't Exist
3:15 AM.
Souta's lungs burned as he ran. The train's horn screamed, rattling his skull, the vibrations shaking the tunnel itself. His flashlight beam bounced wildly, revealing nothing but the endless stretch of stone walls ahead.
"This isn't real—this can't be real!" Riku yelled behind him.
Souta risked a glance over his shoulder.
The train was almost upon them. It wasn't modern—it looked old, its metal rusted, its headlights flickering like dying fireflies. The windows were pitch black, but shadows moved inside, shifting unnaturally.
No tracks. No logic. Just a train coming straight for them.
THUD-THUD-THUD!
The tunnel trembled. The air felt wrong, like they weren't running on solid ground anymore but sinking into something unseen.
There was no end to the tunnel.
Souta's chest tightened. "Where's the entrance?! It was right there!"
"It's gone!" Mayu screamed.
The tunnel had swallowed it.
Their escape was erased.
The train's light engulfed them—
And then—
Everything went black.
---
Inside the Train
Souta's eyes snapped open. His body ached, his head pounding. The scent of old metal and something rotten filled his nose.
He wasn't in the tunnel anymore.
He was inside a train.
The seats were old-fashioned, dark green with faded patterns. The lights overhead flickered erratically. The entire car had a sickly yellow glow, like a memory fading into decay.
And then he saw them.
The passengers.
Rows of them, sitting perfectly still, heads tilted slightly downward—
All wearing blindfolds.
His breath caught.
His pulse thundered in his ears as he turned to his friends.
Riku groaned, sitting up. "What the hell…?"
Mayu was next, her face pale. "Where are we?"
Souta's hands trembled as he reached for his phone. He clicked the flashlight on, sweeping it across the train car.
None of the passengers moved.
None reacted to the light.
They were breathing, but unnaturally still.
Then—
A whisper.
A voice so close, it sent an electric jolt down Souta's spine.
"You shouldn't have entered."
Souta spun around.
One of the passengers had turned their head—just slightly.
Beneath their blindfold, their lips moved.
"Now, you belong to the train."
---
No Escape
Souta's stomach dropped. His instincts screamed at him to run, but there was nowhere to go.
Mayu grabbed his arm, her fingers ice-cold. "Souta, what does that mean?!"
He swallowed hard, trying to push down the rising panic. "I don't know."
Riku exhaled sharply, rubbing his face. "This has to be some kind of messed-up dream."
Souta clenched his fists. "Then wake up."
Riku hesitated, then pinched himself. His expression darkened when the pain set in.
They were awake.
This was real.
Souta turned to the windows.
There were none.
Just an endless black void beyond the walls.
"This isn't just a train," Mayu whispered. "It's something else."
A shiver crawled down Souta's spine. He looked down at his watch.
The time was frozen.
3:15 AM.
The exact moment the train came.
They weren't moving forward in time.
They were stuck.
A feeling of dread wrapped around his throat.
And then, just ahead—
A door creaked open.
Footsteps echoed down the aisle.
Someone—or something—was coming.
---
End of Chapter 2