Jonas stood in front of the glass door and did not move.
Outside lay his home. Calm, familiar, safe. Just as he knew it every day.
A few steps, and he would be there again.
No train. No key. No man with an empty gaze.
Simply normal.
His hand was still on the key in his pocket.
He felt the warmth.
The slight pulsing.
“I could just leave…,” he murmured.
The man next to him said nothing.
He waited.
Just like before.
Jonas took a small step forward.
Very slowly he raised his hand and placed it on the handle of the glass door.
The metal was cool.
A clear contrast to the key.
He took a deep breath.
Then…
he let go of the handle again.
He stepped back.
“No,” he said quietly.
The man slightly raised his head.
“Are you sure?”
Jonas nodded.
“If I leave now, everything remains unresolved.”
He looked directly at the train floor.
“And something tells me that’s not a good idea.”
For the first time, the expression on the man’s face changed noticeably.
Not much.
But enough for Jonas to notice.
It was… agreement.
“Then you stay,” said the man calmly.
At the moment Jonas nodded, something happened.
The image behind the glass door began to flicker.
His home became blurry. The colors blurred. The contours dissolved.
Within seconds everything was gone.
Only… darkness remained.
Jonas swallowed.
“So… there’s no going back, right?”
The man answered calmly:
“Not this way.”
Jonas turned around slowly.
The corridor now seemed longer than before. And colder.
“And now?”
The man walked past him.
“Now it gets harder.”
Jonas followed him back to the staff compartment.
Something had changed in the room.
The folder was still on the table.
But next to it, a second note had now appeared.
Fresh.
As if it had just been placed there.
Jonas stepped closer.
It said:
Station 1: Missed
Below:
Consequence active
Jonas looked at the man.
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“It isn’t,” he replied calmly.
“What does that mean exactly?”
The man pointed to the folder.
“See for yourself.”
Jonas opened the page with his name.
Now there was more written there.
14:37 – Jonas Weber – continued driving
Below in smaller print:
Station 1 skipped
Jonas felt an unpleasant feeling spreading in his stomach.
“And what does that mean now?”
The man looked at him.
“The train will adjust.”
“Adjust?”
The man nodded slightly.
“The longer you stay, the fewer options you have.”
Jonas frowned.
“That means it will… get harder?”
“Yes.”
A brief moment of silence.
Then the light began to flicker again.
Stronger this time.
The train jolted slightly.
A deep sound went through the carriage.
Like metal bending under tension.
Jonas looked toward the door.
“What’s happening again now?”
The man answered immediately:
“Station 2 is coming.”
Jonas’ pulse quickened.
“And what is it this time?”
The man went to the door.
“This time it won’t be so easy.”
He opened it.
The corridor had changed again.
The walls seemed darker. The doors were no longer half open but closed.
At the very end of the carriage was a door again.
But this time it was not made of glass.
But of metal.
And it was locked.
A small lock was attached to it.
Jonas looked at it.
Then at the key in his hand.
“Of course…”
The man stepped aside.
“It’s your turn.”
Jonas walked slowly down the corridor.
Each step echoed quietly.
The air felt heavier.
More restless.
As if the train itself was watching what he did.
When he reached the door, he stopped.
He placed his hand on the lock.
Then he looked back at the man.
“And what’s behind it?”
The man did not answer immediately this time.
Then he said calmly:
“Something you know.”
Jonas’ heart beat faster.
“And?”
The man looked at him firmly.
“Something you wanted to avoid.”
Jonas swallowed.
His hand trembled slightly as he fitted the key.
“Great…,” he murmured.
A soft click.
The lock sprang open.
Jonas placed his hand on the door.
Took a deep breath.
And slowly pushed it open.