Story 983: The Ghoul Condition

The survivors staggered into the night, the collapsing manor howling behind them. Draven was barely conscious, his body trembling from the Hollow Man’s lingering grip. Mira led the way, the cursed book still pulsing in her hands, its pages whispering warnings.

“We need to keep moving,” Zara said, glancing back. “That thing… it’s not done with us.”

The Forsaken Girl pointed ahead. “There’s another way.”

Mira followed her gaze—toward the train station, abandoned under the pale glow of the full moon. The tracks stretched into the mist, and waiting at the platform was a train too pristine, too untouched for the decay of the world around it.

Elias narrowed his eyes. “That’s a bad idea.”

Before anyone could argue, the train’s whistle shrieked, splitting the silence. The doors slid open, revealing only darkness inside.

Then came the voice—low, raspy, inhuman.

“All aboard.”

A figure emerged from the shadows of the station. The Ghoul Trainmaster.