Part 1
(Personal note: There was some kind of delay, but this chapter is just the continuation of chapter 1. Please enjoy)
Chapter 2: Tragedy over success
"*Pish---*"
the sound of a door opening and closing from the back was heard as I carelessly went over at my memories.
I prepared my baggage, said my goodbye to the land owner I previously stayed at and left in a hurry a day later. By the way, the land owner was a generous old lady who gave me extra cash when i showed that the application poster.
She sheltered me when i was 12, and thought me about living a life. Without her, I would have been living on the streets if it weren't of her generosity. sometime in the future, i want to repay her in some way or another.
as such, any funds are currently welcomed.
but before I left, I checked over the trinkets i have created that have piled up over the years and finally closed the doors to my room. She was even kind enough to give me the room for free even after I left, so I used it as a storage room that I can go back into.
The Train fare cost quite a bit, but it is something that could be afforded. I had my identification papers prepared and IDs as well as several of my documents with me.
Of which are papers about my theoretical machines and blueprints. they are a kind of treasure to me, I wouldn't be able to leave them back at my place either at the cost of losing them to robbery.
if someone is able to build them, then it would only be me and me only.
As I boarded the train and heard the whistle from the front, the train soon started moving, bringing us to the current present at the moment.
when suddenly, my line of sight covered by a hand turned black. I grabbed something from inside of my clothes as the hand retreated.
"Oh aren't you Liam! Long time no see!"
as I sat in my space silently, admiring the beauty outside the windows of this locomotive. familiar face popped out in my field of view at my side as her soft voice trickled into my ears.
I then titled my head sideways slowly within her direction as I wiped my glasses with a piece of microfiber from inside of my clothes, and fixed them properly into my eyes making sure I wouldn't be seeing any kinds of hallucinations. All done in a fluid like manner without rush, nor slowing down.
"Stop putting your oily hands at my glasses, Christia"
I whispered her name. With a face just like that of a model, soft small lips like freshly picked ripe red sweet cherries and a small nose, supple nose. Her face was certainly the same as inside of my memories.
Big, wide eyes similar to that of an ashen color with a tinge of the bright clear blue skies and an a hair you could see from afar with it's distinguishable golden color, I looked below her head, then to her waist and to her knees, slowly assessing her appearance as i went on.
She had a body that many men would yearn for, not to mention a voice which was soothing to the ears like a calm, still water in an open space. her voice was eerily calming to the ears, just like that of a mother's.
She wore clothes that is tailored to be agile and stylistic at the same time. she had a skirt down to her knees with pockets, and thin gloves to just cover her palm, leaving the tips of her finger bare.
as this person was one of my research friends.
"Fancy meeting you here, are you on a trip to Atneir?"
she replied, sitting down beside my seat without permission as the glares of the men from the other seats pierced my back. Ouch.
"I did not tell you to sit"
"Stingy"
"No, I am thinking of trying to get into the academy"
"Oh the enrollment isn't it? Yeah me too!"
"Spare me with you jokes, O' little Princess. Your parents had already gotten you into that school"
Christia was of noble blood, unlike me. However, she wasn't a princess just to clarify one thing. Her parents belong to the high society, but somehow, their only daughter mingled with people like us at the bottom of the food chain.
many times had her parents tried to ban her from mingling with us, but failed many times too. To no avail did that ever succeed, but recent it has been truly quite a while since I have last seen her six months ago.
while I racked my brains and used my smarts, she used her ideas as the basis and research to put it into practice. after all, she did have the necessary funds to do so. We lived off each other in that style, simultaneously trying to invent new innovations just by ourselves, and ourselves only.
Not being able to share what we had created that is at the level of someone well off and proficient on their studies.
"That's true but, it wouldn't hurt would it? to share the joy to you? and I'm no princess!"
"I already said that, anyways that is just like you"
I hid the piece of paper back into my baggage that is just a briefcase and a hand bag consisting of my clothes. Opening the briefcase with all the messy contents and placing it inside.
before crossing my legs and resting the back of my head at the headrest provided by the seats.
"So Liam, where will you be staying for the time being? You can at my house"
"I don't know, and I wont be. I'll find a way "
i replied, closing my eyes as I tried to find my thoughts. the bridge of St. Maria doesn't go in a straight line from point A to B, instead it spirals inward instead, as such even if it was announced that we will be taking of shortly, it would take quite a bit more to arrive at the destination.
"You always say that but, what if there isn't a way? "
"There is always a way"
"Not every time"
Frowning at my answer, I ignored Christine as I stood up from my seat. Atneir, what is also called the 'Frontier City', is nearing right off at the distance.
when,
*Wiiiiii*
an ear deafening sound hit my ears as i unconsciously covered my ears in pain, and ducked down at the floor immediately after a sense of weakness hit my legs.
"Ow! what was that!?"
I shouted, taking a look at everyone who looked at me in bewilderment just as the same as me. Following that, a bone chilling feeling coursed through my whole body as the hair strands in my arms stood up.
after that, I covered up my mouth trying to hold in my breath from the sudden feeling just now.
as if some kind of premonition just hit me.
"What do you mean? You just stood suddenly and crouched. Was a pebble stuck in your shoes, or did you have a vertigo? Here let me help you"
answered Christine as she looked at me in confusion and worry whilst she supported half of my body. I accepted her offer and helped her stand upright.
'It must have just been me'
I thought to myself, straightening out my crumpled clothes and stood upright without the help of Christine after being assisted. at the same time I was about to carry my luggage, Christine held my arms and stopped me.
"What? I can do this on my own"
"You just acted a little bit weird a while ago, Let me assist you"
Said Christine, lifting up my baggage full of my clothes as I grabbed my coat hung just right at the back of our seats. I then looked at Christine, trying her hardest to lift my baggage out of the head compartment.
"Sigh"
I reached over at my baggage and lifted it down.
"thanks"
she replied.
"But you'll carry that"
I said, tossing right at her as she adeptly caught the heavy bag without faltering.
"huh"
surprised, I didn't tackle into it much more as i shrugged it off.
"Ehe, it's fine"
Refusing her goodwill wasn't of the best choice i could choose as the glares of the males within the train all stared at me with killing intent. as much as i wanted to refuse her offer, there wasn't much anything i could do since it would also be helpful to have someone to accompany me.
Ignoring the girl behind me, i walked towards the front side of the train car in slow steps. Holding on to the railings installed on the roof of the cars to move safely.
*tap*tap*tap
the sound of the heels of my shoe hit the metallic grating of the floor only covered my sense of hearing, as the sound of my heartbeat was also heard.
as if, it was the only sound I could hear. Because just a moment ago, I could still hear the sounds of the engines roaring just fine...
at the same time, I had that extremely dangerous premonition from a moment ago upon realizing something.
"Shit-!"
i dropped all what i had held on my hands as i turned over to see Christine looking right over at the left side of the train car. Completely frozen on her tracks as a blazing ball of light came through at us without warning.
time seemed to have slowed down just enough for the small time frame we had. Both of our eyes locked together as I saw her smile for the very last time unbeknownst to the future me.
I tried to reach out for her hands as i leaped over at her direction out of instinct.
But it was far too late.
i saw her lips move.
and at the same time.
*Boom!*
.....
..
.
i then regained my consciousness right off at the sight of destruction. Fire towered up to the skies from everywhere, covering the blue skies in a thick black smoke.
I tried to move, but I could feel my whole body covered in something heavy as only my head remained visible to the outside, Facing sideward.
'Christine!? what happened to her!?'
coming back into my senses, I couldn't help but worry and panic about the person whom I called my friend. Certainly, my very last memory of was... a monster attack!
I tried to pour in every ounce of my strength to lift the heavy debris, but alas to my expectations. I wasn't able to do so, lacking in strength all I could do was resent my uselessness at the current situation I'm presented in.
i went back to the last moments of my memories. trying to go over and over again.
After the explosion hit the left side of our train car, a bright red fire covered my vision as I was blasted away in the aftermath. After that, I lost consciousness several times, waking in between due to the intense sounds of cannons firing and explosions happening about.
I saw the sky lit up in flames, with the cannon fire lighting up the darkened sky from the smoke. All I could make out from it was that something was in ‘there’. Inside of the black smoke exists a monster that has threatened all of humanity since olden times.
With its big formless body from within the black smoke, its black exterior matched well with the surrounding smoke as part of its body changed, its flesh grew and hardened to mimic a cannon which it fired back.
*Boom!*
the sound of cannon fire several times louder and stronger than the previous one flew at an incredible speed and blasted off the troops from the ground.
All i could do was laugh.
“Aha.. ha.. Ahahaha!”
Laugh at the helplessness of humanity and the unfair society we lived in. laugh at the strings of occurrences happening one after the another, and now this? If one asked if I was insane, then I would be one now.
i looked up at the sky with my consciousness slowly fading once more, thinking about a scenario where none of this had happened.
