Riding the train was pretty mundane. There wasn't really much to do except look out the window, watching the scenery blur into a mix of greens and browns shades. The rhythmic clatter of the train wheels against the tracks provided a monotonous backdrop, punctuated only by the occasional creak of the carriages. Sometimes the four kids engaged in small talk, but in a situation like this—fleeing from a horror that had swallowed their hometown—small talk felt painfully inadequate.
As the fields rolled by, memories flooded their minds. Kei recalled his grandpa's eccentric remarks, while Ayumi thought of her father, the guardian battling the encroaching terror. Chrome stared blankly at the passing trees, lost in thought, and Yuna sat there silently deliberating over her brother, the hours went by in silence, occasionally broken up by Kei or Chrome trying to lighten up the mood to no avail.
It had already been over 10 hours since they left Liburn, and there hadn't been any interruptions. The journey was smooth but eerily quiet, which only heightened their anxiety. The faint sound of the train's whistle punctuated the stillness, but it did little to ease their minds.
"I'm tired," Kei thought while looking out the window, his eyes tracing the distant horizon. Suddenly, a blue silhouette flashed by at an insane speed. It darted in the direction they had come from—Liburn.
It appeared to be riding a gelatinous, almost clear turtle, a bizarre sight that left him momentarily speechless. The creature moved with an elegance that belied its size, gliding through the air as if defying gravity. Kei couldn't believe his eyes; even in a world filled with strange beings emerging from gates, a silhouette riding a clear fluid turtle had to be one of the weirdest things he had ever seen.
'maybe i should take a nap' his mind attributed the sillouhete to his lack of sleep instead of trying to come up with possible explanations of what it could've been, but before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, the train abruptly stopped, jerking him forward in his seat.
A vast, undulating mass of creatures stretched across the horizon, their forms barely discernible in the distance. Though they were nothing more than common beasts, easily dispatched by a skilled hunting party, their sheer numbers posed a significant threat to the train barreling down the tracks. The train conductor, mindful of the civilian passengers aboard, ordered a halt, knowing the cost of a collision would be too high. They would wait, watching the horde pass, until the path was clear once more.
Kei, peering out the window, saw the tide of fur and claws surging in the distance. It was coming from the right of the train, crossing the vast expanse towards the left, seemingly oblivious to their presence. But then, a horrifying sight emerged from the heart of the horde: a monstrous, pulsing mass of flesh, a grotesque amalgamation of eyes, materialized from the chaos. It was looking directly at them, its gaze piercing the distance. A wave of fear washed over Kei and his friends. "Did they see us from that far away?" Kei's mind raced, but before he could fully grasp the implications, a petite figure, seemingly appearing out of thin air, materialized in the cabin. It was the Knight, "Don't look," the knight warned, "They can sense when they're being watched."
The horde, as if sensing their presence, halted its advance and turned, its monstrous forms now aimed directly at the train. Kei and his friends, their faces pale with fear, looked towards the petite Knight, whose helmet concealed any expressions the knight might show who turned, dissolving into thin air just as quickly as had appeared.
A moment later, the train lurched forward, a surge of mana coursing through its very structure. The Knight reappeared, this time perched atop the train, the knights hand pressed against the roof, a low murmur escaping the lips. And then, in the reflection of the window, Kei saw it – a perfect, identical copy of himself, staring back at him. His friends, too, were mirrored, each one a flawless duplicate. The train itself seemed to split, a duplicate train appearing alongside it, a perfect reflection of the original.
The duplicate train, carrying the copies of Kei and his friends, veered towards the horde, drawing their attention. The horde, mesmerized by the illusion, followed the fake train, leaving the real train free to move to the left. Kei watched, horrified, as the fake train crashed into the tide of monsters, its metal hull torn apart by the relentless onslaught. He could see the horrifying scene with terrifying clarity, even from a distance.
Just as the horde was about to engulf the fake train, a wave of mana washed over the real train once more, plunging the outside world into darkness. From the outside, the train seemed to vanish, as if swallowed by another dimension. But within, they remained, safe and hidden, the illusion of the Knight's keeping them concealed from the monstrous horde.