Far down the line, trailing only the caboose, stood a train car that starkly contrasted with the others. While the rest were lavishly adorned with vibrant wallpapers and scarlet curtains, this one consisted of plain wooden panels and a wall adorned with medical supplies.
In a remote corner, a silver-lined cell barely wide enough to sit in caught Ellamae's eye, briefly stirring a sense of panic. However, Fionntan guided them past it.
Entering one of the three unoccupied compartments, he gracefully placed his briefcase and cane on the shelf above the bench, then relaxed with a relieved sigh, closing his eyes.
As the platform with its bustling crowd slid out of view, the city of Sheeglen came into sight, still shrouded in the dark cloak of night. Perched on a sea cliff, the walled city appeared majestic. Ellamae strained her eyes but couldn't spot the stairs leading to her sea-level neighborhood.
In an instant, the train gained speed, leaving Sheeglen behind and venturing into rolling farmland.
New clothes, unfamiliar scenery, unusual transportation, and a seat with cushions more comfortable than any bed she could remember. All of this was enough to leave her head spinning, but it was only the beginning. She had tested positive for magic, witnessed a murder, and her life with her brother was... gone.
The shock that settled over Ellamae plunged her into silence.
Eventually, Fionntan — seeming content with ignoring her — roused and brought out a book, but he didn't bother to adjust the dim lamp suspended above them. Instead, raised bumps on the page awaited his touch to glide across.
As he delved into the text, Ellamae rested her head on the cool glass and watched distant twinkling lights speeding past, resembling shooting stars. With every passing moment, she felt herself growing further and further from the life she once knew.
Time allowed her overwhelming fatigue to dissolve into a deep pool of exhaustion, and her eyelids grew heavy.
A bolt of lightning crashed from the sky, but it didn't diminish. Instead, it lingered at the point of impact, expanding like a crack in stone.
As if seeking to contain it, a purple smoke rushed in and engulfed the spectacle.
Lightning and smoke swirled and thrashed, interweaving and compressing into a tightly wound ball of pulsing energy.
Then it exploded.
It radiated outward in a formidable wave, toppling trees and reducing houses to rubble.
Suspension Railway
- The trains run on a suspension railway, which means the track is high up, and above the train rather than under it.
This train engine design was based on the designs by Raymond Loewy, specifically the PRR S1
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