Astral Express · Observation Car
Welt Yang sat alone on the sofa in the Observation Car, his brow slightly furrowed, his fingertips unconsciously tapping his knee as his mind replayed the recent anomalies concerning Xing and March 7th.
Xing's bizarre sleepwalking and violent tendencies, the mysterious figure in the Party Car who strongly resembled March 7th, and the nonsensical, chilling jokes told by "shut up" using a voice that made him extremely uncomfortable... The clues were messy, yet all pointed to something unusual.
The "tap-tap" sound of high heels approached, interrupting his contemplation.
Himeko walked over carrying a tray with two cups of steaming coffee, emitting a unique and rich aroma.
She sat down opposite Welt and slid one of the cups toward him.
"You've been sitting here alone for a while now. Did you run into a problem?"
Himeko asked with a smile, taking an elegant sip herself.
Welt's gaze fell upon the dark brown liquid before him, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
He resisted the urge to touch the "refreshing" beverage, merely pushing it gently toward the center of the table, as if it were some dangerous item requiring careful handling.
"There are indeed a few things..."
Welt adjusted his glasses, organized his thoughts, and informed Himeko in detail about Xing's strange sleepwalking state, what he had witnessed outside the Party Car, and the subsequent investigation into "shut up" which only yielded a pile of chilling jokes.
Himeko listened, the ease on her face gradually replaced by seriousness. She put down her coffee cup: "So, 'shut up,' the only possible informant, really didn't reveal anything?"
Welt's expression was complicated. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "No. It just... told a dozen cold jokes in a very'standard' tone, jokes cold enough to drop the average temperature by three degrees."
(It's a good thing my self-control is strong enough, or I might really have been tempted to dismantle that bartending robot right then and there to see if a fragment of Otto was hidden inside...)
He only thought this to himself; he didn't say it out loud.
Himeko sighed helplessly, rubbing her temples with her fingertips: "It seems the situation is more complicated than I imagined. Regardless, we can't let little March be deceived. She is simple-minded and inexperienced, making her easily misled by these suspicious 'affections'."
She paused, her tone becoming firm, "I think that as her family, we should have a frank discussion with her. At the very least, we need to make her understand that hiding things and facing risks alone might be dangerous."
Just as she spoke, the Observation Car door slid open, and March 7th poked her head in, a relaxed smile on her face from having just finished a leisure activity: "Uncle Yang, Sister Himeko, you're both here?"
"You came at the perfect time, little March."
Himeko waved her over, a gentle smile returning to her face, "Come sit down, let's chat."
March 7th, suspecting nothing, bounced over and sat down on the sofa between the two elders: "What are we chatting about? Do we have a new itinerary?"
Welt and Himeko exchanged a look, and Himeko spoke first, keeping her tone as casual as possible: "Nothing much, just that we feel like you've been... a little busy lately? You're often nowhere to be seen during your free time."
The smile on March 7th's face froze, and her gaze became evasive: "Ah? Have I? I was just... um, organizing photos in my room, or... just wandering around..."
Welt took over, his voice steady and reassuring: "Little March, we aren't trying to interfere with your freedom. It's just, remember how Xing was almost deceived by that'Sister Herta' before? The universe is vast, and all sorts of possibilities exist. Some malicious entities will approach people by exploiting their inner desires."
He looked at March 7th's slightly pursed lips and continued: "We are just worried about you. If you encounter someone... special, or something difficult to understand, you can tell us. The Astral Express Crew is a unit, and we will all help you."
In March 7th's perception, Welt Yang and Himeko were her very important family.
Faced with their gentle yet concerned gazes, the words March 7th had intended to use for concealment caught in her throat.
She lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes with her fingers. After a moment of internal struggle, she finally whispered, "Actually... there is someone... she said she is my sister."
"Sister?"
Himeko raised an eyebrow slightly, "What is her name?"
"Long Night Moon."
March 7th looked up, seemingly trying to find some recognition on the faces of the two elders, "Doesn't that name sound a bit like the style of mine? She said we were separated a long time ago..."
Welt and Himeko exchanged glances again, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.
Long Night Moon?
The name certainly had a structural similarity to "March 7th," but they had never heard it before, making its authenticity hard to judge.
"How... did she meet you?" Welt asked cautiously.
"In the Party Car."
March 7th answered honestly, "She comes to find me every day when I'm resting, and we talk there. She told me a lot... about my hometown, and stories from the past."
Welt leaned forward slightly: "Stories? What kind of stories?"
"She said our hometown is a place called Amphoreus."
March 7th tried hard to recall, "That place was once shrouded by a disaster called the 'black tide,' and then... then to fight the black tide, a group of heroes called the 'Flame-Chasers' appeared, writing a very tragic epic..."
"Flame-Chasers?"
Welt's brow instantly tightened, and his heart sank. A sense of extreme foreboding washed over him like ice water.
March 7th didn't notice his subtle change and continued excitedly: "Exactly! There are so many heroes! For example, one named Kevin, who seems super powerful and wields a super huge sword..."
Welt: "..."
(Hmm, coincidence. There are at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, people named Kevin in the universe, and countless more who wield greatswords...)
"...and another very beautiful and lively sister named Elysia, who is skilled with a bow and arrow..."
Welt: "..."
(C-close in sound, right? I must have misheard...)
"...and another named Aponia, who looks very gentle but seems able to foresee fate or something..."
Welt finally couldn't help but raise his hand, making a stopping gesture, his face displaying the standard "Old Man, Subway, Cell Phone" expression.
He took a deep breath, clinging to one last shred of hope, and tentatively asked: "Little March... the Kevin you just mentioned, does he... wield a greatsword that burns with flames and looks particularly imposing?"
March 7th's eyes widened in surprise: "Uncle Yang! How did you know?! That's exactly what my sister said in her story!"
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