Onwards to the Destination

The train sped ahead into the layered rock of the Uniphon plateau. Entering a tunnel, the train moved upwards towards its destination.

“The man burst into flames! Seriously, it was crazy!” Hiiro explained excitedly as he sat in the train cabin.

Dark greed mesh hangs from side to side above, with bags placed inside. His katana, which could no longer return to its sheath laid sideways in the mesh as well.

“What did you do?” Helia asked curiously.

“I tried to stop his spell, but this man appeared and canceled it!”

“Can-sell?”

“He stopped it! Like it just disappeared!” Hiiro explained.

“What did he say, what spell did he use?”

“Hm..?” Hiiro thought for a moment. “All he said was “Enough”.”

“Hrm? Maybe he pre-casted the spell..?”

“Can you even do that?” Eris asked.

“I’ve heard of it.”

The group continued discussing. The darkness of the tunnel was dispelled by the small light hanging overhead which lit up the room with yellow light.

The darkness outside the window quickly disappeared, replaced with the night sky and the yellow light of the moon.

“Seems we’re well into first night.” Nerissa said.

First night…

This was one of the larger changes that Hiiro had to grow used to over his previous months in this new world.

This world had three moons, denoted by the colored light they reflected, and the part of the night they reigned over the sky of.

The first night, the night of the Yellow moon, was 6 hours long, ranging from 6-12.

The second night of the Red moon was also 6 hours long, though it was treated as a specialty. It was also the largest moon.

The final night, blue night, was the smallest moon, and was 6 hours as well.

A full day here is 30 hours…

It had taken him months to get used to this change, the nights in this world were long and the days grew by six hours.

I’ve heard each moon has a name, but I haven’t heard them yet…

“Do you have some sort of problem?” Eris asked.

Hiiro turned his head and mind towards her, expecting her and Nerissa to be fighting. However, what he found was a timid Manako shrinking back at the accusatory Eris.

♕♛♕♛♕♛♕

“Do you have some sort of problem?” Eris asked, looking at the petite girl in the corner by the door.

“H-huh?” Manako quickly grew uncomfortable, retreating as far back as possible.

“Well? You’ve practically ignored Hiiro this entire time, you even glare at him!”

“E-eris?! Where’s this coming from?” Hiiro asked, genuinely complexed.

“She’s been doing it this whole time!” Eris looked at Hiiro beside her. “As you were telling your story, she looked disgusted!”

Eris was clearly perturbed. Manako simply froze, unsure what to say.

“Can you shut up?” A fourth voice interposed.

“Hk.”

Two eyes, one red and one blue stared at Eris. Having been lifted from a book that laid in their lap. The two eyes seemed as though they were looking at a cockroach.

“She’s allowed to have whatever face she wants.”

“Still, it’s disrespectful!”

“Are you going to lecture me then? I’m well aware of my eyes, I know my look isn’t friendly, so why aren’t you lecturing me?”

“Now, now.” Helia jumped in. “Lets not fight, we have to stick together for at least another day, maybe two.”

“Yeah, Eris! Calm down, it doesn’t bother me… Still, maybe she should speak for herself, Neia.” Hiiro gave his two sense.

“...” Neia’s eyes drifted to Hiiro. “Maybe you should think more about your position in this world. You're truly privileged.”

“Huh?”

Neia didn’t continue, they simply stood up and walked to the door.

“I’m gonna go find somewhere else to sit…” Her eyes drifted to Manako, who quickly got up and followed.

“Wait! Breakfast will be ordered in the cabin only!” Helia called out to the two.

“Got it.” Neia responded as she closed the door.

In the hallway of the traincart, two directions presented themselves. To the right, toward the back of the train, or to the left, toward the passenger carts.

Neia chose to the right. The group had been placed in the backmost cart, as it was delegated to the school.

Hoping the second cabin of the cart was empty, the two walked up and peered in. Inside was a lone man with silver hair, Neia recognized him as Osmond, the teacher that had tasked them with finding tickets.

No… That wont work…

Neia’s gaze eventually landed on the back door of the cart. Behind that door was another, revealing one more cart at the back.

“Want to give it a try?” Neia asked the girl behind her, whose glum look had not left her face since leaving the city.

“Sure…”

The two headed to the door and found it unlocked. Stepping outside, the cold wind and light yellow light assaulted them.

“Be careful!”

The train was connected at multiple points. In the middle was the classic latch, magnets and chains. On the two sides, strange metal boxes connected together.

The two quickly traversed the metal walkway and reached the other door, which was similarly unlocked.

The cart did not have cabins, being hollowed out. Only the walls were left, made out of light tan wood. The cart had no window, allowing no light in. The floor isnt made of regular wood, but a red carpet. In the center of the room stands a giant box, made of metal, glowing from within.

It isn't a glowing metal, light seeping through some cracks, nor is the metal transparent. The light was simply so powerful, so bright, that it seeped through the metal as if it were clear glass, lighting the whole room. It was horrifying, yet entrancing. Time lost its path as the two stared, neither making a sound; terrified that a movement would put it out, as if it were a match.

The box, or maybe crate was a better description, appeared to be made of a matt metal, one that would not reflect the light. The crate itself is adorned with symbols, 13 in total. Twelve of the symbols lie in a dodecagon surrounding a large central symbol; The symbol of Saionia. The remaining twelve vaguely resemble animals and objects, but are not familiar to either of them

“While, it's better than nothing!” Neia says sarcastically as she sits down against the left wall.

Manako mimics the motion, choosing the right wall.

The two sit in silence, illuminated by the strange crate.

“I…” Manako begins. “I don’t mean to be trouble, I just…

“Something bad happened to me… I don’t like to think about it, but since then I've been stagnant.”

Neia listened intently, looking at Manako.

“I just freeze up in front of men… Fire too…” She explained. “I… I don’t want to be this way! I know it’s unfair to look at all of them that way but! I just, I hate them!”

Neia’s eyes fell to the floor, a complicated expression appearing on their face.

“We all are irrational about something… I'm scared of bugs.”

“Bugs!?” A look of genuine shock appears on Manako’s face.

“W-why are you so surprised?! They're gross, and a lot of them are genuinely scary!” Neia argued, emotion filling their voice.

“Heehee, hahahaha!” Manako began giggling uncontrollably.

“W-what?”

“Hahah-You, hahaha! You just- don’t seem the type, is all.” Manako explained, slowly finishing giggling. “You're much different than you look!”

“...”

A silence fell over the two.

“Listen… My point is that stuff like that doesn’t just get fixed because you recognize that its wrong. I don’t know what happened, but regardless, it takes time.

“Don’t call yourself a burden or trouble, your healing.”

“But… No matter how much time passes, I still feel frozen! Like I’m still there!” Tears well up in her eyes. “I can’t change!”

Neia’s eyes met Manako’s, a strange expression appearing on their face.

“Do you want to change?”

“Y-yeah! I do!”

“Then that's your ‘starting line’, you're already past the first step.”

“..!” Manako’s eyes open wide, tears falling down her face. “Hahaha… Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me… It’s just something I read in a book.”

The night slowly passed.

-

Manako’s eyes slowly opened. Lifting her gaze, she saw the figure of the dirty blond haired, hetero-chromatic eyed Neia in front of her.

“Good morning…” Manako said.

“Good morning.” Neia replied, looking up from the book in her lap. “It’s about breakfast, we should head back.”

“Okay…” The two stood up, one returning their book to the satchel at their side.

Neia approached the door and was about to open it, when-

“Hey…”

“Yeah?”

“Can I call you Nei-san?”

“Nee-san?!” Neia produced an honest shocked face.

“I-I guess it sounds like that? But Neia-san doesn’t sound right. So Nei-san!”

“I’m not really worth an honorific…”

“But it sounds good, doesn't it?”

“I guess…” Neia turns around and looks at Manako. “Then I’ll call you Mana.”

“..!” A complicated expression overcomes Manako, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I-Is that not okay?”

“N-no, that would be nice.” A beautiful smile appears on Mana’s face.

“Listen…” Neia turns serious. “I'll look out for you over the next few days.”

“W-why?”

“I… In return, you have to deal with any bugs that show up!”

“Eh?”

The two laugh as they leave the back cart.