“Killing The Damned of The Damned?”

What about it?

"What about it? If it’s Khaos that I have to kill, I dinnae mind! But human? A deceived human? I dinnae ken, Orb. If the joyous world means I have to leave someone behind, that means… It’s not a joyous world to all…”

Orb's eye was a static core, seemingly unfazed by the words of its wielder. Thousands die of Khaos’ deceiving. More don’t even taste the sip of your dream. Why pay your attention so much to that child? Don’t you think it is right and just to eradicate a problem for the greater good?

The silence was her words. Her ire gaze was her clean answer. Orb was indifferent still, nevertheless.

“I dinnae like the sound of that…,” Alicia answered, her voice barely above a whisper. “You sound like those of the Eternal Empire—you sound like my family! People run towards Khaos because they’re troubled. They don’t sense hope. None shall take the beauty behind the imperfect world from the grasp of all creatures. I cannae kill. I d-dinnae want to kill, Orb.”

Orb once again gave the girl the purr and the warmth. And why is that, Alicia?

“I cannae be the exact Arcane wielders before me, can I?”

As expected from my chosen one..., the soothing melody came to her ear as words. I repeat once again, Alicia, your journey sure is not easy. But it is long. Ahead of you are mysteries yet to be revealed, so please never be tired whenever I say to you, 'you’ll learn'. You’ll make the right decision.

“But if I make the wrong one...?” Alicia’s voice tinged with fear.

Then I’ll simply leave you unworthy!

“Orb!”

The squeaking machine voice was to be heard again. You’ll make the right decision.

“Absolute optimism is surely your trait, eh, ye wee oddball?”

Funny that I remembered how you wish Agosh Grendi be killed back in the day.

“I… I was angry, okay? And puckled!” she admitted, feeling a little ashamed.

I understand, child. Now. Shall we report our findings to Grand Magus?

“That’s a sound idea.”

The door on the top carriage creaked open and out stepped the figure of Alicia, her eyes scanning the sedate aisle for any sign of activity. But there was none. With her trusty companion, the Orb, by her side, Alicia set out to the door of the next carriage.

As the clock struck three, the sun's zenith began to wane, casting a softer glow upon the alabaster walls. Alicia came to a sudden awareness—lunch had eluded her due to the engrossing reading and ensuing discourse. And as she took a mere two paces towards the exit, a flicker of insight ignited within her. Sometimes she sniffed out her curiosity in the wrong place.

"Shall we wander a bit, Orb?" she asked, turning to her companion. "I want to see what's inside the carriages behind us before moving on to the front ones.”

Orb agreed to her solicitation. And so, the two changed course. They passed through the first three carriages, finding nothing of interest but a few doors led to a room downstairs, smaller than Alicia's own chamber.

The fourth carriage was no less tedious. It contained a cleaning equipment room and several janitors who had just left for routine maintenance. Alicia did not know anything, greeting them as she passed by.

"Hold on there, young lady! Where are you going?" said one of the janitors, his tone gruff.

Alicia turned and greeted him gently. "Good afternoon, good sir. Just wanted to take a tour around the train."

"You're part of the Magisterium? I've never seen you before."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"I’m sorry, sir, this is my first time here."

"Well, your tour is over. Now turn around and play somewhere else!"

"B-but… I havenae seen yon carriage," Alicia's index finger aimed at the round glass door that disclosed the wagon behind it.

The janitor seemed indifferent to who and what the status of the young lady was. He replied to the girl's answer with his tone rising an octave, "Young Lady! If I told you to turn around, wouldn't it be obvious that the carriage was not for anyone to enter? Do you even have permission from the conductor?"

Forbidden carriage! The teenage girl's sparked curiosity was now blooming fireworks! That spirit of adventure had returned! What was this janitor hiding? What was hidden in this train? Did this also involve Magisterium mages? Alicia's brain began to connect imaginary dots as slithering as the very train she hopped on, drawing conclusions about imaginary conspiracies.

"Miss! Oi, Miss!"

The Orb sent a jolt signal to Alicia's quill from the backpack, returning her spirit to the world of the living.

"S-sorry, Sir! I-I'm going back." After that, Alicia walked quickly towards the front door. "What was that?" whispered the girl to the Arcane orb stuck in her leather bag.

I thought you shorted out, Miss.

"M-Miss—what? Don't imitate that person's speech...!"

Little did the girl realise the officers caught wind of her hushed whispers as she strolled past. They knew something was wrong with this girl, but in an effort to avoid causing offence, they confined their conversation to their own ranks. "Typical wizard, poor soul. She ought to seek out someone of flesh and bone to confide in," remarked one to another.

Nonetheless, Alicia's fascination with the enigmatic carriage remained unabated. Surely a fleeting glimpse would do no harm, would it? With this notion in mind, she positioned herself discreetly behind the bedroom door, intent on covertly observing the cleaners. As soon as they moved on to the next carriage, Alicia gingerly opened the door and swiftly slipped into the Carriage of Secrets.

The lass ventured deeper into the carriage, reaching its rear end. Her attention was drawn to a prominent sticker affixed to the front door, bearing the words "Unauthorized Personnel Prohibited." Disregarding the cautionary message, Alicia made an entry.

Too bad, it was locked.

In response to Alicia's inner call, Orb complied and came out of its hiding place. But before sharing its power, Orb first offered a comment to the girl, I don’t think peeking at what is none of our business is a good thought.

"Come on, Orb," Alicia retorted. "We have to know if there's any danger in this train. Think of it as an inspection of black magic!"

Oh, so you're good at making excuses now, aren’t you?

“Argh, Orb, you make me feel bad!”

I don't feel the presence of black magic here. What if it's just a state secret that no one should know about? Or just a collection of train engines?

"If there's nothing out of the ordinary, we'll head right out and put the key back in as usual. I won't touch anything! Come on, please?"

Under Orb's guidance, Alicia harnessed the might of Arcane, employing her telekinetic abilities to unlock the door and gain entry to the private carriage. The chamber exuded an eerie ambience, bathed in a subdued green glow emanating from petite lamps, devoid of any natural ventilation. Unlike the other carriages, this one was not partitioned into different levels. In front of them stood a staircase leading downwards, the creaking resonance intermingling with the crescendo of the train's engines.

Alicia could not dispel the sense that they were in the engine room, yet it struck her as odd for such a section to be located at the train's rear. As they proceeded deeper, the darkness seemed to congeal around them, but they pressed on.

Her feet did not stop walking until they reached another doorway—a giant, circular steel door. There were several key combinations that must be solved in order to reveal the contents behind it. Something big inside must be here because there was no reason for the train designers to install metal vaults within a chamber resounding with the clamour of whirring gears.

"The big iron door," said Alicia, casting a glance towards Orb. "You think there's a threat of black magic here?”

Orb reassured her that, at the very least, there was nothing behind it related to Protos particles.

With the aid of her Arcane telekinesis, Alicia unlocked the door, and they pushed it open. Inside, the room was better-lit but still oppressive in its atmosphere. The walls were lined with a network of pipes aiding air circulation and temperature regulation. However, it was the central glass cage that seized Alicia's attention. Inside, a white-haired prisoner sat huddled, and upon their approach, he suddenly erupted with a loud voice.

"Again, again, again. I hope you stop being an imbecile and just kill me. No need to scare me with the latest intel-gathering method. You know it won't work. It will never work, man."

How startled Alicia to hear a familiar voice that she slipped a sound.

He turned his head. Not an ordinary woman he received. He got a bigger prize. As if meeting a long-lost relative. The man showed a broad grin.

"Well, well, well. As expected, our destiny is always intertwined," said the man.

"A-Agosh Grendi! What are you doing here?" Alicia stood prepared, adopting a fighting stance alongside Orb. The white plasma inside Orb also swelled; just in case Agosh Grendi wanted to do undesirable deeds.

Agosh, originally seated facing the wall, stood up and turned to face them. "Darling, darling, darling, calm down," he coaxed. He spread both hands. "As you can see, I am unarmed. I am but a humble prisoner, awaiting final judgment and execution in the Eternal Empire."

The necromancer did look harmless. All of his clothes were plain white. No pockets, let alone weapons hidden in them. The only familiar things on him were the mask with the red visor, a sharp nose, and his disturbing grin from ear to ear. He was trapped in a glass aquarium with magic runes on all four sides, preventing him from casting magic even if he could. Alicia approached cautiously, though full of doubts. []