Neatly seated at a round table in Star Gazing Tower, his legs crossed while delicately swirling a fine glass of wine in his right hand, a man somewhere in his late twenties to early thirties was quietly admiring the scenery from his private room. The room was on the highest floor of the tower, one of the many few that had an open balcony with a view of the entire starry night sky; privy only to the most powerful or extremely influential people.

Train Wolf lightly twirled the glass of red wine in his hand for multiple counts before he emptied it with a clean swig, got on his feet and slowly made his way to the balcony. From inside his jacket, he took out a small rectangular tin box, flicked open the hinged lid and pulled out a cheap unbranded cigarette. The taste was something Train could never get over; after having managed to stumble his way upon wealth many years back and with it, tried all kinds of tobacco he could get his hands on, there was still nothing that could replace the slim cigarette pinched firmly between his fingers.

For a period of time, he stood in silence; his back leaning against the cold railing along the balcony, looking up at the lone stars surrounded by darkness while occasionally taking a short whiff from his cigarette. The gracious stars, he thought silently. They were all connected somehow, but at the same time completely unaware of one another. What would happen if one realized a bond existed between them?

"Train."

A plain voice called out to him from inside the room. Surprised somewhat by the unannounced visit, Train awoke from his train of thought.

"Shadow! I didn't expect you to actually pay me a visit! I must say I'm pleasantly surprised and honored." Train greeted the visitor from within with a slight smile.

"Must you do this? Returning to the world you had left for almost twenty years?"

"Blunt and straight to the point. Things that made me instantly like you from the get-go," remarked Train. "Overtime, I thought you would ease up a little, especially when seeing an old friend of yours."

". . ." The voice in the room grew silent.

Hearing no response, Train continued speaking calmly. "If you are here with the purpose to change my mind, you are a bit too late, the decision is already made. Had you shown up nine years earlier, then maybe," said Train with a chuckle, "you just might have changed my mind presuming there was any chance at all. Which I do not believe there was."

"You expected this." The voice remained completely unaffected as if accustomed to Train's silliness.

"No," Train shook his head, "but I suspected a day may come where I am needed more or less. This unfortunate timing, however, arrived much sooner than I quite liked. In fact, I prayed this day would never come to light and that things would remain, well, as they should," said Train seriously. "But it did so I'm just doing what needs to be done."

". . . I won't be able to guarantee your safety."

"So be it then. What I'm about to be doing is well worth all the risk and so much more."