TRAIN ACCIDENT

                                    

                                          
"Hey Steph, we meet again."
The autumn season had enveloped the city in all its splendor. The rain gently sifted through the grey clouds, wetting the pavement, filling the air with a fresh, earthy scent. As usual, 19-year-old Dominic left his house at 7:30 AM with heavy steps, heading towards the market where he worked.
The last year of his life had been nothing but a constantly repeating cycle. Standing at 1.85 meters with long brown hair falling over his shoulders, Dominic was an ordinary young man. However, his ordinariness was only as deep as what an outsider could see. Due to his family's financial difficulties, he had rejected university and started working immediately after graduation. His father had lost his legs in a work accident, and his mother stayed at home taking care of them. Dominic carried a heavy burden, but he never stopped shouldering it and going to work every day.
That morning, too, was just another part of that usual cycle—until he encountered his old friend, Stephen, on the road.
"Good morning, Steph." said Dominic, offering a slight smile.
"Good morning, my friend," Stephen replied, with a worried look on his face. "I'm sorry, but I'm having a really tough day today. I'd love to chat, but can we leave it for another time?"
"Sure, see you," Dominic replied.
His curiosity about his friend had grown. Stephen had always been shrouded in mystery. Dominic didn't know what he did for a living, and he couldn't even remember exactly where he lived. However, he wasn't in a rush to find out. He thought he would eventually learn one day, so he continued on his way.
Hours passed quickly in the busyness of the market. However, lately, the headaches had been making Dominic's life increasingly difficult. Last week, he had fainted at work, and his boss had strongly recommended that he see a doctor. Taking the afternoon off, Dominic decided to head to the hospital.
By the time he arrived at the Elite Medical Clinic, it was around 4:00 PM. He had been referred to the neurology department, and after the doctor's initial examination, he was told an MR was necessary. The procedures were quickly completed, but the waiting time for the results felt like a lifetime to Dominic.
When the doctor called him into the room, the serious expression on his face said it all. Dominic felt as if his world had just shattered. The doctor informed him that there was a tumor in his brain, and he needed to start treatment immediately. In disbelief, Dominic asked once more, hoping the news wasn't true:
"Is... this true?"
The silence was more terrifying than any answer could have been. As he left the hospital, a sorrowful look was etched on Dominic's face. His mind was a mess. Who should he tell this to first? His family, or his old friend, Stephen? Perhaps Steph could help him cope with this news.
As he neared the metro station, the rain had picked up, and the sky had darkened. The weather seemed to reflect his emotions: complex, dark, and hopeless. He walked slowly down the station's stairs, hands in his pockets. Among the crowd of people and neon lights, he felt briefly lost. Life seemed to move faster than ever, yet for Dominic, time had come to a standstill.
He walked up to the edge of the yellow line and stood still for a while. The train wasn't visible yet, but the faint vibration from the tracks signaled its approach. 
In that moment, a wave of pain exploded in his head. It felt as if someone were squeezing his skull, gathering all his thoughts, fears, and pains together and trying to suffocate him.
He put his hand to his head, but even the slightest touch intensified the pain. His eyes involuntarily shut, his knees trembled, and he felt himself losing his balance. Panicking, he looked around; there were people, but no one was looking at him. It felt as if he had become invisible in the crowd.
"Help..." he moaned, but his voice was so weak it seemed to not even reach his own ears. His vision blurred, and he noticed a shadow in the far corner of the station. It looked like a person, but the figure was so far away, he couldn't tell whether it was a hallucination or reality. With a flicker of hope, he tried to step back.
But it was too late. His knees buckled, and he lost his balance. In an instant, his foot slipped, and he found himself falling towards the tracks. Once again, his world turned upside down.
The moment of his fall felt infinite in Dominic's mind. Seconds stretched into minutes. The raindrops, the surrounding sounds, even his heartbeat, all seemed to slow to a halt. As he fell toward the tracks, everything became even more surreal. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears. Bright lights flashed before his eyes.
With one last effort, he extended his hands forward, but something was different when he hit the ground. Instead of the hard metal of the tracks, his body felt as if it was diving into a liquid. His weight disappeared instantly, and everything around him turned black.
His last thought was to go to Stephen and talk to him. But as his mind began to shut down, he heard a voice. A deep, resonant, and chilling voice:
"Why were you chosen, Dominic?"
Who was speaking? What did this voice mean? In that moment, Dominic realized he was somewhere—somewhere that wasn't the metro station or the real world. He was floating in an enormous and complex void, beyond what even his mind could comprehend.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Was this the end? Or was it just the beginning?