In the fifth car, he saw a character sitting alone. It was a low-poly model of a man at a desk, backlit by a glowing monitor. Elias moved closer. The character was wearing the same grey hoodie Elias had on. The desk in the game had the same half-empty energy drink sitting next to the mouse.
The file finished downloading at 3:00 AM, the exact hour the internet urban legends warned about. On the screen, a pixelated icon appeared: a simple, soot-black locomotive. Elias clicked "Play."
Through his headphones, a conductor’s whistle blew, but it didn't sound like it was coming from the speakers. It sounded like it was coming from the hallway of his apartment.
Outside his real-world window, the sound of tracks screeching against metal echoed through the quiet suburb. Elias looked at his monitor one last time. His character was no longer sitting at the desk. The seat in the game was empty.
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