This time, I woke up more relaxed than usual. I looked outside the horsecart, and the train station was in hindsight. It was as always, an excess design from the outside. The grand pillars of the Holy One surrounded it in golden plating. At the center, there was the entrance on top of which were the two flags along with a golden embroidery. I had not focused on the beauty of this structure before. I had come here with no sense of self, after all.

“We are here.”

Heinrich opened the door midway. I looked to the front of the cart, and paused, puzzled in thought.

“Will I be able to save everyone this time?”

The thought buzzed through my mind. I could feel the breeze touch my cheek, carrying their sorrow to me. Guilt filled me as I was reminded of them again. Upon entering the station, this thought was replaced by fear.

I sat near where the train would arrive, and idleness felt luxurious. I paid for a small meal of fried chicken porridge. It felt cozy to eat this warm food in the midst of the freezing weather. I could not have fathomed it when I was at the mansion. This was nothing short of a lucky turn of events.

“It seems you are enjoying the meal.”

Heinrich’s voice muffled under the noise of the train gates opening. I remembered that I was excited when I first joined the service, and got the opportunity to ride the steam train. Along with time, the tides of this country started to change as well. Development picked up with the opening of borders, and so did new modern technology get developed. It was truly a time of reckoning for this world, and by their fruits it will be judged.

This time, I realized the seat no. was different, Still, I could not let myself be at ease. People occupied their usual seats, and I did not fear them this time out of unexplainable suspicion. I grabbed the window seat, while Heinrich sat in front. While this was the only train to Central, it was also the most luxurious. Chandelier-like lights were placed in the center, and a lamp was put above every chair. The chairs were in four for every corner, and two tables were placed between them, which were folded below the window. The food, I heard, was excellent Central cuisine. The Northern house’s influence was especially prominent.

We were the only passengers that onboarded from this station, but the train was delayed. I started to feel a strong sense of premonition. A nauseating smell caught up to me, reminding me of the traumatic past. I started to take short gasps, panicking. I was at a loss for words. I could not muster to speak to Heinrich, and make him believe what was to happen.

“Heinrich, we must hurry, and leave the train.”

At that same instant, the train doors closed, and the noise swallowed my words. Now, all I could do was face the situation at hand.

“Hermann von Richter, please arrive at the deck.”

My memory started to play back like a music sequence. I now knew nothing could help me to escape this destiny of mine. What could I have done differently? The thought echoed in my mind. Again, I started having trouble differentiating the imaginary and reality. The scenery outside the train started to resemble the town which I could not save.

The train stopped suddenly, and the lights went out. The train floor started to shake as if a giant structure was moving. My sight started to flash. It seemed I was in the forest again. I started to shout in despair, and the voices came back to shudder me.

“Murderer! Murderer!”

I felt repulsive. The voices started to echo, as they became more clear. I was reminded of them again, and thought: What if I was the one that killed them?

“Hermann! Hermann!”

I faintly heard Heinrich’s voice, and I woke up in shock. However, he sat there looking outside the train without any worry or anxiety. I looked outside, and noticed it following the normal route to Central. I knew something was odd. I closed my eyes hoping this feeling would subside. But, I was now elsewhere, finding myself outside the library gates. I knew I was in a dream.

“You must be Hermann von Richter, I presume?”

A spirit descended from the skies, translucent and ghostly, accompanying a smell of burning incense.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Oulanem.”

Though I found the name at first foreign, it was a striking resemblance to the name of the Heavenly Lord, albeit mixed up. I was cautious; spirits are our natural enemy after all. It was obvious that this space, or realm, was artificially crafted by a tremendous amount of mana, the degree of which no man can possess. And, this spirit must be no ordinary one, a specialty amongst the rest.

“Now, I must be brief: You must wake up soon.”

“You must sleep now. You must first accomplish what you came here for.”

A small gap followed between the two voices. But, the two voices overlapped, as if a magic incantation was being read. Now, I started to see two scenes side-by-side, of the train being stuck in the dark, and it following the usual route to Central. It was as if the two were blending, and clashed against each other.

When I woke up, I found myself on the train, in front of Heinrich. My hands started to shake out of fear, I looked at the glass pane with a feeling of estrangement, and noticed my deep breathing. I feared that no one could save me out of this misery.

“What is the matter, Hermanm? You look pale.”

I let out a smile to distract him from my loss of words. Nonetheless, it seemed he had noticed something odd with me. I looked from my side gaze and he seemed to wear a worrisome look. He sighed, and picked up the daily newspaper.

“Would you believe it if I said I saw the devil?”