For several minutes, the train kept moving, and fortunately, no further problems arose. The railway tracks still seemed perfectly safe, and as far as the train traveled, there were no strange sights or any signs of the presence of dark creatures along the tracks.
"It's a good thing that we can at least relax for a while." Chelsie leaned her body against the seat. "Surely there shouldn't be any dark creatures chasing us now."
"No." Nalira shook her head. "We can't let our guard down."
"Yes, I agree with what Nalira has said." Shaan nodded his head. "We can't come to that conclusion at all. The dark creatures may still be around, and we must not let our guard down at all."
"Uhm... I understand."
"Considering that the dark creatures could appear at any time, I suggest that we take turns to keep watch for each other. I think it's much safer, and we can at least protect each other. What do you think?"
"Uhm... yes, I have no problem with that at all." Chelsie nodded her head. "What do you think, Lira?
"All right then, let's decide who'll take the first —"
"I'll take the first watch. You two get some rest." Nalira stood up from her seat and walked toward the locomotive room.
"Uhmm... alright, Lira." Chelsie nodded her head. "Thank you."
"Oh...okay."
Shaan then decided to move and pick another passenger seat near the window. The reason he chose a different seat was simply because he felt awkward sleeping face-to-face with someone else. Besides, he didn't want to disturb Chelsie, who already looked fast asleep—like a baby.
"Ah, this is much better." Shaan slowly leaned his head to the side. "I should rest to regain my strength."
However, just as Shaan closed his eyes for a few seconds, distractions kept popping up. From the cramped seats, to the screeching sounds of the rails grinding together, and the uneven surface of the tracks—everything made it impossible for him to sleep peacefully.
'Argh, enough! ' Shaan grumbled in annoyance. "I can't sleep in conditions like this. How in the world can Chelsie sleep so soundly through all of this?"
Shaan could only remain silent as he watched Chelsie, who didn't seem to be bothered by any of it. She hadn't stirred in the slightest, even though the train had jolted several times—quite roughly at that.
"Instead of me being here, I should head to the locomotive room. Nalira may need my help."
Shaan began walking toward the locomotive room, where he saw Nalira gripping the hilt of her sword. Her expression was serious, her eyes focused outside the train through the side window. She seemed tense—hyper-alert, and fully prepared for any possible attack from the dark creatures.
"Uh. Nali-"
Before Shaan could even finish saying her name, Nalira's hand reflexively drew her sword and pointed the tip directly at Shaan's neck—just inches away. If Shaan had made even the slightest move, the blade would have pierced his throat. Realizing this, Shaan froze on the spot, immediately raising both hands without hesitation.
'Very... Very fast. How is this possible?'
Truthfully, Shaan had never realized that Nalira possessed such extraordinary reflexes. It felt far beyond the capability of an average human. And more than that, her gaze—cold and unblinking as it locked onto him—made her presence feel overwhelmingly powerful.
"Oh, it's just you...." Nalira slowly lowered her sword, at the sight of Shaan's stiffened. "What are you doing here? Why don't you take a rest?"
"I-I just can't sleep, so I go to the locomotive room and think maybe need some help."
".... No. "Nalira immediately directed her gaze out the window. "I don't need anyone's help at all. "
"Oh... Alright." Shaan scratched his head. "In that case, I'll go back to my place. If you need help, I'll be there. "
"...."
Without waiting long, Shaan slowly opened the door of the locomotive room connected to the first carriage. However, just as Shaan was about to leave the room, Nalira suddenly called out to him.
"Wait. "
Shaan paused for a moment, turning his head back. "What's wrong? Do you need any help?"
"No, it's not that. Instead, there's something I want to ask you." Nalira said, her expression unreadable. "If you don't mind at all."
'A question? What kind of question could she want to ask me?'
"Oh, not at all," Shaan replied confidently. "What do you want to ask?"
"Aurelise," Nalira calmly spoke. "What do you know about Aurelise?"
"Hmm... I have heard of Aurelise before. It used to be the name of a well-known family from the Riverglace city."
"And then?"
"However, one day a terrible event happened to this family. All of Aurelise's family members suddenly died in a fire. The general public never learned the cause of the fire at the Aurelise estate, and the media never revealed what happened—because, out of nowhere, the case was suddenly closed."
Hearing Shaan's words, Nalira slowly nodded her head. "What you said is true… to a certain extent. But that's not what's happening."
"Huh? Wait, what do you mean? What did happen?"
"...."
"Nalira, I don't understand what you're saying at all." Shaan furrowed his brow. "What exactly happened to your family?"
"My family...they were murdered."
"M-Murdered?" Shaan's eyes widened in shock, his face instantly growing pale. "B-but how…? Why?"
"It happened when I was little, and I can't remember everything clearly," Nalira said. "But what I do remember… was my mother hiding me in a storage room while that horrible night unfolded."
"Do the police not recognize the person who did it?"
Nalira shook her head slowly. "No. The police handling this case have been unable to find any evidence until now."
'Gosh, the killer seems to have planned this very cleverly.'
"Not only that, the killer burned down my entire house until there was absolutely nothing left. Fortunately, I managed to get out with the help of one of my servants before we were burned to the ground.
'Crazy, this is crazy. The killer seems to have calculated the seal to be this reckless. Who exactly did this?
"The case was eventually closed, and it was said that Aurelise's family died in the fire. Everyone is dead and only I'm left," Nalira squeezed her palms tightly. "However, I know the truth, and I will make sure to kill the person who killed my family. I'm pretty sure of it. "