Chapter 4 — Sparks in the Dark

Third Person

The subway car groaned to an unnatural halt, its metallic screech reverberating through the tunnel. The faint echoes faded into an oppressive silence, broken only by the subdued hum of stalled machinery. The passengers shifted uneasily, their murmurs blending with the faint rustle of coats and bags. Then came the flicker of lights—once, twice—before the car plunged into near-total darkness. The air seemed to thicken, the usual hum of the subway replaced by an eerie stillness.