Chapter 6: A: Ethan’s Discovery

👉 Previous Decision: You chose to direct Ethan to inspect Marcus’s body in the luggage car to prove her sanity.

Julian’s dismissive words hung in the air, fueling Maya’s desperate resolve. She turned to Ethan, grabbing his arm. “Julian is lying, Ethan! You have to see for yourself. Go to Car 7, the luggage car. Marcus is in there. He’s dead. You’ll see.”

Ethan hesitated, his gaze still troubled. He looked from Maya’s pleading face to Julian’s calm, reassuring one. The train lurched, a powerful tremor running through the floor.

“Car 7?” Ethan murmured, his voice tight. “But… he said Marcus was fine.”

“He’s not,” Maya insisted, pushing him gently toward the vestibule. “Julian is doing this. Please, Ethan. Go.”

Julian stepped forward. “Ethan, don’t listen to her. She’s clearly distressed. She needs to be confined, not encouraged.”

Ethan ignored him, a flicker of suspicion finally hardening his expression. He looked at the speedometer on the corridor wall. The needle hovered at 90 mph, climbing. The train roared.

“I’ll be right back,” Ethan said, his voice strained. He shoved past Julian and sprinted toward the rear of the train, toward Car 7.

Maya watched him go, her heart a frantic flutter in her chest. Julian remained in the corridor, a dark, motionless statue.

Minutes stretched into an eternity. The train continued its relentless plunge. Then, Ethan reappeared, his face pale, his eyes wide with a horrifying realization. He stumbled, catching himself on a handrail.

“Oh my God, Maya,” he choked out, his voice barely a whisper above the train’s deafening roar. “He’s… he’s really there. Marcus is dead. His neck…” He trailed off, swallowing hard. “You were right. All of it.”

The speedometer now read 91 mph. The Black River Trestle was close.