The sudden darkness caught everyone off guard. They froze in place, panic rising in their hearts:
Why wasn't there any warning this time?!
The thick stench of blood once again filled the train. Everyone was still standing at the very rear of the carriage, while a rustling sound came from farther ahead...
What should I do?
Li Xian silently considered his options.
Everyone was standing in the aisle rather than "sitting in their seats," as the announcement had instructed. But if they felt around for seats now, they would violate the warning not to "move around"...
Everyone kept their mouths tightly shut. The rule to "remain quiet" prevented them from communicating, and although they stood close to one another, each could rely only on himself.
The smell of gun smoke and blood filling the carriage was enough to make them want to vomit. The players kept weighing whether to stay where they were or risk making their way to a seat. Half a minute passed, and not one of them moved.
But Li Xian wasn't agonizing over whether to move or stay still. Instead, he kept turning the announcement over in his mind:
"To prevent injuries, please sit in your seats without moving around, remain quiet, and wait patiently until the lights return before resuming normal activities."
He silently repeated the sentence, then raised his arm slightly.
That small movement didn't cause anything to latch onto him.
In other words, the rule against "moving around" didn't require absolute obedience.
Li Xian recalled the hand that had gripped his ankle when the train first entered a tunnel.
Perhaps "remain quiet" was meant to keep the things in the darkness from following their voices to find them, while "don't move around" was a rule they only needed to obey once those things