Rayyan felt a shiver run down his spine. The words lingered in his mind.
“You may never be able to leave.”
Aliza’s expression was unreadable, but there was something in her eyes—something that made Rayyan feel as if she wasn’t telling him everything.
He glanced outside the window again. The purple sky, the twin suns, the floating creatures—this was not Earth. His heart pounded.
“Where exactly are we?” he asked.
Aliza sighed and motioned for him to follow her. “Come, I think you need to see something.”
They walked through the train’s shifting corridors. The further they went, the stranger things became. One moment, they were passing through an ancient Persian marketplace, with merchants offering silk and spices. The next, they stepped into a futuristic glass dome, where holographic figures floated mid-air, discussing technology beyond human comprehension.
The train was a living paradox, a collection of lost moments, forgotten eras, and untold futures.
Rayyan’s head spun. “This doesn’t make sense.”
“Neither does time,” Aliza replied.
Finally, they stopped before a large mahogany door with golden inscriptions. Aliza pressed her palm against it, and with a soft creak, it opened.
Inside was a library unlike anything Rayyan had ever seen.
Massive bookshelves stretched endlessly, defying logic. The air smelled of old parchment and ink. Books floated from one shelf to another, pages flipping on their own. But what caught Rayyan’s eye was a large glowing book resting on a circular pedestal at the center of the room.
Aliza gestured toward it. “Look inside.”
Rayyan hesitated but stepped forward, heart pounding. As soon as he touched the cover, the book flipped open on its own, revealing its title:
“The Unfinished Destinies”
The pages glowed, and to his horror, they began writing themselves.
His name appeared on the page. Rayyan Ahmed.
His hands trembled as words unfolded beneath it:
“Boarded the Timeless Train at Mehrangarh Station. Destination Unknown.”
Rayyan took a step back. His voice was barely a whisper. “Why is my name in here?”
Aliza didn’t answer. Instead, she turned the pages, revealing thousands of other names. Some were written in ancient scripts, some in languages he didn’t recognize. But all of them had something in common—none of their stories had an ending.
“That’s what this train does,” Aliza finally said. “It collects people whose destinies were left unfinished.”
Rayyan’s mouth went dry. “So… am I dead?”
Aliza shook her head. “No. But you were at a crossroads in your life, weren’t you? Something unresolved, something that was about to change?”
Rayyan thought about it. Before coming to the station, he had been feeling… lost. He had just finished high school but had no direction. His friends had clear goals—some wanted to be doctors, others engineers. But Rayyan? He had no idea what he was meant to do.
Was that why the train had come for him?
Before he could ask more, the train suddenly shook violently. The bookshelves trembled, and a deep, eerie sound echoed through the library.
BOOM.
The train lurched. Lights flickered. A voice crackled through the air.
“Attention, passengers. We have… an intruder.”
Aliza’s face paled. “No… it can’t be.”
Rayyan looked at her. “What’s happening?”
But before she could respond, the library door burst open.
A shadowy figure stood at the entrance.
His presence drained the light from the room. He wore a long, dark coat, and his face was hidden under a hood. His eyes, however, glowed a chilling shade of silver. When he spoke, his voice was cold and hollow, as if it came from the depths of an abyss.
“Rayyan Ahmed,” he said slowly, almost savoring the name. “You do not belong here.”
Rayyan took a step back, fear gripping his chest. “Who are you?”
The figure took a step forward. The air around him grew heavy, as if time itself was slowing down.
“I am the Timekeeper,” he said. “And you have made a grave mistake.”
Aliza grabbed Rayyan’s arm. “Run.”
They bolted out of the library, sprinting down the endless corridors as the Timekeeper followed. The walls around them morphed—one moment, they were running through a medieval castle, the next, a neon-lit cyberpunk city.
The train was unstable.
Rayyan panted. “Where are we going?!”
Aliza turned sharply into a dimly lit passage. “We have to get to the control car. If we can override the train’s course, we can escape!”
The ground shook beneath them. The Timekeeper’s voice echoed through the train.
“You cannot outrun time, Rayyan.”
The words sent a chill down his spine.
Finally, they reached the control car—a massive room filled with ancient levers, glowing dials, and a single golden throttle labeled “Destination”.
Aliza ran to the controls. “We have to set a course away from here.”
Rayyan turned, his heart pounding. The Timekeeper was at the door.
He raised a single hand, and time itself slowed.
Rayyan felt his movements become sluggish, like he was wading through deep water. His breaths came slow and heavy.
The Timekeeper stepped forward. “This train does not belong to you.”
Rayyan struggled, his vision blurring. He knew he only had seconds before he lost control completely.
With every ounce of strength left in him, he lunged forward and slammed his hand on the golden throttle.
A blinding light erupted around them.
Time twisted. The train lurched violently.
And then—everything went dark.
When Rayyan opened his eyes, he was no longer on the train.
He was back at Mehrangarh Station.
The platform was empty. The tracks were silent. The train was gone.
Had it all been a dream?
His heart still raced. His clothes were still dusted with the scent of old books and strange places. He touched his pocket—and felt something.
A golden train ticket.
A single line was written on it:
“You will return when it is time.”
Rayyan stared at the words, his mind spinning.
The Timeless Train wasn’t just a story. It was real. And one day, it would call him again.
But next time… he would be ready.
THE END… for now.