Of course, Artyom tries to get away with a mere glimpse of them.and he only has enough time to process that they do apparently glow before he blacks out, waking up a moment later. Before heading to the surface, he is repeatedly warned not to look at them, despite rumors that they supposedly glowed due to spirits or demons (mythical ones, not the mutants) trapped inside of them.

Artyom's 'encounter' with the Stars on top of the Kremlin.

It's never made clear if it's an automated D6 train that's still running or if the Great Worm was Real After All. A few pages later, Artyom opens a service door in a tunnel and is greeted by a pitch-black side tunnel where something big moves right in front of his face, so loud it makes his ears pop.

Melnik and crew eventually capture the leader of the Savage Cannibals of the Great Worm Cult and under interrogation he admits he made up the Great Worm completely and then he croaks.

It is only by the convenient arrival of a Demon that he is able to escape their trap, and even then they continue to prey upon him for a while longer until he finally manages to escape.

And then, with growing dread, he comes to the realization that they're not just following him, they're corralling him, while gradually drawing ever closer. At first, he isn't even aware of what they are until he realizes that with every street he passes, there's one standing there, and he realizes they're tracking him.

Case in point, Artyom's encounter with the Watchmen on the surface.

Glukhovsky has a good way of setting the mood and making use of Nothing Is Scarier. Now purchased from THQ by Deep Silver, this fledgling franchise based on the Russian novel runs on horror, what with all the dark atmosphere, human potential for cruelty, the threat of human extinction, Mind Rape, horrible mutants, and perhaps things still worse. This is your source for all the horrific moments to be found in Metro 2033, as well as the page for all the nightmarish moments in its sequel Metro: Last Light.

Dead city metro 2033 redux