Archive of Our Own

[Passengers, thank you for using Abyss Transpo today… Our train will not halt..]

[Please pay attention to the announcements for a pleasant journey to your destination.]

Cale was seated in a train, it was something he recognised from his life as Kim Rok Soo. In fact even more familiar it was a Korean train, familiar hangul reading from the now warped subway map on the wall.

Of course Cale recognised this scene. He had read about it after all.

‘Those shitty Gods!’ Such thoughts might have continued longer if it wasn’t for the fact that this ‘darkness’ required rather immediate action to see the results he desired.

It wasn’t that he thought Kim Soleum had gone about it the wrong way, in fact given the knowledge and tools he’d had at his disposal indeed he had done the best he could in his situation. In the hour he had been given to hurriedly record the novel, a growing admiration for the poor man had started within him.

In fact Cale was almost glad he had transmigrated instead of the man. The suffering Kim Soleum had gone through all to find his way back home may have been meaningful, but so too was living well and enjoying a happy life.

Of course though Cale couldn’t be completely glad he had replaced the man in the due transmigration.

‘Just how much work did that man do?!’

Indeed Kim Soleum had practically never taken a break, consistently thrown into one ghost story after another, getting contaminated and injured at every turn all in the name of survival and his desperate dream to get back home.

For Cale whose dream was to retire in his late twenties and live peacefully on a farm in the wealthy Henituse Duchy, such a lifestyle as Kim Soleum’s was his greatest nightmare.

Also Cale hadn’t forgotten the true name of the [DER]: ‘Prophecy of the Apocalypse: Darkness Exploration Records.’

Cale absolutely did not want to stick around long enough to find out what those words truly meant.

Even worse he knew that the wish potion offered by Daydream Inc. was unable to act as his ticket home. No, he needed the original form created by the Cheerful Research Institute: The Children’s Paradise Syrup. Which meant he would need to access the Sekwang Special City Disaster, yes, that place that had already become an apocalypse.

Hmm wasn’t there something he was forgetting?

Worst of all, Cale only had been able to read the incomplete novel. Parts 1 and 2 had been published but after Kim Soleum had returned home was a mystery, yet given the implied part 3 Cale couldn’t even be certain that the Paradise Syrup might even be a correct way home.

Though not everything was totally hopeless. Cale still had his ancient powers within him, tied to his soul as they were, they had crossed the world lines to travel with him. Indeed he also had a nature of foresight into the events and factions of this world.

Still he couldn’t help but sigh. If he planned to change events—which he did—Kim Soleum’s knowledge of the Wiki would become less and less applicable. Given that Cale himself didn’t have access to the Wiki—nor the editing powers sometimes available to the former protagonist—he was never going to be able to recognise a darkness that Kim Soleum himself didn’t originally enter.

Additionally the corruptive nature of this world scared him. To lose oneself and be unable to recognise it until it was usually far too late—such a fate was terrifying. Dangerous in a way difficult to counteract, no planning would ever be truly 100% effective. Although that wasn’t to say Cale hadn’t already thought of steps to minimise such dangers.

In the subway train he was garnering a few looks from other passengers, his flamboyant appearance contrasted rather heavily with his flat face. As of now whispers had already started flooding the car.

“Is this something like an escape room?”

“Why would a pharmaceutical company that makes hair loss treatment bother with escape rooms for new sales recruits…?”

The hopeful future employees acted exactly as they had in the novel, and indeed much like the novel an expected announcement rang through the speaker.

[This stop is Sorrow, Sorrow Station.]

It was chilling in person. The aura he had only read about through text, that sinking feeling that something wasn’t quite right on the commute home. It washed over him in a chilling wave. Yet Cale didn’t let it paralyse him.

While reading he had read about all the atrocities committed by Daydream Inc. and it had angered him. Their careless disregard for human life, the unrepentant trouble they caused for the world and their audacity to profit off it so much.

Cale wanted to fuck it up.

And what better way to say ‘fuck you’ than defying their expectations.

[The doors are on your right…]

Click.

The train stopped.

[The doors are opening.]

Cale stood up suddenly, it was important to take action first. Kim Soleum had relied on gaining credibility through power in numbers, first securing Go Yeongeun’s cooperation by appealing to a similar sense of deduction.

Cale was able to take a more direct route.

He unleashed a small portion of the Dominating Aura, not enough to paralyse but enough to give him a firm sense of authority.

“Everyone. Please don’t move. Does anyone else recognise this station? Is this anyone else’s destination?”

He borrowed a bit from Kim Soleum, but in the stark overhead lights and in this mysterious situation, his appearance with blood red hair, unhealthily pale skin and red-brown eyes dominated the minds of those in the compartment.

People fidgeted in their seats, recognising the situation as uncomfortable, yet no one moved.

The 30 seconds the train doors remained open was agonising, he heard sound from the carriage next to them as a few people got off onto the platform. His expression twisted slightly into a frown. He wished that no one would die, but perhaps seeing the consequences was necessary to save the rest of the train inhabitants' lives.

Still everyone in his carriage listened to him and no one exited the compartment. They watched the others who had disembarked, some even glanced at him and muttered curses under their breath.

But soon cries broke out at the sight he knew was coming unfolded. In Kim Soleum’s words:

[A grotesque sight unfolded.]

Silver droplets, oddly captivating in the low platform lighting suddenly poured from the ceiling and pillars, cascading down like giant teardrops.

Drip, drip, drip.

‘Huu’, Cale forced himself to watch the unfolding tragedy. When the countless silver droplets touched the unlucky departees, it was like molten metal, searing through flesh and producing this horrible wet sizzling sound.

Screams. Convulsions. Silence.

Blood mixed with the unknown silver liquid and splattered against the windows.

Plap.

[The train is now departing from Sorrow Station.]

This world was truly crazy.

Everyone in the compartment watched in horrified silence, eyes stuck to the window now soaked in filth and blood where the crushed remains of new employees not dissimilar to themselves was left behind twitching slightly.

Soon those horrified gazes turned to him. They didn’t scream as they had in the novel, instead the weight of those stares bored into the one who had displayed a dominating aura, a sense of stability and greater understanding in the nightmare like situation.

Perfect.

[Please pay attention to the announcements for a pleasant journey to your destination.]

Knowing the truth of this ghost story, the meaning of destination, Cale innately understood how to complete this story with the fewest possible deaths. However they needed to come to the understanding on their own, ‘Just what did destination mean?’

Being dragged along to the finish line by others wasn’t enough, they needed to contribute or they would simply die on their return to orientation.

‘Daydream… that crazy fucking company.’ Cale felt the urge to make a complete shitshow grow, in fact, the renewed reminder of how psychotic that damn company was offset some of the building horror.

He was alone in this world, no children, no Choi Han or Alberu or Ron to rely on. None of his trusted allies who could reliably carry out a plan, in fact, no money either.

And yet, somehow complete jackasses much like that shitty alchemy tower managed to find their perfect mirror in this ghost story world; exploiting human lives, terrible experimentations and corrupt individuals everywhere you look.

Simply put it was aggravating.

However Cale didn’t let it show on his face, instead he carefully softened his expression, appearing relatable, a little shaken but still dependable. Exactly what this cabin wanted.

“Everyone. We need to think… Remember what the announcement said, what is a destination? …I believe this is the key to exiting this scenario alive, the only way to guarantee a ‘pleasant journey’.”

“...”

“—Ahh Teacher!”

It was Baek Saheon, Kim Soleum’s crazy roommate who was strong against the weak and weak against the strong. To keep him in line Kim Soleum had acted as a complete psycho, scaring the man into submission, taunting him after the loss of his eye and generally tormenting the man through various crazy acts.

However there was another way Kim Soleum had unwittingly controlled the snake-like man. Agent Grapes—the kind, reliable, and golden hearted field agent had proved devastatingly effective in gaining not just obedience but cooperation.

Simply put, Baek Saheon was often more receptive in the face of a carrot than a stick.

Easily bought out by items, a clear greed ruling his heart yet oddly willing to engage in tsundere-like offers of help to Agent Grapes—who had saved him from Jisan Village, and was a mysterious, bleeding hearted, yet also fiercely competent government agent.

Kim Soleum had managed Baek Saheon well through his psycho act, but it had also caused him trouble at numerous points, from being brainwashed, to facing generally scared and uncooperative behaviour in the field.

Really when faced with a man so clearly ravenously greedy wasn’t there an easier option?

“Ah, it’s just, you seem to know a lot about this. By chance do you understand what’s going on in this situation?”

“!!!”

A wave of shock spread through the carriage and a new light entered people’s eyes. A sort of hope sparked in those uncertain gazes, it would have been a heavy burden if Cale hadn’t already been expecting a similar sort of thing to happen.

But surprisingly a voice piped up before he could answer.

“Um, doesn’t this sort of thing seem like a ghost story?”

It was Go Yeongeun, voice uncertain but not trembling. The brown haired woman had uncurled slightly in her seat, raising her head to address the wider room.

Cale had a fondness for her from reading the novel. She was dependable but still gentle, unlike many who worked at Daydream she didn’t completely forsake her morals nor consider them a hindrance to her work. In fact it was refreshing in the novel, amongst a cast suited to this ghost story world she was almost like a breath of fresh air.

Her Agent name had been spot on. Mint, refreshing but not weak. A bit unlike anything else.

“A-A Ghost Story?”

Murmurs broke the silence, people trailing into thought.

“Th-Then I think I can help! A destination by definition is a place someone is journeying to! Uh, I brought a pocket dictionary to orientation…”

A person Cale couldn’t recognise from the novel spoke up, someone who had originally died either at a station or later by melting upon exiting the Darkness. It was a young man, ill-fitting in his suit with a slightly grown out haircut who exuded a jittery demeanor. In his hand he was holding a small pocket dictionary that looked a bit battered and worn.

Everyone’s faces were pale but a sense of focus swept the compartment.

“Then !!! If we think about it another way, isn't it describing some type of goal?!”

“Yeah!”

“Exactly.”

People started crowding near the centre of the compartment, sharing ideas and comparing interpretations. The jittery man was at the centre, his small dictionary spread on the ground for everyone to see.

‘Huu.’ Things were going well so far.

His attention strayed to the cabins next door, the one before them seemed still frozen in shock, the one after however had lost people at the last station and hysteria seemed to be building within the compartment.

He knew from the novel that it was difficult to contact the other side, sound didn’t travel through the doors properly, and unless you were someone like Section Chief Lee Jaheon who excelled in physical exorcism it would be impossible to break down the door.

However it wasn’t impossible to communicate. Indeed in the novel there had been a line like this.

[As expected, they soon gave up trying to communicate and returned, using hand gestures to signal their failure.]

Communication was merely difficult in a scenario where everyone is panicking and you can’t transmit sound. It wasn’t impossible however since it was still possible to see through the compartment door windows.

“Teacher, are you thinking about next door?”

Baek Saheon, the opportunist he was, had approached Cale after observing Cale’s line of sight. Cale nearly felt like sighing and telling him it wasn’t necessary to address him as such, but the words were too tiresome.

Addressing it now was unnecessary, instead when they were proper colleagues correct language could be enforced then.

A fight would break out soon in the front car, they would be so absorbed in the fight that when an announcement to sit down came they would be too busy and die carelessly for ignoring the announcement.

He needed to do something before that happened.

“Hmnnn.”

He hummed in response to Baek Saheon’s question. Truthfully he had an idea but he didn’t particularly want to do it.

After all, the easiest way to communicate would simply be to write a message. And without ink the easiest substitute would be blood. Of course he wouldn’t enjoy it but a single cut wouldn’t matter too much to him if it wasn’t for the fact he would heal too quickly and be required to repeat the cut quite a few times.

After all he wasn’t one of those scary crazy bastards like Ron who could lose an arm and greet him with a fear-inducing light chuckle. He didn’t enjoy pain at all, in fact the only reason he had stabbed himself with the world tree branch was because he had been assured it would be painless.

‘It’s simply too scary.’

He wasn’t one of those crazy people at all!

He repressed his shudder and made his way to the dividing door between them and the font cabin, Baek Saheon trailing behind him, curious to see what he would do.

Cale had maintained a level of dominating aura this entire time but he strengthened it now—still within appropriate bounds, nothing like the dragons fear potential it was often compared to.

‘Just a bit more should be fine.’

[This stop is Resentment, Resentment Station.]

[The doors are on your right…]

He knocked firmly on the window, causing vibrations to minutely ripple in the glass, catching a person insides attention.

He steeled himself in his heart, bringing his index finger of his right hand to his mouth, with a grimace he bit down hard, instantly piercing flesh and causing beading droplets to form at the tip. He heard a small gasp from Baek Saheon behind him.

With a gentle frown he started writing out his message in reverse so the other side would be able to read it as such:

It was as informative he could be without being overly suspicious. In fact it was already suspicious, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was tested by the higher ups for being a spy. Of course any superiors he dealt with he already had a plan for.

However it also wasn’t impossible to believe he had come to the correct conclusion. As long as he didn’t act further than this he should be alright.

The person on the other side of the glass was a woman with severe features, it made sense she hadn’t yet gotten caught up in the fight breaking out in her car. He met her eyes firmly, whatever she saw there was enough, she nodded and turned, in the next moment she screamed at the others behind her who had just started to throw punches.

Outlined with the bloody letters she looked fierce. In fact she vaguely reminded him of the devil-rabbit statues assassin who had been hiding in the Henituse Territory. Ugh Scary.

The fight broke up for a second, people looking over instinctively, the moment a crowd started swarming around the door Cale knew it was enough.

He left, crossing over to the other side of the cabin, Baek Saheon remained trailing after him, a thoughtful look in his eyes. His kind face Cale knew hid a conniving mind, but he wasn’t a true scary bastard. He was only strong against the weak, unlike the true scary bastards Cale knew who were simply very, very strong.

In fact Baek Saheon was more similar to himself, selfish, greedy and able to convincingly lie to get what he wants. But ultimately still rather weak.

As the doors started closing he repeated the process, grabbing someone's attention before getting to work writing the same message on the carriage behind them’s window.

He glanced out the window as the train started to leave the station, thankfully no one had been foolish enough to step out at a station literally called Resentment Station and the platform remained empty.

It was now a race against time. The game of Chinese Whispers playing out from carriage to carriage as per his instructions needed to move quickly before the next station.

[This stop is Euphoria, Euphoria Station.]

Murmurs paused in the car as everyone processed the announcement. Everyone had seen the messages he had written on their neighbouring doors by now, meaning everyone now knew his interpretation of the situation.

“Euphoria?”

“Isn’t that sort of extreme? Perhaps…”

“Different from happiness… have I ever been euphoric…”

Such conversations started as people looked around uncertainly. Maybe for a small few indeed this could be the correct stop, maybe some people had lived such tragic lives to have never felt an exhilarating experience that could be described as euphoric.

However it wasn’t the right choice.

“No.”

He cut in above the murmurs.

“This isn’t the right destination. It is an emotion commonly applied to the self, thus it can’t be safe enough to qualify as our destination.”

He half expected people to look at him with a form of resentment. He had seized control of this situation rather abruptly and shot down their ideas without hesitation. But after a quiet moment of hesitation his decision was accepted rather calmly.

Indeed some people even stood from where they had been brainstorming on the floor to go try and signal not to get off to the neighbouring carriages.

[The doors are on your left…]

He waited tensely, he knew the message couldn’t have travelled the entire length of the subway train yet but… he truly hoped that he could make some kind of difference. He hated when bastards discarded human life so carelessly, to allow their plan to unfold perfectly simply was unacceptable.

This was the first positive sounding emotion, many people would be tempted to get off simply to escape this nightmare at the first positive inclination they received.

The scenery of the platform that had appeared was bright and pleasant, adding to the problem.

[The doors are opening.]

People were wavering at the doors. He could see heads poking out to look further down the train. In an impulse he grabbed onto a rail to swing his upper body out the door, he glared down the line of indecisive people and scowled at them with all the practice of a true trash, shaking his head obviously no.

His delinquent-like expression persuaded some, their heads ducking back into the cabins. They had probably received the message and were hesitating to see if others were stepping out so they could join them.

[The doors will close in 30 seconds. Once closed, they will never open again.]

But not everyone was able to handle the anxiety of the situation.

He saw people burst from cabins, desperation clear as they shoved past others to escape the train. He didn’t force himself to watch this time, turning from the terrible sight he knew would unfold as consequence.

He turned away from the windows, settling into a seat to wait. The screaming started.

Agonisingly slow time passed. Silence hung heavy in the cabin. People were looking at him, faces warping with a disturbing understanding. He huffed, knowing some misunderstanding about a kind and gentle nature must be brewing…

But maybe it wasn’t too bad, he did plan on becoming a Monster Rookie much like Kim Soleum, but the man had been excluded because of his too good pokerface. Even left out of the rookie group chat because he had scared people.

Cale didn’t plan to go to that length to convince others he was a Monster in the field.

Connections were important, that was how you managed to survive in a scary world like this as a weak person.

He wasn’t truly at threat of the round-off teams. He hated pain and hard work, and yes found unnecessary loss of life aggravating but he wasn’t a coward for all things horror. In fact he was more upset at all the running from darkness entities than the entities themselves.

[The doors are closing…]

“Um, Sir… Do you perhaps have an emotion in mind to depart at?”

It was Go Youngeun. Her use of honorifics was unnecessary given she appeared older than him, but given the situation it could be excused.

“Shouldn’t you think of that sort of thing yourself?”

Baek Saheon cut in with a glaring sense of judgement in his eyes. He seemed to have comfortably decided on a sense of superiority as a sort of second in command.

“Didn’t he already say earlier? It should be an emotion typically applied to others.”

“Ah, yes!”

However rather than be too discouraged at the harsh rebuke Go Yeongeun seemed reinvigorated.

…maybe she wasn’t quite normal either.

Waiting like this seemed to grate at people's nerves. He could sense a growing discontent now that everyone felt more secure in the situation. Well that was easy enough to fix.

“I will ensure we get off at an appropriate station… but it's not for free. People should be ready to take responsibility for their survival. Please make sure to pay me back for the assistance at some point.”

Labour. Favours. Information. Money. Items.

It didn’t matter how but repayment was important! Indeed it could even help their survival. Only those who hadn’t contributed were melted… but if he demanded repayment shouldn’t even those further in the line survive if they technically had to take responsibility for it.

Of course the fact that such a plan greatly benefited him was also important.

He could almost hear a voice in his head.

–Human! You’re making that scamming smile again!

Indeed if Raon were here the six year old child might recognise this as a scam typical of many of Cale’s plans. Thankfully though Cale had actually kept the scamming smile often said to be similar to the crown prince inside this time.

If it was as crazily bright as he often found the crown princes, it would surely result in weird rumours and set him back on the scary monster Rookie path Kim Soleum had trapped himself on.

“A-Ah yes repayment. O-Of course we should repay this young Sir for his hard work.”

“I’m ready to take responsibility!”

“Hmm? Yes. Yes! Me too!”

“I will follow your judgement Sir!”

And so the scene changed like this, slightly strange but also oddly invigorated like these people were truly grateful for his assistance. Of course half of them would have died without his assistance but they didn’t necessarily know that.

He knew there was a good chance when he demanded repayment of the other carriages afterwards he had a good chance of being backed by these people. Herd mentality tended to help in situations like this.

But one person was displeased.

Baek Saheon’s expression had twisted, for the first time upsetting that innocent facade that had dominated his expression.

He didn’t seem angry at him for demanding recompense but instead more so at the very idea of being indebted to someone. A resolute defiance seemed to glint in his eyes.

‘This… might actually be a good thing.’

Cale had been internally debating what to do about Baek Saheon’s eye. It was cruel but it was most convenient if the man lost it to gain the danger-detecting purple eye later. That eye had come in use quite often towards later chapters, in fact it was the reason Saheon had even been recommended to join the Sekwang investigation team.

Besides, if the man escaped on his own, he was likely to still come second place and guarantee his survival in case Cale’s inclusive survival methods weren’t effective enough to save everyone.

Ding, ding.

[Attention passengers, this is an announcement from Abyss Transpo to ensure a pleasant journey. Please pay attention.]

At the change, people reflexively looked up, waiting to see how the situation would evolve.

[The train is about to pass through a curved section, which may cause noise and shaking.]

[Please be seated to prevent accidents.]

Ah, Cale didn’t feel too worried. He had already taken action to ensure this would resolve smoothly after all. There were no fights in nearby cabins as far as he was aware.

“Everyone, let’s sit down.”

Without objections or obvious panic everyone followed suit. Everyone seemed to be able to sense it was a rather tame announcement all things considered.

Compared to the atmosphere that had corresponded with this scene in the novel— everything was rather peaceful. Instead of the hurry to calm the front carriage from their heated argument and the corresponding shock and trauma at their deaths, everyone was comfortably waiting for the announcement to pass.

Looking at everyone now one might think this was a normal subway ride home and not a deathly ghost story in which one wrong decision resulted in death.

Cale found himself a little less tired at this whole situation.

‘Fuck you Daydream bastards, look at the mess I’ve made of your whole psychotic orientation!’

[Entering the curved section…]

The lights went out.

But everyone stayed calm.

In the Darkness, the train began to shake violently with a loud rumble.

He could hear quickened breathing from the room but everything else remained silent.

Then the lights came back on.

[You may now stand up safely. Thank you for your cooperation.]

“Huu”

Multiple sighs of relief filled the air. He reflexively turned to check on the neighbouring carriages. No blood or gore painted the windows, instead looking beyond the peaceful illusion continued as though this was a normal subway ride home.

Everyone had survived the announcement as far as he could tell. Perhaps such an unusual scenario could be called eerie of itself. Such high survival rates may even be considered a ghost story for the higher ups themselves.

He found himself glancing at Baek Saheon subconsciously. He didn’t know what he hoped the man would choose. The still scowling man met his gaze, but looked away with a clenched jaw, purposely relaxing his face.

Ding, ding.

[Attention passengers, this is an announcement from Abyss Transpo to ensure a pleasant journey. Please pay attention.]

“Again?”

The people in the carriage looked confused, a little uncertain. Cale found that many of them looked at him, gauging his relaxed expression before calming themselves.

[There is a lost item.]

It was time.

Cale kept his gaze straight ahead, resolute not to look at the green eyed man.

[If you’ve found the lost item, please disembark at the next station and hand it over to the station staff.]

The guaranteed escape case. For those who presented the lost item they would be allowed to leave safely at the platform. Of course though the catch typical of this crazy world was that only one person can escape, one lucky person whose carriage not only had the correct item but also was able to find it.

Or able to offer it.

[The lost item is the left eye of a type-A male in his twenties.]

He wasn’t looking but he was sure Baek Saheon’s pupils had started shaking, indeed for a greedy person like him an opportunity like this was threshold, like the moment before going all in on stocks where the finger remains trembling over the keyboard.

‘Crazy bastard is really considering it.’

Baek Saheon had lifted a hand to his left eye, a haunted look catching in his gaze. The rest of the compartment at this seemed to realise Baek Saheon fit the announcement description.

An anticipatory silence fell as all eyes turned to look at the brown haired man.

Instinctually everyone understood what this was. A guaranteed survival.

The other man in the carriage who fit the lost item criteria was choosing to stay silent. Cale couldn’t say who it was based on the novel's description but they must have been content placing their chances with everyone else.

“Ah, please wait!”

It was the jittery man who had brought along a pocket dictionary to orientation.

“Please consider carefully before you do this! Is this really the choice you wish to make?”

The concerns in everyone's hearts were voiced. Is this really a choice worth making? However, questioning Baek Saheon seemed to have the opposite effect than intended. That faraway look in his eye disappeared and a grim resolve took its place.

[This stop is Anger, Anger Station.]

The station announcement was like a gavel on a final sentence. Baek Saheon had made up his mind to return the ‘lost property’.

Frankly it was this behaviour that confirmed Baek Saheon’s crazy nature for Cale. The ability to be so final in accepting severe bodily harm. Even in a ghost story scenario like this shouldn’t one instinctively recoil before such a final situation—especially in the false sense of safety generated in this cabin?

But then Cale realised the error of his thinking. It wasn’t Baek Saheon’s first ghost story exposure. He had grown up trapped in one. Perhaps unlike all the hopeful employees here he had actually known what he was signing up for when he joined Daydream.

The reminder generated a small bit of respect for the generally trashy personality of the other who preferred to pick on the weak to survive.

“Ah– Teacher, don’t feel too bad.”

With those consoling parting words Baek Saheon stepped off the compartment. He turned back to the train with a smile but… compared to the novel it felt a little different.

[Baek Saheon waved towards the train with a smug smile, clearly pleased with his successful escape.]

It had read smug and jaunty, especially after his blunt and mocking remarks on the train. But now seeing it in person, much like his consoling words it seemed almost apologetic, a little sad but also a little liberated.

As though he no longer felt the need to force himself.

He thought of the correct item hiding somewhere on this train. How this sacrifice was unnecessary.

‘How annoying.’

Earlier when he had crossed the compartment to write his messages his eyes had been scanning for the correct lost item. There was no reason for it to be specifically on this car, it wasn’t even mentioned as being located here in the novel, yet hidden underneath a seat on the opposite side it had laid innocuously.

‘What a nuisance.’ He had thought at the time.

He stood up with a huff and marched over to the seat where he had spotted the case earlier.

[Type A / Male / 22 / L]

He crouched down to grab it from under the seat, discreetly using the Sound of the Wind to push it closer to his fingers. Hurrying back over to the train doors still open he chucked it at Baek Saheon.

Clack.

It clattered near his feet with a light plastic sound.

“Use this instead.”

He turned away from Baek Saheon’s shocked appearance grumbling to himself.

‘What an idiot.’

‘Who would gouge out their own eyeball when the answer was in plain sight?’

He didn’t see the way Baek Saheon froze. Staring first at the eyeball on the ground. Then lifting his eyes to the vivid red hair pulling just out of sight from the station.

Unbeknownst to him there was a certain sentiment spreading through all who had witnessed his actions in the car.

‘Had he known this would happen?’

‘Knowing that such an item was there… just how observant had he been?!’

[The lost item has been successfully handed over to the station staff.]

Though the monotone of the train announcement had remained the same it seemed a bit more cheerful this time.

Of course though Cale found himself in a worse mood than before.

‘!!!Causing all that drama for nothing! He didn’t even lose the eye anyway so why did he feel the need to get off early huh?’

The slighted feeling remained with him through Hatred Station. The announcement came and went without anyone leaving the train. Meaning finally—

[This stop is Serenity, Serenity Station.]

As Kim Soleum had recognised it was an emotion often used to describe the appearance of another but rarely applied to oneself.

The dictionary definition of serenity is ‘to be without any worries or concerns’. In fact it was the type of emotion Cale wanted to experience on a small but still decent sized farm accompanied by friends and family in peaceful retirement in his late twenties.

Cale had experienced moments of respite and laziness. But true carefreeness?

‘Not once.’

Indeed in all his life across multiple worlds he had never felt truly carefree.

“This one. This is the correct station.”

“......!”

“We’re getting off here.”

He stood near the doors, everyone followed joining him, not a single person raising a complaint or question.

In the nearby cars their movement caught their neighbours attention. With a startled flurry they too stood up, knocking on their neighbours doors and preparing to disembark themselves.

The train pulled into the station.

[The doors are opening.]

The platform that greeted them was slick and reflective like a dark lake. A sea of blood flooded the platform, yet its undisturbed surface didn’t seem so terrible.

Kim Soleum had indeed been a major scared-y cat.

When the train doors opened he was the first one to step out, his blood red hair seemingly symbolic against the shining blood. Like a torch in the dark it signaled a mass exodus. From behind the black suit made his frame look slight, yet somehow his back seemed impossibly broad under the station lights.

His first steps parted the red waters, carving a path towards the stairs.

From all compartments of the train people flooded out. Often linked together they moved as one in an unprecedented event Daydream could have never imagined.

Pale faces were screwed up in determination, people leant on each other for support and voices called out to encourage each other to continue, until the entire train was empty, every last person stepping foot on the platform in a resolute act of courage.

One step.

Another step.

They walked boldly towards the stairs. Even when blood started dripping down morbidly from the ceiling.

Not a single person was left behind.

A single splash of blood hit his cheek. It was cold on his skin, but it didn't matter. A different heat was filling him up from the inside, a raw type of satisfaction that couldn’t be easily explained.

“Let’s keep walking.”

Encouraging words like this were spread freely.

The talismans on the stairs were within sight. Soon. Very Soon.

One more step forward.

His vision blurred slightly.

[Congratulations, new employees!]

They had made it.