When the cab stopped at the train station, Lucas and John got out with their bags. The London morning was cold and damp, with a fine drizzle gently spraying their faces as they walked into the station. The air smelled of wet concrete and stale coffee, mixed with cigarette smoke coming from a nearby area.
The station was full of hurried travelers, the sound of footsteps echoing on the platforms, voices conversing in different languages, and the illuminated signs announcing the next train departures.
John checked his tickets while Lucas observed the movement around him. He had always liked trains and, for a moment, he forgot the anxiety of the test, allowing himself to feel the excitement of being somewhere so different and far from home. The train to Brighton was already standing on the platform, with its elegant carriages, and they quickly boarded, finding seats next to the window.