15 April
9:45 A.M.
The journey to Mistwood Town would take two days.
And from there to Serene… Nicolas wasn't even sure anymore.
He leaned back against the cold seat of the train, staring at the blur of trees rushing past.
He should have been thinking about what to say to Mr. Williams.
He should have been planning every word.
But his mind kept drifting back to the man at the counter.
Something about him was… wrong.
The clerk switched shifts right at the beginning of his duty, Nicolas thought. And that mist… it appeared right after I reached him.
He frowned.
And I couldn't see his face. No matter how hard I tried.
His fingers curled slowly.
Too many strange things had happened.
Too many to ignore.
Thoughts crashed into each other inside his head, piling up, overlapping, suffocating.
Then he remembered.
Serene.
That was why he was here.
That was the reason he boarded that train.
He closed his eyes.
Focus.
In the Evening
Moonshine Town
In the crowd of people entering the train coach. A sweet voice echoed in Nicolas's ears.
"Sir… may I sit here, if you're not uncomfortable?"
Nicolas looked toward the voice.
A girl stood beside his seat.
His breath caught. He froze at just a glance at her.
She looked like someone who didn't belong in this world—someone who had descended from heaven. Blue eyes that shimmered softly in the light, silver white hair flowing neatly over her shoulders. She wore a black long coat over a white shirt, paired with black pants. That was looking absolutely stunning.
She looked about his age.
For a moment, Nicolas forgot how to speak.
"Si—sir? Sir?"
Her voice snapped him back.
"Y-Yes—yes," he said quickly, turning toward her. "You can sit."
She smiled and took the seat beside him.
Minutes passed.
Everyone was chattering in the train. Sierra looked at Nicolas.
She noticed that he fell out of the place in the middle of a conversation among passengers.
She cleared her throat gently.
"My name is Sierra."
He blinked. "Oh! I'm Nicolas. My name is Nicolas."
She smiled.
"Where are you going, sir?"
"Mistwood Town," he replied. "I'm going to Mistwood Town."
"I'm heading to Evergreen Town," she said brightly.
The conversation slowly continued.
At first, Nicolas answered awkwardly, stiffly—but as time passed, the tension faded. Words came more naturally. Laughter slipped out.
For the first time since boarding the train, he felt… at ease.
Then a person beside Nicolas asked—
"So, why are you going to Mistwood Town?"
"I'll catch a train to Serene from there," Nicolas said confidently.
The passengers in the same cabin froze for a moment.
They met each other's eyes and one person spoke between them.
"…Sir," He said carefully, "I think you might be mistaken."
Nicolas blinked. "Mistaken, mistaken what?"
"There are no trains from Mistwood to Serene." The person said
His smile faltered.
"In fact," He continued, "Serene is in the opposite direction from Mistwood."
The color drained from his face.
"No… no, that's not right," he said quickly. "The man at the counter told me—he was a booking clerk!"
Passengers remain silent.
"You're wondering whether to believe me or not," He said calmly. "I travel many times to Mistwood town and Serene there is no railway to link them."
Nicolas laughed nervously.
"You're joking, right?"
They didn't smile.
His chest tightened.
"…You're not joking."
At that moment, memory struck him like lightning.
The black suit.
The black cap.
The mist.
The hidden face.
His fists clenched.
"Shit… shit… SHIT!" he snapped. "I knew something was wrong about that guy!"
Sierra flinched.
"Why would someone change shifts right after starting work?!" Nicolas growled. "That bastard tricked me!"
His anger exploded.
"I swear, I'll smash him into pulp if I ever see him again!"
"Calm down," Sierra said quickly, placing her hand near his arm. "Please. Calm down."
He took a shaky breath.
"You can get off at the next station," she said softly. "Everything will be fine."
He swallowed.
"How long until the next station?"
Sierra hesitated.
"…We just passed the last one."
His heart sank.
"The next station is a hundred kilometers away."
"That Son of a…." He paused mid-sentence, trying to calm down.
He leaned back.
"Alright," he muttered. "We'll wait. I'll get off at the next station."
"Yes," Sierra said gently. "That's the right thing to do."
Nicolas takes a nap.
AFTER FEW HOURS
Nicolas opens his eyes.
There was no one in the cabin. He stepped outside but the cabin was also empty.
The luggage was still there.
Bags. Coats. Belongings.
But not a single person.
Nicolas went into thought.
Then someone touches him from behind.
He moved backward instantly. and said
"…Sierra."
"Yes?"
"There hasn't been anyone else in this coach when I woke up. But their luggage is there."
She looked around slowly.
"…You're right."
Her brows furrowed.
He asked"By the way, where did you come from?"
Sierra replied "I went to the washroom."
They both went silent.
"If being alone is making you uncomfortable," he said lightly, "we can go check the other coaches."
Nicolas forced a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes.
Sierra hesitated, then nodded. "Yes… that might be better."
They stood up and walked toward the next coach.
The door slid open with a dull metallic sound.
Empty.
No passengers.
No luggage.
No voices.
Just rows of vacant seats.
Sierra's steps slowed.
"Maybe everyone is on the next coach," she whispered.
Nicolas didn't answer.
They moved to the next coach.
And the next.
And the next.
All empty.
Not a single soul.
There are no signs of anyone having been there.
Only the bags and coats of passengers
But no footprints.
No warmth.
The silence began to feel heavy—unnaturally heavy.
"This…" Sierra whispered, "This doesn't make sense."
Nicolas swallowed.
"We haven't reached the station yet," he said slowly. "Then where did everyone go?"
Sierra nodded.
"Yes… They should have been here."
They stood still, surrounded by empty seats.
A strange pressure filled the air.
"This isn't real," Nicolas muttered. "Something is wrong."
Sierra wrapped her arms around herself.
"Yes," she said. "Very wrong."
AFTER SOME TIME
2:00 P.M.
The train suddenly jerked.
Not violently—but noticeably.
Nicolas grabbed the edge of a seat.
Sierra frowned. "Did you feel that?"
"Yes."
The scenery outside had changed.
The trees were denser.
Darker.
Twisted.
Sierra leaned closer to the window.
"The train… changed its path."
Nicolas stiffened. "What?"
"These tracks—" she said slowly, "—they aren't on any official route."
Nicolas turned to her. "Why?"
" The tracks are straight to the next station." She continues, "These tracks are no longer usable. They have been banned for 10 years."
A cold feeling crept into Nicolas's chest.
"Okay," he said, "So this is bad, right?"
Sierra nodded.
"I'm going to talk to the loco pilot," Nicolas said.
"What?" Sierra said.
"I don't have a good feeling about this train," he replied. "I'm going."
She hesitated.
Then straightened.
"I'm coming with you."
Nicolas looked at her. "You don't have to."
"I know," she said. "But I will."
They exchanged a look.
And began walking.
They passed through coach after coach.
All empty.
Every step echoed.
The lights flickered.
A low hum filled the air.
When they reached the final coach, Nicolas stopped.
"You stay here," he said. "I'll go to the engine room."
Sierra grabbed his sleeve.
"Be careful."
He nodded.
He climbed onto the narrow platform between the coaches.
Cold wind rushed past him.
The metal beneath his boots vibrated violently.
He climbed up.
Then down.
Then carefully made his way toward the engine cabin.
His heart pounded.
When he opened the door—
He froze at the sight of the engine room.
It was… Empty***