The shriek of grinding metal split the night.
Krrrttttt…
The sound tore through the air like a blade, sharp and merciless, but not a single passenger stirred. It was as though the entire train had been lulled into an unnatural sleep.
Ean clamped his hands over his ears, his face twisted in pain as the piercing screech clawed at his skull.
Beside him, Kael Draven staggered backward. His breathing grew ragged, sweat dripping down his pale face. Kael body trembled as though his strength had been sucked away by an unseen hand. Ean lunged forward, catching his shoulder just in time to keep him from collapsing.
"Just… a little longer," Kael thought, biting back a groan. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his chin. His vision blurred, but he refused to let go. "If I fail here, everyone will die."
The train hurtled forward, its wheels screaming against the rails. Ahead loomed a narrow gorge, its jagged cliffs towering high on either side.
The path was treacherous, the rails winding dangerously close to the rocky edges. Worse still, the bridge waiting at the end of the gorge had already been sabotaged.
Eira Solenne's eyes narrowed. This is our only chance.
With a sharp flick of her hand, glowing sigils burst into existence.
Tsshh... tsshh... tsshh! Spears of light shot forth, striking the cliffs. Rocks trembled, cracked, then cascaded onto the tracks ahead in a deafening rumble.
At the same time, Kael's shadow tendrils lashed out desperately, clawing at the sides of the gorge as if trying to anchor the runaway train.
"Kael, hold on… I'm entrusting everything to you," Eira prayed silently. Her heart pounded as she watched his shadows strain, the darkness groaning under the weight of steel and momentum. The train shuddered, slowing, but not enough.
GRADAKK... CREEEEESHH!
The wheels screeched violently as the locomotive wrenched off the rails.
"Eaaak!"
Eira, who had been standing on top of the train, lost her footing. Her body was hurled through the air, slamming into the ground before she rolled across the gravel. Inside the cars, chaos erupted. Passengers were ripped from their seats despite the bindings and safeguards that had been prepared. Bodies slammed into walls, luggage flew, cries of panic filled the silence - yet strangely, most still did not wake.
Kael Draven's body was thrown across the compartment like a rag doll. Ean, acting on pure instinct, dove forward and shielded him with his own body, taking the brunt of the impact as they were both tossed to the floor. His back screamed in agony, his head cracked against something hard, and warm blood ran down his temple.
"Kael!" Eira's voice broke through the haze. She pushed herself up despite the gash across her arm, horror twisting her face as she saw the train crash into the side of the cliff. The impact shook the gorge, sending more rocks tumbling down. Smoke hissed from the crippled engine, curling upward into the night sky like a white serpent.
The train groaned, leaning precariously before it finally ground to a halt, half-tilted and scarred by the crash.
"Kael…" Eira limped toward the wreck, panic clawing at her chest. The section he'd been in had taken the hardest blow. If he was gone - if their leader had been crushed, then everything would fall apart.
Inside, Ean forced his eyes open, pain clouding his senses. His body trembled, his back aflame with agony. He coughed, tasting blood. His fingers shook as he touched his forehead, slick with crimson.
"Chief?" His voice cracked as he shook Kael, whose body lay limp in his arms. "Please… wake up…" But Kael remained still, his chest rising only faintly.
The lamps above flickered erratically, the magical glow sputtering like dying fireflies. The enchantment that had blanketed the passengers finally dissolved. One by one, people stirred. Confusion turned into horror as they saw the wreckage around them.
"Arghhh!" a man screamed, clutching a broken arm. Others wailed, some crying out for family, some too dazed to comprehend what had happened. Panic threatened to boil over.
"Chief, please... wake up!" Ean begged, shaking Kael harder, his voice rising with desperation.
At that moment, the door burst open. Eira Solenne stumbled inside, her breathing ragged. Her eyes widened as she saw them.
"Kael! Can you hear me?" She dropped to her knees, pulling him into her lap. Her hands moved with practiced precision, checking his pulse, his breathing. Relief flickered across her face - he was alive, barely.
"What happened…?" a groggy voice came from the front. The train's conductor staggered toward them, blood staining his cap.
Eira snapped into command. "Ean, explain what happened to the passengers and keep them calm. I'll handle Kael."
Ean hesitated, torn, but then nodded. He stood and rushed to the conductor, quickly recounting the essentials. "The train was sabotaged. We derailed in the gorge, but we've stopped. There are injuries, some serious. We need immediate evacuation."
Already, some passengers had stumbled out on their own, ignoring instructions. Panic spread like wildfire.
Then the loudspeakers crackled to life.
"Attention passengers of the Hollexpress. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the train has made an emergency stop. Please disembark in an orderly fashion. Do not run. Assist the elderly and children first. Follow the staff's instructions."
The calm announcement cut through the hysteria. Slowly, the crowd began to move, shaken but more orderly.
Outside, rail staff lit emergency flares, signaling for rescue teams. Another conductor hurried up to Eira. "Is he going to make it?" he asked, pointing to Kael.
"Don't worry. He'll live," Eira answered firmly without looking up. Her hands moved swiftly, binding Kael's arm with bandages before injecting a clear fluid into his vein.
Kael's body twitched at the sting. His brows furrowed, lips parting in a pained groan.
"You... are you a doctor?" the conductor demanded. Suspicion edged his tone.
Eira's sharp eyes snapped up, like steel cutting glass. "Eira Solenne. Guardian of Dawn."
The man froze. Recognition flickered in his face. He swallowed and backed away, not daring to question her further.
Moments later, Kael's lashes fluttered. His gaze hazed, but then focused.
"You're awake," Eira breathed, relief softening her face. She helped him sit up slowly.
"How… is everyone?" His voice rasped like sandpaper.
"The train has stopped. Rescue is on the way. Don't strain yourself." She exhaled, her tense shoulders finally loosening.
Meanwhile, Ean guided passengers out of the wreckage. "Careful, grandmother," he murmured gently, supporting an old woman down the steps. His clothes were smeared with soot and blood, but he didn't care. His only concern was getting everyone safe.
Once they reached solid ground, Ean lifted his hand to wipe sweat from his brow, then froze. His eyes widened.
Words were scrawled across his palm. 'Welcome.'
A small smiley face had been drawn beneath it.
Ean's blood ran cold. Marionete…
He remembered her, the eccentric girl with bright clothes and a playful grin who had sat beside him. She had vanished just before the derailment. Now he was certain: she was behind this.
Far down the tracks, Marionete herself skipped along the rails, twirling a colorful parasol. Her bubblegum popped loudly as she chewed, her eyes glimmering with mischief.
"Ahhh, what a shame," she sang, tilting her head at the plume of smoke rising from the wreck. "I should've calculated that cliff better. Maybe instead of tampering with the bridge, I should've just blown the whole gorge and buried them under stone."
She giggled, spinning her parasol dramatically. "Oh well. I can always play with them another time." Her finger pointed lazily back at the broken Hollexpress before she vanished into the darkness.
When rescue finally arrived, the injured were treated swiftly. Miraculously, there were no fatalities, but fear clung heavy in the air.
"Chief, are you alright?" Ean asked later, after ensuring the last passengers were safe. Kael sat against a rock, Eira by his side. His face was pale, his body weak, but he managed a small nod.
"I'll live," he muttered. Then, with a grimace, he flexed his fingers. "But my strength… I can't use it fully. Not for now."
"Be grateful you're alive at all," Eira snapped, wrapping her own wounded arm with gauze. She shook her head. "They knew we were coming to Duskbell."
Ean clenched his fists. "Marionete. She was the one. She caused this. She sat beside me on the train, then vanished right before the crash."
Kael's eyes darkened. "A servant of Shadow…"
Eira's lips thinned. "Then the suicides in Duskbell are connected. They tried to stop us from reaching the city."
Ean looked between them, uncertain. "What do we do now? You're both injured. Shouldn't we turn back?"
Eira glanced toward a line of horse-drawn carriages waiting nearby. Despite the chaos, a faint smile curved her lips.
"They welcomed us so warmly," she said dryly. "Of course, we can't disappoint them."
Kael chuckled weakly, and Ean followed their gaze. Moments later, the three of them climbed into one of the carriages. The road ahead twisted and turned endlessly, far slower than the train, but it would suffice. Duskbell was not far.
Hours passed, and at last they arrived at the eastern security office of the Market City.
"Greetings," a man stepped forward. "I am Jack, officer of the Duskbell Security Division. Thank you for coming."
Kael, though weary, inclined his head. "Apologies. We're late. There was… an incident with the train."
Jack's face tightened. "Yes, we received word. I'm sorry you had to endure such hardship."
"Let's get to the point," Kael said, steadying himself. "The report mentioned a sudden surge of unnatural suicides in the city. We need confirmation."
Jack hesitated, his eyes troubled. "It is true that each victim had their reasons. But what disturbs us is that every one of them… attended the traveling circus currently performing here."
Ean's head shot up. "The circus? That's the same as my calligraphy—"
Eira shot him a sharp look, silencing him at once. She smiled politely at Jack. "Ignore him. He's new. He tends to speak nonsense."
Jack blinked, confused, but let it pass.
"In any case, we will visit this circus ourselves," Kael declared.
Jack nodded. "We inspected it already, but found nothing unusual. Still, the deaths… they're unnatural. That's why we requested your aid."
"Don't worry," Eira said firmly. "We'll handle it."
Jack gestured toward a small residence nearby. "For now, please rest here. We've prepared supplies. Tonight, I'll return with the documents you'll need to move freely through the city."
"Thank you," Kael replied, accepting the key.
"It is we who should thank you," Jack said, bowing slightly before leaving.
Once alone, Eira muttered under her breath. "A circus. We should've realized sooner."