CHAPTER 30 —
Morning in the Great Forest did not usually shake the earth.
Today, it did.
A deep tremor rippled through the ancient roots, rolling like a wave under the soil. Birds burst from treetops in panicked flocks. Leaves spiraled in bright green arcs as if some giant hand swept through the canopy. Mana drifted like glowing particles of dust, swirling around the clearing where the first one hundred meters of rail gleamed with golden promise.
Hundreds of people, elves, dwarves, dark elves, human volunteers, diplomats from four empires, even spirit beasts had gathered. Everyone had dropped whatever they were doing.
Because today…
Aetheria's first real train would move.
Airi floated above the track hugging a mana crystal the size of a small pillow, kicking her legs playfully.
"Onii chan! Onii chan! It is vibrating. That means it is excited, right?"
Haruto placed two fingers on the crystal.
"No. It means the dwarves overheated it again."
A dwarf shouted from across the construction area:
"WE DID NOT OVERHEAT ANYTHING! IT IS ONLY… EXTREMELY EXCITED!"
Lyria giggled softly behind her glowing hands.
Frost exhaled like someone preparing to babysit fifty toddlers.
Lunara flexed her wings, cracking her neck like she was warming up for a fight.
Airi's eyes sparkled.
Today felt different. Like something massive was about to begin. Something that would shake the world more than the thunder under their feet.
THE FIRST TRUE ENGINE
The mana engine resting on the tracks did not look like a normal machine.
It looked alive.
Six meters long, reinforced alloy frame lined with ancient runes, glowing mana veins pulsing like a creature's heartbeat. Steam drifted from vents, shimmering as it mixed with concentrated spirit particles in the air.
Dwarves circled it like priests at a sacred ritual.
"Check the stabilizer!"
"Check the runes!"
"Check Bramun! He is smiling in a suspicious way!"
"I AM ALWAYS SMILING!"
"That is the problem!"
Haruto approached the engine and placed his palm on the core.
The rune network lit up in an instant.
Airi gasped.
"It likes you."
"I fed it stable mana," Haruto said.
"So you are its papa?"
Haruto blinked slowly.
"No."
Lyria floated next to them.
"One magical engine. One boy. One deep emotional bond. Airi is correct."
"I am not its parent," Haruto repeated.
Lunara knocked on the engine casing.
"If you deny it, it will call you mama."
Haruto turned around and walked away like a man refusing reality.
Airi laughed so hard she dropped half her mana crystal.
Bramun clutched his beard.
"THE LITTLE ENGINE HAS CHOSEN ITS PARENT. WE MUST RESPECT ITS CHOICE!"
"Stop," Haruto muttered.
THE TEST BEGINS
The workers cleared the area.
Spirit beasts formed a natural barrier.The envoys stepped onto a floating viewing platform kept aloft by wind spirits.Elves stood on lookout branches.Dark elves prepared emergency runes "just in case."
Even the normally emotionless Abyssion envoy took a step forward.
Airi floated by Haruto's side.
"Onii Chan… are you ready?"
"Yes."
"…Are you nervous?"
Haruto inhaled slowly.
"Very."
Airi smiled and grabbed his hand.
"Me too."
The siblings stepped onto the open-roofed test carriage attached to the engine. The platform gleamed with polished metal and carved wooden patterns, blessed by spirits for stability.
"This is the first train," Haruto whispered.
Airi nodded.
"And this is our first ride."
"Ready?" Haruto asked.
Airi raised her hand.
"GO LITTLE ENGINE!"
Bramun bellowed:
"ENGAGE THE CORE!"
The engine screamed alive.
Mana flashed.
Light exploded.
The train shot forward like a comet.
Wind blasted against their faces. Trees blurred into green streaks. Airi's hair flew backward like a wild flag.
"WAAAAHHHHH IT IS SO FAST!" she shrieked.
Haruto braced himself.
"This is only half power!"
"WHAT!?"
The engine roared like a thunderstorm locked inside metal. The track hummed with golden light. Dwarves cheered hysterically. Elves clapped quietly but with awe. Dark elves allowed themselves tiny smiles.
Diplomats held their breath.
Solaris's envoy whispered:
"This speed… this will redefine civilization."
Dominion's envoy clenched his fists.
"Armies could mobilize faster than ever before."
Velnar's envoy trembled.
"Mountains will not stop this…"
Abyssion's envoy murmured:
"Emperor Kuroz will be intrigued."
The engine slowed slowly and gracefully until it stopped at the far end.
Airi flopped onto the floor.
"My soul left my body… at least three times…"
Haruto lifted her.
"You still have more."
"That is not… how souls work…"
"Probably."
MERCHANTS LOSE THEIR MINDS
The news spread like fire.
Merchants sprinted toward the track.
A camel merchant hit his knees dramatically.
"With this speed… shipments of fruit… silk… spices… NOTHING will spoil!"
A honey trader screamed:
"I HAVE WAITED MY WHOLE LIFE FOR THIS!"
A courier sobbed:
"No more walking… no more wolves… no more blisters…"
Airi tilted her head.
"Blisters?"
Lyria whispered:
"Do not explain that to her."
More merchants arrived, armored ones, robed ones, wealthy ones draped in jewels, poor ones carrying hopes instead of bags.
They stared at the engine in worship.
One whispered:
"This… will reshape the world."
Haruto muttered:
"Yes. In ways we can not yet predict."
Then the dwarves loaded the second round of test cargo.
This included:
Two crates of metal platesThree barrels of fruitSeven sacks of grainFour tools the size of treesOne oversized stone golemOne wolf cubA very stressed diplomatAnd a basket of Airi's cookiesWhich the golem immediately attempted to eat.
Airi gasped.
"GOLEM NO!"
The golem vibrated happily.
Haruto grabbed its head before it went unstable.
"Stop feeding golems sugar."
The dwarves roared in laughter.
A SMALL PROBLEM: TOO MANY BEASTS
Spirit beasts gathered around the engine.
A massive deer spirit nudged the carriage.A wind spirit curled under the wheels.A moss rabbit jumped on top of the engine and refused to come down.A group of spark sprites performed a celebratory dance in the air.
Airi floated in circles trying to organize the chaos.
"Beasts do not sit there!Spirits no touching the core!Moss rabbit come down please!Do not lick the rail!No fighting!No glowing explosions!Lunara no flexing!"
Lunara flexed anyway.
Velnar's envoy fainted.
Haruto whispered:
"This is a mistake."
"No," Lyria said. "This is Aetheria."
POLITICAL REACTIONS: ESCALATING
Solaris envoys huddled.
"We must request priority routes. The emperor will demand it."
Dominion's envoy scribbled notes.
"We need security teams on every section of track."
Velnar's envoy trembled violently.
"Emperess Isolde will only agree if the Dragon Queen Lunara herself cuts the mountain passages…"
Abyssion's envoy remained silent, simply watching Airi.
Then the envoy whispered:
"Emperor Kuroz may visit."
Every diplomat looked like they aged thirty years.
Airi floated toward them with her snack basket.
"Hello! Snacks?"
The Abyssion envoy hesitated… took one… froze.
"This… always feels like heaven."
Dominion reached for another cookie.
Solaris took three.
Velnar grabbed a handful.
The envoy from Abyssion whispered:
"These cookies… if she wanted us to surrender our kingdoms… we might."
A frantic hush fell over them.
"Do not let her weaponize the cookies."
"She already has."
"Then the world is doomed."
Airi flew away humming.
The diplomats shivered.
IN THE SHADOWS: FAR AWAY
Far away in a hidden tower coated in black mist, two cloaked figures stared into a floating projection of the Great Forest.
The first figure scoffed.
"So that pathetic noble failed to stop the project."
The second clicked their tongue.
"Obviously he failed. Aetheria has dragons. Elves. Ancient beasts. And those two siblings… they are worse than any army."
The first figure narrowed their eyes.
"We should have sent someone trustworthy. The empires have sided with them. Even Abyssion… shows interest."
A tense silence.
"So what do we do?" the second asked.
The first figure stepped toward the projection, touching the image of Haruto and Airi on the train.
"We take everything into our own hands."
The projection flickered.
"The children are dangerous. They will change the world."
The figure's voice dropped to a cold whisper.
"We cannot let them."
The room dimmed.The shadows thickened.A long-buried plan stirred.
THE HEARTFELT MOMENT
The train cooled after the final test. Mana steam drifted slowly upward, sparkling in the fading afternoon sun.
The workers gave the siblings space.
Airi and Haruto sat side by side on the carriage as the rails glowed faintly like veins of light leading toward the horizon.
The forest was quiet.
Peaceful.
Airi hugged her knees gently.
"Onii Chan… do you remember the day we first arrived here?"
Haruto looked down the track.
"Yes."
"I was scared..."
"You were shaking."
"You were too."
"…Maybe."
Airi leaned against his shoulder.
"We had nothing then. No family except each other. No home. No friends. No nation."
Haruto closed his eyes.
"And now?"
Airi looked at the rails.
"We are building a world."
Haruto turned to her, his expression soft.
"No, Airi. We are building your world."
Airi blinked.
"My… world?"
"Yes."
She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest.
"Then it is your world too. Because you are always with me."
Haruto didn't move for a moment.
Then he placed a gentle hand on her back.
"…Thank you."
Airi smiled.
"Onii Chan…"
"Yes?"
"Let us build more."
Haruto nodded.
"We will."
THE PREPARATION FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Workers formed a semi-circle around the track.
Dwarves cleaned their gear like soldiers preparing for war.Dark elves stood in elegant rows.Spirit beasts sat in neatly formed circles like obedient children.Envoys dusted their clothes, practiced serious faces, and prepared notes.
Lyria floated up high, sprinkling faint petals of light over the area.
"This will be a moment remembered for centuries."
Frost nodded.
"Airi and Haruto will be remembered as the builders of ages."
Lunara flexed.
"I will be remembered as the one who made everything look cool."
Someone fainted again.
THE GREAT ANNOUNCEMENT
The clearing fell silent as Haruto stepped onto the platform.
Airi floated next to him, holding a tiny banner she painted herself with a crayon-like spirit tool. The letters were wobbly. The sun was smiling. A tiny train doodle was crashing into a cookie.
Haruto inhaled.
"Today marks the first successful activation and testing of a full-scale mana engine. This moment marks the start of a new era."
Diplomats nodded solemnly.
Merchants held their breath.
Workers straightened proudly.
Airi lifted her banner.
Haruto continued:
"Aetheria hereby announces the official name of the world's first rail network."
Airi shouted joyfully:
"TA DAA!"
Haruto smiled faintly and placed a hand on her head.
Together they said:
"The Aetherian Skyrail Project."
The reaction was instant.
Dwarves roared.Spirit beasts howled.Dark elves bowed.Elves applauded.Humans cheered.Diplomats scribbled furiously.Lyria spun in circles.Frost lifted Airi onto his back.Lunara flexed again because why not.
Haruto watched the glowing rail stretching into the horizon.
Just one hundred meters.
But it felt like the beginning of forever.
He whispered:
"This is only the beginning."
Airi raised her fist toward the sky.
"SKYRAIL STARTS NOW!"
The Great Forest echoed with cheers that reached the clouds.
And somewhere far away, people felt the world shift.
END OF CHAPTER 30 — Aetheria's Future Begins