"Arriving at Wishing Stop Station. Please be careful when leaving the train. Have a nice day."
The metal doors of the train slid open, and the two children peered through the transparent window.
Their nervous eyes scanning the empty platform, but no one was there.
Just as they were about to step out, they saw a young adult woman are approaching.
Beautiful Sister. Both children thought at the same time.
Aria Vale Ashford stood before the two young brothers, dressed in her newly acquired pink train uniform.
The tailored coat and skirt gave her an air of grace and lovely authority. On her chest, a little golden-edged name tag, engraved with a Miss Stationmaster, gleamed proudly.
It was shining, sparkling even.
Then, when you looked above, a pink headdress decorated with delicate ribbons and a flower clip rested on her head.
While her reddish-pink heels clicked softly against the floor as she walked.
Lucas and Little Carlos had never seen such a beautiful sister in the Base.
Aria's long hair changed from black to golden as she used the Stationmaster card.
Whenever it caught the light, it shone like a glimmer of hope in the darkness, cascading over her shoulders and framing a face so gentle it seemed almost angelic.
Her warm eyes radiated kindness, and her soft smile carried the warmth of a caring older sister, or perhaps the little mother the two brothers once knew, the one they would never see again in this lifetime.
Aria took careful, graceful steps toward them, every movement happy and deliberate calm, trying to appear approachable and reassuring.
She feared that any sudden gesture or stern look might frighten the two young children.
"Welcome to Wishing Stop Station! I am Miss Stationmaster , you can call me Sister, may I have the honor of guiding you in our Wishing Stop Station?"
Aria smiled, her voice sweet and comforting, like a gentle hand reaching out in the two boy's dark, uncertain world.
It was the first time Lucas and Little Carlos had ever seen an adult so gentle, so full of warmth toward them.
Almost instinctively, they stepped outside, their small feet dragging forward as if guided by a fragile thread of trust.
Behind them, the train doors slid shut with a soft beep, but neither boy noticed.
Aria caught the signs of their unease, the way their shoulders stiffened, their eyes flickering nervously to every shadow.
Her gaze lowered to their dirt-stained clothes, the scratches along their arms, and the streak of dried blood across Lucas's cheek.
Her chest ached.
Pity and sadness welled inside her, and in that quiet moment, she made a silent promise, the first thing she would do was bring them to the waiting area, somewhere safe, somewhere warm.
"Sister? Are you… a good sister?" Little Carlos asked, his small voice trembling.
He hesitated, afraid she might scold him.
The last time he had called someone 'sister' back at the base, that woman had beaten him.
The memory still clung to him, a faint scar of fear.
Lucas said nothing.
He only studied Aria quietly, his eyes sharp with caution.
Is she a bad woman… or a good sister?
It was the first time he had seen someone so clean, smelling faintly of flowers, her face free from the hard cruelty he was used to.
No hostility. No suspicion.
The sight felt almost unreal.
For a fleeting moment, Lucas wondered if they had died on the train and somehow stepped into heaven.
Like their little mother used to say, only angels could be gentle, soft, and beautiful all at once.
The sister standing before them… she might really be an angel, ah.
If only Aria knew what Lucas was thinking, her heart would have bloomed with joy at such a pure compliment.
Yet, guilt would shadow it too.
For she was the creator of this cruel world.
If Lucas were ever to learn that truth, perhaps he would hate her instead.
"Yes, you can call me sister." Aria's voice was warm, her smile gentle.
With her affirmation, courage stirred in Little Carlos's small chest.
With trembling steps, he moved forward.
Awkwardly, he wiped his dirty hand against a cleaner patch of his clothes before extending it.
His tiny fingers reaching out, seeking the comfort of the gentle sister before him.
"Sister… where is this place?" Little Carlos asked softly.
Aria took his small hand in hers, then extended her other hand toward Lucas.
After a brief hesitation, the older boy finally took her hand.
With both children at her side, Aria gently led them into the platform building.
"This place…" She said softly, pointing to the printed map on the wall. "Is the Heavenly Train Wishing Stop Station for District 1."
On the board, Wishing Stop Station was marked in red, the very first point of the Heavenly Train line.
The rest of the stations point remained blank and blurred, as though they had yet to be revealed, waiting to be written into existence.
"What is the Wishing Stop?" Lucas asked, his eyes lifting to her with quiet curiosity.
Aria's lips pressed together as if she were gathering her thoughts.
"Wishing Stop… it is the first station of the Heavenly Train Line. This place where we stand, it is the beginning."
"Oh…" Lucas's brow furrowed. "Then… who owns this place?"
The question lingered in the air, heavy with suspicion.
The two children had never once heard the adults, nor the bad men at the base, speak of a train station still running in this apocalyptic world.
"Well, of course, me!" Aria's lips curled into a playful smile, her face bright with cheer. "Of course it's me. Look—Miss Stationmaster."
She pointed proudly to the nameplate on her uniform, only to realize the two young ones didn't know how to read. A wave of pity washed over her.
In her world, children their age could already read, count numbers, and even speak foreign languages.
Was it the apocalypse that had ruined their future?
"Oh… so cool! Sister, then… then can we stay here?" Little Carlos asked, his voice almost pleading. If they stayed in this place, no monster could eat them.
"Sure. But… do the little ones have their tickets?" Aria asked gently.
"Tickets?" Both Lucas and Little Carlos turned to each other in confusion.
They had no idea what a ticket was.
"Is this it, Sister?" Little Carlos asked, pulling out two pink cards he had been hiding deep in his pocket.
They're were his new toys.
He held them out blindly, unsure.
Aria's eyes flickered in surprise.
The two familiar premium pink cards she had received earlier were smudged with dirt, but she didn't mind.
She confirmed they were indeed the train tickets.
So… the two destined passengers were these young boys.
The system had explained to her earlier why the train had suddenly vanished, leaving Wishing Stop Station, it had gone to pick up its passengers.
The Heavenly Train had its own rules, its own spirit, its own consciousness to fulfill its role.
As the system had guided, the two premium tickets were sent to a place where their rightful owners would eventually find them within the designated area scanned by the system.
Once the destined passengers held them in their hands, the Heavenly Train would be awaken and begin its departure.
Aria hadn't understood at first, but now, seeing the two young boys standing here, she could only believe.
Her golden finger was truly magical, defying all science, nothing less than a cheat in this apocalyptic world!