Chapter Text
I sat on a bench in a train station awaiting a person instead of a train. To my right side the tracks went on forever. It was the same with my left. I felt a tap on my right shoulder and turned to look. It was a blonde man with marks on his cheekbones.
"Do you know where we are sir?" He said to me.
I considered for a bit and gave my best guess. "A station."
"Oh." He said, looking down. "Are you going to leave when it arrives?"
I shake my head. "I don't know who, but I think I'm waiting for someone important."
The stranger nodded his head. When the train arrived, he left and the last thing I saw of him was his longer than life headband. I thought about how odd that headband looked as it swam in the air behind him, so much so that I didn't notice that another joined the bench until he cleared his throat. Beside me was a young man with his black hair in a bob.
"You look familiar." The man said. He spoke a language I did not understand and yet I understood him.
"I do?"
"Your eyes. They remind me of a good friend."
"What's their name?"
"I don't know. I think I knew before but now I've forgotten."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. I'm sure I'll remember eventually."
"That's the spirit. Are you waiting for the train?"
"I don't think I'll find them just sitting down here."
The train arrived. "I wish you luck." I said as the man left.
"I'll gladly take it." He said back.
It was only when the train started to chug along that I remembered that I forgot to ask the man his name. It was just as well though. I think that I would have forgotten anyway. I was jolted out of my thoughts by a hand tapping my left shoulder.
"Ah hey man!" It was a teenager with vertical scars on his face. "I'm kinda lost. Do you know the way back to Morioh?
"I don't think I've ever been to a place called that."
"Oh. Bummer. Well thanks for putting up with me!" The boy started to go on the train.
"Wait!" For some visceral reason, I knew that the train would not lead to Morioh.
The teen looked at me, a bit confused. "Why don't you go back the way you came? Retracing my steps always helps me find lost things."
A look of realization hit him and he grinned before turning to do just that. "Thanks a lot, Mystery Man!"
"You're welcome!" I shouted after him.
When he was gone, I stared at the tracks in order to not be surprised by the next arrival. This attempt proved to be futile when a man dropped from the sky to the bench. I stared at him. He stared at me.
"Jolly good day, yes?"
"Jolly good. And who are you?"
"A man of many secrets." The strange man said as he sat down. "Are you waiting for someone?"
"Yes. They are very important to me."
"Why don't you look for them then?"
"I have a feeling that they want to see me as well. So I'm waiting for them."
"Ah but what if they're waiting for you?" I didn't have an answer to that. The strange man grinned as he boarded the arriving train. "Don't spend eternity waiting for someone who's waiting for you."
"I'll keep that in mind!" I said, as the train chugged along. Before the train was completely gone, someone fell off of the roof of it and onto the tracks. They curse and mutter over to the bench. It was a woman with sharp eyes and dark hair.
"Why were you on the roof?"
"Trying to see if I could break the rules."
"Could you?"
"You saw me fall."
"I did. Apologies if I offended you."
"It's fine. I don't care."
"Do you know why you're here?"
"It's because everything has gone to fuck back where I'm from. I can't remember what happened, this place does things to your memory but I just know that it was a shitfest."
"And do you plan to go back?"
The woman looked down sadly. "I don't think I can. It doesn't make sense. There's no reason for it. It's just a gut feeling." She looked up. "I feel like everything's gonna change in a way that nobody will remember."
Another train arrived. The woman left quietly. She bumped shoulders with a passenger who got off at the same time. It was a teen with red hair and a green uniform. He sat on the bench and fidgeted nervously.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm being chased, hunted."
"By who?"
"My killer."
"You're dead?"
"I think. It might be a dream."
"Why are you being hunted?"
"Because I killed him."
"And how did you do that?"
"I let his secret out and it led to his death."
"Oh." I looked to the cloudless sky and then the endless train tracks. "I don't think he'll find you."
"Why do you say that?"
"It's just a hunch. I feel like I have to find the one who's chasing you. It feels like I've been waiting for him. So don't worry. I'll find him first."
"He'll kill you."
"I think he already has."
The teen looked deeply at my face. "Wake up Young Master, it's time for breakfast."
I jolted. My vision swam and suddenly instead of the sharp purple eyes of the teen, I saw the watery brown eyes of a maid. She looked at me strangely.
"You were mumbling strange things, Young Master. Something about being dead."
I rubbed my eyes and stared at her. What was she talking about? "The only thing that I remember is purple eyes and train tracks."
The maid smiled and shook her head. "A strange dream indeed, Young Master."