Suddenly and unexpectedly, their train, which was peacefully traversing its journey, derailed with a deafening cacophony of twisting metal and crashing cars.
In the sudden chaos of a train derailment, passengers within the cabins experienced a visceral disruption of the once steady journey. Abrupt jolts and violent shakes threw them off balance, causing them to collide with the walls and floor of their cabin. For those who didn't become one with the floors and walls, the seats became precarious lifelines as the floor tilted and jerked unpredictably.
Luggage compartments burst open, spilling their contents and adding to the pandemonium. The abrupt shift from order to disorder was palpable, punctuated by the alarming sounds of impact. Emergency lights flickered on, casting an erratic glow as passengers grappled with the sudden turn of events.
Chaos and panic erupted in the hearts of the remaining passengers when the realization dawned on everyone about what had just occurred.
*Agrrhhhh! Help! Anyone! Help!* The scream followed the chilling realization that the scene before their eyes was indeed real. Everything they were witnessing at that moment was starkly real.
For those who were still alive and able to see, a horrifying and gruesome sight unfolded before them. Many passengers' heads were brutally opened and cleanly pierced by metal bars; some lay spewed on the ground, forming pools of blood. Heads rolled, cleanly severed from their bodies, and headless corpses with exposed veins and organs revealed a scene akin to running taps of blood. Most had met an instant demise.
At least those who perished were spared the horrifying pain, their limbs detached and strewn across the cabin. Some were blinded, their eyes blasted by scraps of metal.
"Is ahhh somebody here?" Their pain-ridden wails resonated through the train.
The cabins, stacked on top of each other, created a gory mess, plastered with splattered blood and fragments of flesh. Human remains were ubiquitous. Chunks of splattered brains and crushed organs were scattered, resembling a scene from a vegetable market.
"W-what the fuck!" Horror and disbelief permeated his stammering voice, as if death had just tapped him on the shoulder.
His face contorted in pure terror, eyes wide and staring as if grappling to make sense of the nightmare that unfolded. The color drained from his cheeks, rendering him ghostly pale and accentuating the profound fear etched on his face. His lips trembled slightly, revealing the unease and fear that gripped him.
"W-w-w..." With a trembling voice, he attempted to speak but faltered this time.
Words alone couldn't convey the depth of the fear reflected in his expression. Though he screamed, it was a silent agony. Trying to articulate words with quivering lips, he failed, his heart seized by terror.
His soul may have belonged to an adult, but he lacked the strength of will to witness such a grotesque scene unfolding before him. His body grew cold, frozen by shock.
The sole individual untouched throughout this ordeal was Lloyd. Not a single mark of injury marred his body, and even his attire remained immaculately clean. This was thanks to Rie, who erected a barrier around them at the precise moment to ensure he escaped unharmed, in accordance with Naya's and Alaya's wishes.
Unlike him, Rie remained indifferent to the monstrosity unfolding before her. It didn't affect her in the least, while Lloyd, although physically unharmed, bore the mental scars.
"Naya didn't tell me to help him mentally, did she? He has such a weak mental barrier that he got affected by this," she expressed annoyance and coldness in her tone.
In the end, she decided to pull him out of the state of shock and horror, clearing his mind by employing the power of spirits. Clasping her hands, she spoke nature's prayer to draw him out of his current state.
"You have something more terrifying waiting for you outside. It would be better if you stopped dwelling on these trivial matters," she advised him, observing his helplessness upon seeing the unrecognizable and distorted corpses in front of him.
*Bleergh* *courf* *courrff*
The metallic smell of blood, combined with the sight of disheveled corpses, induced immediate nausea once he snapped out of the state of shock.
"If you're done letting out all your juices, then you should prepare yourself for the surprise waiting outside," she warned, sensing the monsters lurking beyond the crushed pile of metallic junk that used to be a train.
*Bang* *turddrr* *rumble*
Just as everyone thought their troubles were easing and hoped for help to arrive, the true culprit behind the derailment made its move.
It headbutted the metallic cabin, causing the entire structure to vibrate like a sex toy, reigniting fear in their hearts.
The headbutting continued, not just from one direction but almost every direction.
*Yaaowl* Several howls echoed outside the cabin.
Its high-pitched, eerie howl filled everyone's hearts with panic as the rumbling inside the cabin persisted.
Everyone succumbed to terror, except him, as Rie had already cast a mental barrier outside.
"What's going on outside? What are those things?" he asked, a mixture of confusion and fear evident in his voice as he strained to make sense of the unfolding situation.
The monsters were making a huge dent in the cabin with every strike, and he watched as the cabin caved in on him. A few more strikes, and the monsters would break into the cabin.
"Monsters. There are monsters outside, the same ones from the dungeon breakout you talked about with that guy previously," she filled him in with the information.
"How strong are they? Around my level or stronger?" he asked, attempting to gather more information before deciding whether to confront them or flee.
Her answer would determine his course of action. If they were around his level or weaker, he would wholeheartedly decide to fight them. However, if they were stronger, he wouldn't hesitate for a moment before choosing to run away.
"They are much stronger than you," she answered without a pause in her words.
'Fuck!'
*****