Bailonz Street 13

Ah, damn it. I forgot to save it.

The only good thing is that I’m in the dining car. If I had to go back there, carry the man, and go through countless steps again, I might just run to the last car and scream, “Kill me now!”

“Where were we?”

“You were… checking my injuries.”

Right. I look at the door. It’s blocked.

I heft the man again and start walking. I don’t know where the strength is coming from, but my body is surging with energy. Maybe it’s because I know I can’t do this a second time.

Liam. Liam. Liam!

I’m almost running now. Carrying an adult man, I race to the car where Liam Moore is. If I let my guard down, it’s death. And I want to live long.

“Liam—!!”

The door bangs open, and Liam looks at me, startled. Skip the rest, don’t say anything. Only I get to speak here. I quickly blurt out:

“There’s a monster, it’s pretty big and invisible. It’s red, sometimes you see it, sometimes you don’t. It’s got lots of legs, like a squid or an octopus. Oh, and it laughs, like ‘kikiki’. That’s all. No questions. If you know what it is, explain it right now, and let’s discuss how to survive. Are there any other survivors?”

“They’re behind. I’m keeping watch,”

“Great! Let this man in.”

I only said what I needed to. There’s no time. I handed the man to Herschel Hopkins, who was still gaping at me with his mouth wide open. The pale, skinny man, handed over to someone else, looked at me.

“It’s okay. You won’t die.”

I reassured him with the last shred of sanity I had left. I thought about offering more comfort, but it wasn’t necessary since everyone on this train would probably die after me anyway.

Speaking of which, what happens to them when I respawn? That thought briefly crossed my mind before disappearing.

I hiked up my skirt. The professor coughed and looked away. Ignoring him, I drew my favorite revolver and aimed it at the door.

Where was I attacked again? Honestly, I don’t even remember the direction. But it’s true that being near the door increases the chance of getting killed. This time, I made sure to save solidly. If I die, reviving here is better.

The train shook once.

Something, like an instinct, warned me. Run away. And another thing said. It’s too late.

An invisible thing crashed through the window. At the same time, Herschel Hopkins grabbed me and threw himself over me.

Liam, wait, professor, Liam!

＊ ＊ ＊

The familiar subtitles… didn’t appear!

Consciousness returned first. Then my body started waking up. I couldn’t move a finger, but my eyes opened. I never knew this could happen.

The ringing in my ears and the tingling all over my body kept me awake. My vision flickered. I heard a crackling sound of static amid the deafening tinnitus. My head hurt so much, and I felt something hard behind me, probably from being thrown to the floor.

Slowly… very slowly, my sight returned. The pain was bearable. My broken arm hurt a bit, but other than that, I didn’t feel like I was dying.

I’m alive. I’m alive!

Everything around me was quiet now.

“Ugh,”

A low groan came from a little distance away. Herschel Hopkins was lying among the glass shards, a bit away from me. It seemed like he had been thrown off trying to protect me.

I crawled on my knees toward him. His tightly shut eyelids fluttered and slowly opened. His blue eyes gradually regained focus. His neatly combed hair was disheveled.

“Professor,”

Herschel slowly rose, exhaling a blocked breath. Then he asked me,

“Are you okay?”

I shrugged. Luckily, neither of us was seriously hurt. We had a few scratches from the glass shards, but we escaped death.

And then, I remembered Liam Moore. At that moment, the flickering train lights went out.

The air was thick with dust. Now that the train’s lights were completely out, it was impossible to see what was happening.

It would be nice if moonlight could come in. Is it a good idea to call for Liam here? What if it attracts it? I was about to go crazy with worry. Now that I’m safe, I care about others’ safety too. It felt pathetic, making me want to cry a bit. I just hoped I wouldn’t have to apologize to him.

Herschel held me tightly and whispered,

“If it’s that friend, he’ll be fine, Jane.”

“Who could be fine against that monster?”

I doubted a gun would work. Honestly, I had heroically drawn my gun, but I thought it wouldn’t help. That thing can’t be killed. Not with human weapons.

I was lost in thoughts, wondering where that creature came from, if it was normal, or if this was even real. I heard a sound. Something was approaching.

At the same time, the door banged open. I trembled uncontrollably but tried to breathe calmly and aimed my gun.

Once the clouds clear, once I can see, I can shoot. Even if I can’t kill it, I have to shoot. There are too many people behind me.

If I can’t stop it here, all the survivors will die. I wondered why I had to take responsibility, but I couldn’t ignore it.

I had another thought. Should I just shoot myself in the head and start over?

I was scared. I feared confirming that Liam Moore was dead.

Maybe I shouldn’t have left the room. No, if I hadn’t gotten on this train, if I had just gone back to my house at 13 Bailonz Street.

But… if this was going to happen anyway? What about these people then?

I felt like crying. I just wanted to go home. I missed the 21st century. If my existence threatened these people, I couldn’t bear it. I felt like giving up a little.

Just then, moonlight streamed in through the broken window. The shattered glass glinted. The darkness inside the train slowly faded. The deep shadow of fear that had fallen over all of us lost its power in the cold light.

Soon, the presence on the other side would be revealed. Whether it was Liam Moore or the monster. Whether we live or die.

Herschel’s arms tightened around me, ready to shield me. I didn’t intend to just watch, but….

As if mocking our worries, there stood a man.

The darkness hadn’t completely lifted, but it was clear. It was him. Liam Schofield Moore was alive. Dear God, I wanted to praise the unknown entity at this moment. He’s alive! He’s alive! I lowered the gun that was almost at my chin.

The man’s hair was a complete mess. His jacket was nowhere to be seen, and only a torn shirt and vest remained. He leaned against the doorframe, covering his face with one hand. In the other hand, something gleamed in the moonlight….

‘A sword?’

He held a rapier. I wasn’t sure, but it didn’t look like an ordinary sword. It seemed to glow on its own. No, it seemed to absorb the moonlight. Its color was so clear, it felt like looking at a glass sword.

I didn’t know where Liam Moore got that. But if it helped him survive, whether it was a machine gun or a rapier, I didn’t care. I was just grateful.

“Liam!”

I hurriedly ran to him. He staggered two steps closer but still didn’t lower the hand covering his face.

The air around him was sharp. It felt like thousands of needles were bristling. My body’s hairs stood on end, but as I got closer, the tension eased.

I grabbed Liam, suddenly afraid. Why was he covering his face? Was he hurt? In pain?

“Liam, are you hurt? Please tell me you’re not.”

His lips, which had been tightly closed, slowly opened. He moved his mouth very slowly, and a chillingly low voice leaked out.

“I’m fine.”

His usual grumpy tone was gone. He took a moment to catch his breath, then pulled me close. His feverish skin touched mine. His embrace was broad and warm, and I could feel his wildly beating heart through the thin layer of clothes. He didn’t seem hurt, just very exhausted. I had never seen him this drained.

Liam buried his forehead in my shoulder and savored the warmth for a while, then slowly murmured. It was a whisper like a passing breeze, barely audible if I hadn’t been focused.

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

What a fool. After coming back all messed up, that’s all he had to say.