The Master of Disguise

It was already starting to get dark, and he needed to find them before something terrible happened. On his way, he encountered the Cook and the Waiter and ordered them to summon the Train Conductor and the Ticket Collector and have everyone stay in their rooms. If the Illusionist found anyone out of place, he would know.

He didn't know where the Noble was, but he was focused on the Vampire and the Cowboy, hoping it wasn't too late. He walked through the wagons until he reached the casino, where he saw exactly what he feared. The Cowboy was holding a revolver, confronting the Vampire.

"Admit your crimes! You're a Vampire and you've killed many people, haven't you?" he threatened, his weapon aimed. The Vampire had no patience for the man.

"If you want to kill me, do it now, but you better be quick on the trigger."

For a moment, the Illusionist couldn't react and watched the battle commence. The Cowboy fired at her, and his aim was impressive, but the Vampire moved like a shadow, leaping to the sides of the carriage faster than the Cowboy could aim.

She was getting closer to him, ready to deliver a fatal blow. The closer she got, the easier it would be for him to hit her. The Illusionist didn't want either of them to die, but the only way he could prevent them was impeding their help to hunt the Master of Disguise.

Either way, he couldn't stand still and let two more people die. He rushed into the carriage and saw the Vampire's hand about to pierce the Cowboy's heart while he had his revolver aimed at the center of the Vampire's forehead. He then tapped his foot twice and touched both their shoulders as fast as he could.

Both bodies immediately fell unconscious. At least their lives were safe with his hypnosis. He moved the two bodies behind the bar, hoping that no one would find them unconscious. When he moved the Cowboy, he saw his revolver on the ground, and the thought crossed his mind. He didn't want to kill anyone, but he was about to confront the Master of Disguise and didn't feel prepared for that.

With a heavy heart, he picked up the gun and hid it in his pocket to be a bit more discreet. Then he thought about his next move.

The four train workers were in their room, the Heiress and three of her henchmen were locked in the first-class car. The Cowboy and the Vampire were unconscious in the casino. If he was going to find anyone else, it would be either the Noble or the Master of Disguise. So, he began his search.

He looked into the kitchen just to be sure and found no one. He started walking towards the front of the train. The casino was empty. In the restaurant, complete silence. All the wagons were dark. In the darkness of the night, with only basic lights on, he treaded carefully to avoid being caught off guard.

In the first-class car, he spotted someone. It was exactly the worst option; the Noble. The only one he couldn't be certain of.

"It's quite silent in here, isn't it?" the Noble asked.

"Where's the Lady?" the Illusionist asked, wanting to determine who he was speaking to.

"I'm not sure, perhaps in the casino."

The man was unusually calm, even calmer than the last time he'd seen him.

"What do you think we should do about the Cowboy? Despite being a lawman, he killed the Criminal in cold blood."

"According to the Criminal, there is indeed a vampire around, isn't there? Maybe it's best to let them fight it out to calm things down."

Something wasn't right; the Noble should have an idea that the Lady was the Vampire. But perhaps this whole situation was part of the plan. He remembered the Devil card: deception, not everything is as it seems. Whether it was the Noble or the Master of Disguise, they needed to be stopped.

He pulled the Cowboy's revolver and pointed it at the person in front of him.

"You're coming with me. I have questions for you."

The Noble looked surprised but turned and ran. The Illusionist didn't shoot in vain and followed him. The Noble closed the door behind him, and when the Illusionist passed through, in the next car he only saw the Ticket Collector looking utterly confused.

Now he was sure. He drew a card with his left hand and flung it. The person managed to partially dodge, but the card cut his face slightly. Instead of blood, he saw the skin parting as if it were a mask with a different skin tone beneath.

"Your tricks are over, Master of Disguise," declared the Illusionist, drawing more cards. Even with the revolver, he didn't want to kill him and attempted to find another solution. The Master of Disguise kicked his hand, making him drop the cards.

The Master of Disguise was agile, and in a physical confrontation, the Illusionist might lose.

"How did you find out?" the Master of Disguise asked, analyzing his enemy and ready in case he used the revolver.

"I could tell you everything, but I only need to apprehend you. Lie down on the floor and give up."

The Master of Disguise had other plans. He tossed a smoke bomb onto the floor, then kicked the Illusionist's chest, causing him to collide with the door behind him. Amidst coughs, he got up, exiting the smoke in time to see the door of the adjacent wagon closing.

He moved to the next wagon, but he wasn't in the baggage compartment, so he continued forward. Then, he found himself in one of the worst situations. He was in the storage area, and all the mirrors were uncovered. He tried to avoid his own reflection, searching for the Master of Disguise who could be hiding anywhere.

Furthermore, there were three corpses sprawled in this room, leaving him even more disoriented.

"Be careful, he's right there!" he heard the Cowboy's voice from behind. As he turned, a box was hurled at him from another direction, injuring him. He turned towards the source of the attack, but he saw no one there.

Now he was more alert. His enemy not only physically disguised himself but could imitate anyone's voice and, apparently, project their voice throughout the room.

"Thank you very much; you saved me. Too bad you failed the other three, didn't you?" he heard the Heiress's innocent voice, but he didn't look in the direction of the sound. Instead, he paid attention to every direction, so as not to be caught off guard.

"Have you fallen in love? With a vampire? Is that why you did all of this?" the Vampire's voice seemed to come from the ceiling.

As he spoke, he heard movements in the dark room. Reflexes swiftly crossed several mirrors, but he was never certain where the Master of Disguise had stopped. He aimed his revolver, thinking that he needed to shoot or he wouldn't be able to stop him.

"You did well, too bad you couldn't save me," the Cartomancer's voice came from behind him. He turned around in shock, but all he saw was himself.

He smiled confidently.

"You should have done your research better; my reflection looks nothing like me." He fired, hitting the figure identical to him, which fell to the ground.

The Master of Disguise screamed in pain, and the Illusionist tried to save him. The wound was in the chest, and even if he survived, he wouldn't remain conscious for much longer. He took him to the restaurant, shouting and calling for everyone as the Master of Disguise lost consciousness, ready to reveal everything.