The horse galloped alongside the train, hooves pounding the ground with a rhythm that echoed the rumble of the engine.
The railway stretched out, wide and accommodating, as Riley's carriage slipped seamlessly beside the moving train. Through the dusty windows, passengers glanced, wide-eyed, disbelief plastered across their faces.
A horse racing a train was strange enough, but the real spectacle was the carriage—a vibrant, golden pumpkin, its surface gleaming in the sunlight, as though carved from the very essence of autumn.
The passengers seemed frozen in a collective stupor, eyes following the surreal sight with a mix of awe and confusion.
Eleanor leaned out of the pumpkin's open window, waving cheerfully at the passengers, her fingers curling into a mocking salute before she flipped them off with an exaggerated flourish, giving them the middle finger. Her grin widened as the crowd remained slack-jawed, too stunned to respond.
"Robert!" she called over the roar of the engine and the wind whipping past their faces. "These people have no sense of humor!"
Riley's concentration was slipping. He could feel the strain in his chest as his soul essence waned. The powerful magic that fueled the horse's incredible speed was rapidly depleting.
His brows furrowed as he pulled back on the reins, slowing their pace until they fell behind the train. The horse now moved at an even gallop, its earlier burst of energy dwindling.
He glanced at Eleanor. "Get on the train!" His voice was tight, urgency seeping through the command.
Without hesitation, Eleanor swung her legs over the side of the carriage and pressed her body against Riley's for a brief moment, her warmth mingling with the cool rush of wind.
She climbed effortlessly onto the horse's back, her movements fluid and precise, as though she'd been trained for moments like these. Riley pushed the horse to surge forward again, edging them closer to the train's rear.
Then, with a graceful leap, Eleanor grabbed hold of the railing on the back of the train and pulled herself up with practiced agility, scaling her way to the top.
"You're next, princess!" Riley shouted to Chloe, who sat frozen in the pumpkin carriage, her hands gripping the seat as though her life depended on it.
Chloe's eyes were wide with terror. She shook her head violently, her lips pressed into a tight line, too scared even to form words.
Her gaze darted between Riley and Eleanor, who was now crouched on top of the train, motioning for her to follow.
Riley couldn't afford to wait any longer. The soul essence in his body was burning away faster than expected, the dull ache in his limbs becoming harder to ignore.
Yet, he made no move to remove the Cinderella dress the girls wore. His time was running out.
He let go of the reins and leaned backward, grabbing Chloe around the waist in one swift motion. She was surprisingly light, as if her fear had drained all the weight from her body.
Riley's grip tightened as he pulled her against him, the warmth of her breath quickening against his neck. His muscles strained as he clambered off the carriage, still holding her.
He drove the horse into one last burst of speed, drawing them close to the train. His eyes flicked up to Eleanor, who was watching them intently from above.
Riley shifted his hands to adjust his hold on Chloe, and for a fleeting moment, his fingers pressed against something soft and plush.
He didn't think much of it, his focus solely on the timing of the jump. Chloe squeaked, but he barely registered the sound as he swung his arm back.
"Eleanor! Catch!" he yelled.
With a burst of energy, Riley threw Chloe into the air, her scream piercing through the din of the train.
Eleanor's eyes widened in shock as Chloe collided into her, the force sending them both tumbling across the roof of the train.
They rolled dangerously close to the edge, Eleanor barely managing to grab onto the railing before they toppled off.
Riley leaped from the horse just as his soul essence ran dry. The magical energy sustaining the horse evaporated, and it crumpled mid-stride, its body collapsing with a sickening thud onto the tracks.
Its face smashed into the ground, half-crushed beneath its own weight as it skidded along the rails.
Riley landed hard on the train's side, his body screaming in protest as he crawled his way to a safe position. He rolled onto his back, panting heavily, the vibrations of the train beneath him a strange comfort.
Suddenly, something hard slammed into his chest. He looked up to find Chloe standing over him, her face beet-red, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"You… you're a pervert!" she spat, her voice shaking with both anger and embarrassment.
Riley blinked, confused. "What?"
Her eyes blazed, and his mind raced, trying to figure out what had set her off. Then it hit him. His eyes widened in realization—the soft, plushy sensation from earlier. He'd grabbed her breast when he threw her.
"Oh…" He was at a loss for words, awkwardness settling in the pit of his stomach. He glanced at Eleanor for support, but she merely smirked, clearly enjoying his predicament.
"Well, it felt good," Riley muttered, shrugging in an attempt to deflect the tension. "Is this how you treat someone who just saved your life?"
Chloe bit her lip, her face still burning with embarrassment. She looked ready to argue but couldn't seem to find the words.
Riley sat up, brushing the dirt from his coat. "Where is this train heading, anyway?" he asked, eager to change the subject.
Eleanor glanced at him, her expression softening just slightly. "I almost forgot—you've lost your memory. This train's heading to London.
But we'll get off at the next station. If these assassins were sent by someone powerful, they've probably already sent a telegram to London."
Riley nodded, his face serious once more. "Informing them we'll likely arrive soon." Riley puts in as the magician coat disappeared from his body, he had ran out of soul essence.
Eleanor was also back in her dress— the one she wore to the birthday party.
The train raced along the tracks, the world outside a blur of green fields and blue skies.
As the rhythmic clatter of wheels thundered beneath them, the train reached the bridge—a sprawling iron structure that arched over a murky brown river.
Far below, the water sloshed lazily, reflecting the late afternoon sun. Up ahead, the train was speeding toward a tunnel, its dark, yawning mouth rapidly growing larger with each passing second.
Riley scanned the distance and noted the narrowness of the tunnel—there would be no way to remain on top of the train without being crushed against the stone walls. His mind raced, calculating their options.
He considered staying on the roof, knowing full well the risk of being flattened. The temptation gnawed at him—after all, he'd been in worse situations.
But the he remembered his doom attribute. And decided against the idea.
He stole a glance at Eleanor. She was already staring back at him, her eyes reflecting the same thought he had. The river below offered their best chance of escape.
Without hesitation, they nodded to each other, like a silent agreement forged through countless close calls— except they haven't worked together before— it was a peak of being an assassin.
Without warning, they each grabbed hold of Chloe—Riley on her left, Eleanor on her right. Chloe barely had time to register the movement before they heaved her off the train in one swift motion. Her scream was lost to the roar of the wind as they plunged into the brown river below.
For a moment, Chloe's world was nothing but free fall—an endless, terrifying drop through the air. The wind whipped past her face, and her carefully arranged hair, which she had spent hours styling that morning, flared out wildly behind her like a flag in a storm.
The reality of the situation hit her like a slap to the face—she had been sitting comfortably on the train just seconds ago, and now she was plummeting toward an uninviting, murky river.
Panic seized her chest as her body hit the water with a harsh splash. The shock of the cold liquid engulfed her, and her breath caught in her throat.
Everything around her turned to swirling brown, and she tried desperately to gulp in air, only to find her mouth filling with the foul-tasting river water instead. Her limbs flailed helplessly, her mind screaming in terror.
She couldn't swim. She had never learned—ladies weren't supposed to need such skills.
Chloe's arms thrashed, but no matter how hard she struggled, she felt herself sinking deeper into the water's murky depths.
Her chest burned, her lungs begging for air as she fought against the pull of the current. The weight of her dress dragged her down, making it impossible to stay afloat.
Just as her strength was about to give out, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, pulling her up. The sensation of being dragged through the water was disorienting, but within moments, her head broke the surface.
Chloe gasped, sucking in deep lungfuls of the blessed air. Never before had she appreciated the simple act of breathing.
She was being hauled toward the riverbank, the current pushing against her body as Riley, strong and sure, guided them to safety.
Eleanor stood waiting by the edge, her expression devoid of emotion, as if their death-defying plunge into the river had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
"How was the tea, Princess?" Riley asked, his voice a blend of amusement and sarcasm as he pulled Chloe to shore.
Chloe coughed violently, spitting out mouthfuls of the disgusting brown water. "Bad!" she managed to choke out, her voice hoarse and trembling. She doubled over, retching as her body tried to expel the foul liquid from her system.
Eleanor barely contained her grin. "This river flows through the city," she began with a sly tone. "All those factories dump their waste into it.
And by waste, I mean... poop, urine, all that fun stuff. Hundreds of people jump into this river to commit suicide each year.
You'd be surprised how many bodies they don't recover. They just sink to the bottom and rot, decaying under the waves…"
"FUCK YOU!" Chloe shrieked, cutting her off mid-sentence, her face flushed with both anger and disgust."you were supposed to comfort me." She pouted.
Riley raised an eyebrow in mock surprise, while Eleanor merely glanced down at her with a bored expression.
"Not exactly the reaction I was expecting," Eleanor remarked, folding her arms.
Riley shook his head, amused. "You're much worse than me," he muttered under his breath, casting a sidelong glance at his newly acquired sister.
Eleanor smirked. "I know," she replied easily. "I'm not exactly the sweet little girl who bakes cookies when I'm on a mission."
Riley raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Mission? What, like you're part of some secret organization?"
Eleanor's grin widened. "Yes. Aren't you?"
"Hell no!" Riley replied, the incredulity in his voice clear. "I'm just a magician who got caught up in an assassination attempt, trying to save his sister."
"Well, I didn't need saving."
"You sure did when you fried that wheat man," Riley shot back, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Eleanor rolled her eyes. "You told me to pour the oil on him! I didn't know it was hot."
"You used your own clothes to do it. Don't pretend you didn't know."
A wicked grin crossed Eleanor's face. "Frying him was fun."
Riley blinked, momentarily taken aback by her nonchalance. "You're crazier than I thought," he muttered. "What's your kill count?"
Eleanor tilted her head thoughtfully. "Let's see... Everyone should be dead by now. I'd say around two hundred people. Except for Chloe's parents, of course."
Riley's eyes widened. "Two hundred? How the hell did you get that many?"
"I activated the dynamite I planted in advance," Eleanor explained casually.
Riley let out a low whistle. "Damn, you could've told me. We could've watched the fireworks together. But you do know that won't kill any Series Two Assassins, right?"
Eleanor nodded. "They weren't my target. The guests were—the ones who caused the death of our father and ruined our family."
Riley's expression darkened. "And our family's status?"
"We used to be the tenth richest family in Belfast," Eleanor replied bitterly. "Now we're lower middle class."
Riley sighed and gestured toward Chloe, who was still recovering by the riverbank. "And what about her family? If they're rich, we could always kidnap her for ransom."
"Ew, Robert." Eleanor gave him a disgusted look. "That's a brilliant idea, Robert," she said sarcastically.
Chloe shot them both a wary glance, edging away slowly. "You guys know I can hear you, right?"
Eleanor shrugged. "That's what friends are for."