Chapter 1. The Last Train from Paddington.

The departure board above Platform Eight flickered twice before settling on, "DELAYED."

Nathan Taylor checked his watch for the third time in ten minutes and shifted his backpack higher on his shoulder. Rain tapped steadily against the glass roof of Paddington Station, turning the lights beyond the platform into blurred smears of yellow and white.

Around him, passengers waited with the weary patience of people who had spent enough years riding trains to know delays were part of life.

A businessman stood drinking coffee from a paper cup.

A family occupied two benches near the platform entrance.

An elderly woman sat alone beneath a timetable display, knitting with calm concentration despite the growing crowd.

Nathan glanced toward the locomotive.

Usually, there would be movement. Engineers. Platform staff. Conductors crossing back and forth.

Tonight felt different.

Everyone seemed distracted.

A railway employee hurried past carrying a radio.

The device crackled.

"...emergency services responding..."

The rest dissolved into static.

Beside Nathan, a young man wearing headphones pulled one earcup aside.

"Bit chaotic tonight."

"Nathan."

"Leo."

Before either could say more, an announcement echoed through the station.

The train would depart shortly.

A collective sigh passed through the crowd.

At last.

Passengers boarded.

Nathan found his seat in Coach C.

Across the aisle sat the elderly woman from the platform.

She nodded politely.

A moment later Leo dropped into the seat opposite.

Outside, rain streaked across the windows.

The train lurched forward.

Paddington slipped away behind them.

For a while everything felt ordinary.

People opened laptops.

Conversations resumed.

The steady rhythm of wheels against rails filled the carriage.

Nathan checked messages from work.

Most complained about delays.

One mentioned Reading Control being locked down.

Another mentioned police activity.

A third simply said something serious was happening.

He tried to reply.

No signal.

The train entered a tunnel.

That wasn't unusual.

When they emerged, the signal was still gone.

Leo checked his own phone.

"Nothing."

"Same."

They exchanged a look.

Neither seemed particularly worried.

Not yet.

Forty minutes later the train passed a station.

Nathan expected light.

Instead he saw darkness.

The platform appeared beside them for only seconds.

No signs.

No staff.

No waiting passengers.

Just a black shape in the rain.