The Last Whisperer

25 | What A Cocky Guy~

They got into the train station without any scurmishes.

Seren, who had long ago lost her hat in the sea of rushing people, was dragged behind Lazardo with their wrists binded together. She was forced to follow behind as Lazardo went to get them train tickets from the ticket booth, and then was continued to be dragged even more around to be bumped by people who had no sense on how to avoid bumping into her.

They stopped in front of the entrance of the locomotive when Seren refused to go in.

"Seren, we need to go." Lazardo gritted his teeth. He pulled her inside, leaving her no choice. Her face was a mixture of confusion and defensive, as if she did not trust the very thing they entered.

Lazardo led them into one of the train cabins and told her to go inside. It was a small box of a room that was big enough to store four people—six if they were to cramp themselves in—with a glass window that allowed them to get a great view of the outside. Lazardo slid shut the cabin door and he told her to sit down. Before he did so himself, he first disengaged the spell that kept them locked together with a tap of his finger, freeing her.

Seren immediately snatched her wrist from him, giving him an audacious look. Suddenly, the train started to rattle, and a wild noise from above honked very loud, enough to send Seren jumping into the heavens, clutching her surroundings for dear life.

"Calm down. It's just the engine."

They started to move. The view outside began to change. Seren watched the scenery morph from a station into grassy hills under a blue sky. Instantly, she was amazed, mouth dropping wide. "We're moving."

"You've never boarded a train before?"

"I've never seen a contraption this big. It's like we're inside of a giant." Lazardo found her answer perplexing, raising both brows.

Seren pressed her face against the glass. She spotted a family of deers. "Look at those!" They never had deers back in Mahanzi, and she only got to see them when she went down here to the third realm.

"Young lady! I advice you to sit down if you want to avoid any future accidents!" The voice belonged to a middle-aged man in a bowtie, who they didn't realize had slid open the door to their cabin.

Lazardo got on his feet and bowed slightly to the man. "Forgive my sister. She's a big fan of the train. We'll make sure not to cause any trouble." He smiled, and his politeness was enough to convince the train attendant. He shut the door once again and left them alone. Lazardo sighed at her. "Sit. Before we attract more attention."

She did as she was told, but her eye twitched in annoyance. She crossed her arms and, as if complaining, she muttered to herself, "The people here are so uptight. I wouldn't be able live in this world."

"About that." Lazardo rested his elbows on his knees and gave her a serious look. Seren edged away from him, sensing that he was about to to tell her something she did not want to hear. "When we get back to the capital, I only ask for your compliance. It may seem like we're bad people, but we're actually just trying to help you."

"I understand that you must have found me somewhere but you should have just left me where I was." Seren suddenly craved for something to drink. After all that running, she needed something to quench her thirst.

He smiled. "I'm a doctor." He reconsidered his words. "Actually, I'm training to be a doctor. Saving lives is what we do. When we discovered you in the mountains, we couldn't just leave you there. And," he gestured his hand down her. "Aren't you glad to be alive?"

She diverted her attention to the scenery outside. Why would I be glad to be alive when all that's happened to me is misfortune after misfortune? Making matters worse, she had no home and no family. She was misplaced and she did not have a spot in the world anymore. Her dream was meaningless. To her, she had died long ago, together wth Mahanzi.