Out on a rusted metal bench, a boy with dark grey hair sat with a slightly irritated expression—his eyes scrutinizing a small card clutched in his hands.

When Damian was told to claim his identification card, one thing he didn't suspect was the fact that they needed to take his photo. And he definitely wasn't expecting there to be a blinding flash of light in the process. It was even more unfortunate that the photo had to be taken right after he put his contacts on.

Throughout his train ride to the outer rings of the city, Damian felt extremely bitter about the ridiculous face he made when they took his photo.

'They didn't even let me take a second picture...those cruel people.'

Sighing lightly, Damian tucked his card into a ragged pocket stitched at the side of his shorts. With the sound of a roaring train subtly approaching, he looked toward the noise. Now at the very edge of the city, Damian felt the atmosphere at this station was completely opposite to that of the train traveling within the city. There were barely any people present. Of the few people who sat nearby, they all held strict and uneasy expressions.

With his last train ride finally here, he watched carefully as the metal beast entered through the outermost wall and slowed to a standstill. To Damian, the train looked very strange.

Unlike the previous train, this one stood covered in vines and vegetation without a single window in sight. The metal seemed beaten and old, with long cuts and dents battered at the sides as if it hadn't seen repairs for decades. It felt almost like a big steel prison, and Damian was about to enter.

Damian stood waiting to board, pondering at the sight.

'I understand why it's sorta' damaged and worn out, but why is it covered in so many vines? And now that I think about it, how often do they try to fix this thing?'

Creaking loudly, three hatches at the side unlocked themselves with the steel door slowly swinging open in heavy motions. Like the train before, a man in uniform walked out, standing ready to accept their tickets.

A small group of people gathered at the entrance with grim faces. The only one standing out was a small ragged boy, curiously watching the scenes play out from the sideline.

With Damian's turn coming up, he stepped forward, handing his ticket to the man. Upon entering, Damian had a feeling that the interior wouldn't be quite as good as the luxury and comfort he had experienced previously. And in a not-so-surprising outcome, he was right. The inside was filled with long lines of simple bunks and wooden planks bolted to the walls for either sleep or sitting down. A dim light settled over the cart as he found himself an empty stiff bunk to lie on.

With him being the last to board, the metal door slammed shut while the sound of shifting locks repeated around the sides of the entrance.

As everyone began to situate themselves, the man in uniform quickly walked to the front of the cabin—his eyes glancing across the passengers:

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"Welcome aboard, our first destination will be the Jamesil Outpost followed by the Marin Outpost as our last stop. The ride is usually around an eight-hour trip, so don't be afraid to get comfortable. Although the outposts are relatively nearby, trains that move outside the city are required to move at a much slower pace than inner-city trains; sorry for the inconvenience."

The man in uniform then paused slightly as the air around him shifted and suddenly became unusually rigid.

"Lastly, we are highly strict with the rules in place for trains traveling outside city walls. Aboard this train, there is only one rule all passengers must follow: If this train stops moving, you are to not make a single sound. No whispering, no moving, just stay still and be quiet. Failure to comply may result in everyone's immediate death. That is all, thank you, and enjoy." The man finished, now leaving the cabin.

While there were a few who seemed familiar with the announcement, Damian and one or two other passengers froze in disquiet.

After the man left, the train finally began to move. He was now off to live his new life, whether he exactly agreed to it or not.

***

"Hey, you're an Imprinted right?"

Breaking Damian out of his mindless daydreaming was the voice of another sat across from him: A young boy around his age with hair colored blonde and simple black eyes.

Damian lazily faced the voice.

"...You say something?"

"Sorry for disturbing you, I just thought that the runes on your arms looked pretty cool."

"Thanks…so what's up with you?"

"Haha, well after my family pressed me, I ended up working to take the Imprinted Exam. Once I passed, I got sent here."

"How can someone who isn't Imprinted take the Imprinted Exam?"

"It's about preparing people to make sure they don't die, attempting to leave the city to acquire runes."

"So you can't just get runes from inside the city?"

"Yeah, well, sort of. While technically people can be blessed with runes because of something they did inside the city, it's an extremely rare occurrence. For most, there's not much to gain inside the city. While it is possible, in the outside world every encounter or obstacle is great, as opposed to our mundane and safe lives inside the walls."

"Good to…know." Damian's words trailed into a small quiet.

Sending the two into a fearful silence was the subtle, but distinct sound of the rails squeaking to a stop. The train had stopped moving.

Gradually, incredibly monstrous quakes began shaking the cabin violently. Damian couldn't say for sure, but something enormous was definitely approaching. Eventually, he could hear the sound of a bizarre blaring static growing to an ear-piercing inhuman scream, leaving all the passengers in severe pain.

However, no matter the pain, everyone in the cabin still remained paralyzed as the unusual scream hovered past the train slowly as the rattling and earthquakes grew severe before carefully lessening. Only after what felt like an eternity, did the noise and shaking finally dissipate.

In the quiet atmosphere that remained, no one could even think properly. Only when the train began to start up again, did everyone's sanity return.

'What the hell was that?! Are you telling me that was a living creature!? The noise it was making didn't even sound organic. Whatever was out there did not feel like a living being. What in god's name did we just come across and how did it not notice us?'

"Y'know… Do you ever wonder why these mysterious and terrifying monsters living in the forest just ignore our presence?" Indifferent to the situation, the blonde-haired boy spoke up, reigniting their conversation.

"Well…now that you mention it, it does seem a little odd that they would just leave us alone. Got any idea why?"

The young boy across from him smiled, exhausted.

"It's because these trains have been around for so long, that the creatures living here simply adapted to believe that it was a part of their home."

Damian nodded thoughtfully.

"By the way…I never got your name."

The blonde-haired boy chuckled at the realization.

"My name is Aricin."