Jonas stared at the man.
“What do you mean – the journey really starts now?”
The man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he slowly walked past Jonas and looked out the window.
Outside there was still only darkness.
No landscape. No lights. Nothing.
“The train isn’t going anywhere,” the man finally said calmly.
Jonas frowned.
“But where then?”
The man turned back to him.
“It travels through decisions.”
Jonas blinked.
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Yes, it does,” said the man. “But not right away.”
He gestured toward the staff compartment.
“You have the key. That means you are responsible.”
Jonas shook his head.
“I just walked in here.”
“No,” the man corrected calmly. “You made a choice.”
Those words hit Jonas harder than he expected.
He wanted to object.
But he couldn’t.
The man slowly walked back toward the staff compartment.
“Come.”
Jonas followed him.
The lamp in the room had now grown brighter. The flickering had stopped. Everything seemed clearer.
The man pointed to the folder.
“Every journey has a point where it ends.”
“And what is mine?”
The man opened a page in the folder.
There were several entries. Names, times… and next to them short descriptions.
Jonas leaned forward.
He read:
14:12 – Anna Richter – went back
14:25 – Paul König – continued
14:31 – Lea Sommer – aborted
Jonas looked at the man.
“What does that mean?”
The man answered calmly:
“Everyone who boards gets a decision.”
Jonas’ gaze wandered back to his name.
It was still without an entry.
Empty.
Open.
“And me?” Jonas asked quietly.
The man looked him straight in the eye.
“You’re not ready yet.”
At that moment a loud signal sounded.
A deep tone that echoed through the whole train.
Jonas flinched.
The light flickered briefly.
Then it stabilized again.
“What was that?!”
The man looked toward the door.
“Your first station.”
Jonas’ stomach tightened.
“Station?”
The man nodded.
“You’re about to see something.”
“And then?”
“Then you have to decide.”
Jonas felt his hands grow restless again.
“What kind of decision?”
The man went to the door and opened it.
The corridor outside had changed again.
At the end of the car there was now another door visible that hadn’t been there before.
It was made of glass.
And behind it…
was light.
Bright daylight.
Jonas stepped closer slowly.
His heart beat faster.
“What is there?”
The man stopped.
“Your opportunity.”
Jonas hesitated.
Then he moved forward.
He stood in front of the glass door.
And looked through it.
His breath caught.
Outside was…
his own home.
The street where he lived. The sidewalk. The front door.
Everything looked exactly as it had this afternoon.
Even his bicycle was still in the same spot.
Jonas stepped back one step.
“That… that’s impossible…”
The man stepped beside him.
“You can get off here.”
Jonas looked at him.
“And then?”
“Then you just go home.”
Jonas’ gaze wandered back outside.
Everything seemed calm.
Normal.
Safe.
Exactly what he wanted.
“And the train?”
The man answered without hesitation:
“It keeps going.”
Jonas swallowed.
“Without me?”
“Yes.”
A long silence arose.
Jonas felt two thoughts opposing each other inside him.
One said: Go. Now. This is your chance.
The other said: If you go now… you’ll never find out what really happens here.
His hand automatically reached for the key.
It was still warm.
Almost as if it were waiting.
The man looked at him calmly.
“You have the choice.”
Jonas looked again through the glass door.
His home.
So close.
So easy.
And yet…
it suddenly didn’t feel quite right anymore.
“If I go…,” Jonas said slowly, “then everything is normal again?”
The man hesitated for a moment.
That was the first time.
Then he said:
“For you… yes.”
Jonas’ expression changed.
“And for the rest?”
The man didn’t answer.
And that was exactly the answer.
Jonas looked back at the key.
Then at the door.
Then at the man.
And suddenly he knew that this decision meant more than just getting off.