The faint hum of the Astral Express carried beneath my steps as March and I walked toward the parlor car. The smell of roasted coffee beans and something sweet — maybe toast and butter — drifted through the air.
The door slid open with its familiar hiss.
Warm light spilled across polished tables, gleaming silver cutlery, and the faint steam rising from a teapot Pom-Pom was fussing over. Himeko sat at her usual place, hair catching the morning glow, while Dan Heng quietly turned a page of his book. Welt was already halfway through his tea, the steam curling gently around his glasses.
"See? I told you she was sleeping in," March announced the moment we stepped inside, voice bright and triumphant.
Pom-Pom spun around, tail puffing slightly. "Pom! Breakfast doesn't wait forever, you know!"
"I know," I said, smiling as I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "I appreciate you keeping it warm."
Pom-Pom puffed up further, though their little arms crossed with exaggerated sternness. "Pom! You always say that, but Pom-Pom knows you were probably reading again."
A soft laugh slipped past my lips. "You're not wrong."
Himeko glanced up, her eyes soft but amused. "At least you made it before the coffee turned cold."
I took the empty seat beside her, adjusting my coat as I did. The chair creaked faintly — familiar somehow. Across from me, March had already stolen a piece of toast and was waving it like a flag of victory.
"Good morning, Elena!" she said between bites, crumbs clinging to the corners of her mouth.
"Good morning," I replied, and when she grinned up at me, I reached out to gently brush the crumbs away. "You're making a mess, little March."
Her cheeks flushed pink. "Y-you don't have to do that! I can handle toast just fine!"
Dan Heng looked up just long enough to murmur, "Evidence suggests otherwise," before turning a page.
March pouted. "You're impossible!"
A quiet laugh rippled through the room. Welt shook his head lightly, while Himeko refilled my cup without a word. The gentle scent of coffee curled upward, rich and comforting.
I lifted the cup, letting the warmth rest against my palms. The conversation drifted around me laughter, teasing, the sound of the train's steady rhythm beneath it all.
It was hard to say what felt more familiar the smell of coffee, or the feeling that I belonged here.
I felt like I understood what the system had meant, but something still eluded me. I couldn't quite grasp it all yet even a small understanding felt like enough.
My gaze drifted to the plate before me, then to the faces around the table. Himeko's warm smile lingered as she poured her coffee, the faint aroma curling toward me, the one cup she seemed to make just for me. Dan Heng sat quietly, still and steady, his posture composed as always. Welt's calm presence seemed to settle the space around him, while March fidgeted in her seat, hands moving constantly, her expressions shifting between worry and excitement.
Everything felt too real. The warmth of the mug in my hands, the low hum of the train beneath my feet, the faint chatter that filled the car.
Was this truly reality? Or just a world painted too vividly to be fake?
If this was real, then what did that make the world I came from?
Were both worlds real… or was one merely an echo of the other?
A voice cut through my thoughts — March's, soft but worried. "Elena, are you okay?"
Looking at March, who sat across from me, I smiled softly and gave a small nod. My fork held a piece of toast, and before she could react, I leaned slightly forward and offered it toward her.
Her eyes went wide, and she jerked back, hands flailing. "W-what are you doing?!"
"I thought you might be hungry," I said quietly, letting a hint of amusement touch my voice.
March's cheeks flushed, and she hesitated for a heartbeat before leaning forward to take the bite, muttering, "You're impossible, you know that?"
I simply watched, my smile gentle, as she settled back in her seat, still fidgeting slightly. Even in her flustered state, the small spark of delight in her eyes was unmistakable.
Maybe it didn't matter whether it was fake or not, to the me who is currently here in this reality is real, this universe is real. I don't need to overthink these things, especially more so when my past is something I simply wrote.
I chuckled softly behind my hand, as I watch March's reaction.
This universe is real, and I don't need to think too much, especially with the person's animated expression right in front of me.
Yet, another question arose in my head.
How do I know when the game starts, when do players arrive?
I remembered how I was supposed to make players emotionally attached to me, but for a few hours now, the system has not shown itself and it was obviously it wasn't near the point where the Astral Express was going to dock on the space station.
Just as I was about to ask the system.
["Time until the official launch of Honkai: Star Rail '03:21:53:34' "] the system mechanical voiced cut through my thought as it showed system screen countdown.
It seemed like I'll understand more about the difference between the two as I continue interacting with the system and fulfilling my task of getting players emotionally attached to me.
Seeing that no matter how much I call the system but get no other response and seeing how much time I still had before the official start of the game. Some of the tension in my body went away.
I was thankful that the system at the very least allowed me time to adjust to this world, despite it only being for a few days.