Not fully understanding, the three men stayed silent, waiting to see what was waiting for them.
Heavenly Train Station.
They all found the name of this place very strange and absolutely ridiculous.
Looking through the wide glass windows, they watched as the train slowly pulled away from the platform of Wishing Stop Station, then gathered speed like the public trains of the old days.
Gilbert no longer remembered how fast the trains in the Capital had moved when he was a teenager, but he still recalled the feeling of sitting on one.
It brought back memories, conversations, and laughter shared with his friends as they rode the train every morning to school.
It was a precious memory, and he wished he could return to the past once more.
"Vice Cap, look—look outside! We can't see the city ruins, or anything at all. Why is it so dark… where are we?" Vincent pressed his gloved hands against the glass, his scarred yet striking face nearly touching it, just to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.
The three men stood up and stared out, stunned and bewildered.
Everything beyond the windows was an endless grey darkness, like a void.
The train glided through the unfamiliar void, and unease in their hearts instantly put the three men on alert.
Aria noticed their suspicious gazes on her and sighed inwardly. Having experienced this before, she understood their worries.
Letting go of the handrail, she moved closer to the glass, first glancing to the left before staring out the right window. Confronted with nothing but the void, she spoke with a gentle softness that carried ease into her words.
"What you see outside is the train's scenery, shaped purely by the strong emotions of its passengers—and at this very moment, it is your emotions that speak." Aria only gave them a silent look before continuing.
"I've told you before, this train's destination is your heart's desire. As for this endless void you see, perhaps it's best to ask yourself. In any case, there is nothing to fearl, no threat can reach you while you are inside of the train."
"Are you saying these are our emotions!? My emotions? How could it be this dark, like a void? Come on, I'm not even a depressed guy, like that one from Squad B. Right, Vice Cap?" Vincent said with a doubtful grin, as though trying to convince himself as much as the others, his eyes flicking toward both his brothers.
A pin drop could be heard in the train wagon, the silence broken only by the soft rhythm of the wheels against the track.
Aria scratched her cheek gently, clearly not wanting to confront the weight these men carried. "It's okay. I understand. I mean… you guys live every day fighting monsters, right?"
"How could Miss Aria really understand?" Jimmy's brown eyes lingered on the young woman in her pink dress uniform, the one who called herself Stationmaster. To him, she seemed too clean, too untouched by the outside world. He closed his eyes again, arms folded over his sniper, and whispered, almost more to himself than to her. "It just… seems like Miss Aria has never suffered a single day in this apocalypse."
"Eh..." Aria's lips parted slightly, her golden eyes flickering as her heart almost skipped a beat. She stole a quick glance at the other two men, who stayed silent, before hurriedly looking back at Jimmy.
Just as she felt the need to explain herself, Vincent interrupted, almost wailing to their Vice Captain, Gilbert.
"Vice Cap, am I really such a gloomy, boring person? I don't think I am—look, if anyone is gloomy, it's you and Jimmy. These dark moods suit you far better. But me… I've never had a mind like that!"
Gilbert gave Vincent's annoying face a light shove and glanced at Aria's flushed face, brushing off Jimmy's words. "Miss Aria, don't mind Jimmy. He's just like that, very observant."
That didn't really put Aria at ease at all by any ways, what observant? What did he mean by that?
Additionally, this Gilbert was thinking the same as Jimmy.
Aria couldn't help but think more, a small panic rising deep inside, wishing she could escape their watchful eyes by speaking more.
However, she didn't want to continue the conversation or explain anything further.
Therefore, she nodded lightly to Gilbert with a small smile, as if saying she didn't mind at all, and retreated to the handrail on the other side.
Once she stood a bit away from the three men, Aria began a one-on-one argument with the Fluff Ball system.
"I'm not allowed to tell I'm not from this world, right?" Aria believed this was an unspoken rule in every transmigration scenario. After all, she didn't want to be punished, or to be unable to return to her original world.
"Indeed, Host."
"Then what, pray tell! How am I supposed to explain my existence and my magical train existence to them? Someone's already suspicious of me!"
Aria understood Jimmy's doubts about her appearance, she did look like someone who had never suffered a day in the apocalypse.
But really, the golden eyes, the hair, and the pink uniform were just part of her persona as the Stationmaster.
They weren't even her true appearance. Her real hair was black, and her eyes were black, just like a normal human's.
"There's no need to explain to anyone in this world who you are, Host. You only need to ensure the tasks of the Heavenly Train Station are completed, help the passengers of this world live better lives, and bring the world's survival rate to 100%. Once that is achieved, the Host can return to her original world." Fluff Ball explained coldly, then it slipped into silent mode.
"Sometimes you're really not helping me."
Aria let out a soft sigh, her distressed breath escaping her red lips as she jerked her head toward the endless void outside the train.
So dark… these people really have dark emotions. Aria thought, and suddenly, her heart felt a little troubled.
This world must have been really hard to live in these past fifteen years.
"Dear Passengers, we're now arriving at the Heavenly Train Destiny Gate! Keep your ticket safe, and don't forget to take all your important belongings with you." At the female operator's formal announcement, everyone's attention snapped to the front, and in an instant, they found themselves entering an unknown tunnel.