Chapter 163:Station.
The massive entrance doors groaned softly as Dillian pushed one of them open a little farther. A stale draft escaped from the darkness beyond, carrying with it the scent of rust, old machinery, and decades of undisturbed dust.
The cheerful atmosphere from outside had disappeared the moment they crossed the threshold. Silver instinctively rested one hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dim lighting inside the station.
Emergency lights lined the ceiling at regular intervals, though most had long since lost power. Only thin shafts of sunlight filtering through cracked skylights illuminated sections of the enormous entrance hall.
"...It’s bigger than I imagined," Iris whispered.
Silver silently agreed.
The station had been enormous on the outside; inside, it felt even larger. The entrance hall alone could have accommodated several trains.
Steel support columns disappeared high into the ceiling. Multiple railway lines extended through the building before vanishing into enormous maintenance tunnels farther inside. Everything was covered by a thin blanket of dust, and nothing looked disturbed.
Dillian slowly raised a hand.
"We move carefully; no one wanders off alone."
Everyone nodded. They advanced at a slow walking pace, every footstep echoing throughout the silent station.
Silver found himself constantly scanning the surroundings. Old ticket booths stood abandoned near the entrance. Electronic display boards still hung from the ceiling, frozen forever on schedules from years ago. Half of the characters had faded beyond recognition. Several benches had overturned while others remained exactly where they had been left.
It was almost eerie. Nothing appeared damaged by battle; instead...it looked as though everyone had simply stood up one day... and never returned.
"This doesn’t look like the aftermath of a disaster," Maya said quietly.
Selene adjusted her glasses as she examined the surroundings.
"It looks... Abandoned."
Silver nodded.
"That’s what’s bothering me."
If an outbreak had truly occurred here, he expected signs of panic like barricades, blood, and collapsed walls; instead, everything seemed strangely orderly, almost preserved.
They continued deeper into the station. The enormous maintenance platforms soon came into view. Three sleek train carriages still rested on rusted tracks.
Although years of neglect had dulled their once-polished exteriors, Silver could still recognize how advanced they had been for their time.
Dillian walked around one of the trains.
"They were researching transportation."
Silver nodded.
"High-speed transit between Sanctuaries."
Iris peered through one of the windows.
"The seats are still inside... It’s like a museum."
Silver stepped onto the platform beside another train. Its doors stood partially open. As expected, dust covered every surface, and loose papers littered the floor. Yet, nothing remained damaged that could leave evidence explaining why this place had been sealed.
Ravenna quietly joined him.
"It’s too clean."
Silver looked toward her.
"You noticed?"
She nodded.
"If hundreds of people died here... Where are they?"
That question lingered in everyone’s minds; even Dillian frowned.
"They must’ve removed the bodies."
"Probably," Silver answered. "But that still doesn’t explain everything else."
They spent nearly an hour exploring the lower maintenance level. Machine after machine filled the enormous workshops: industrial presses, automated repair arms, and massive lifting cranes; every machine stood frozen exactly where it had last been used.
Selene crouched beside one of the control consoles.
"The power’s completely dead. No emergency backup or recent activity."
Silver examined another machine. Rust had begun forming around exposed joints. Several gears had seized completely.
"This equipment must have been new; there are parts that have yet to rust."
The deeper they ventured, the more repetitive the station became: maintenance bay then workshop, then storage room and another maintenance bay. Everything looked nearly identical. Even after searching thoroughly, they discovered nothing unusual.
Eventually, they reached another enormous chamber where several unfinished train carriages rested upon assembly rails.
Dillian let out a slow breath.
"I was expecting... I don’t know...Something."
Silver smiled faintly.
"So was I."
Iris folded her arms.
"We’ve spent almost two hours looking around, and the only thing we’ve found is lots of trains."
Even Ravenna laughed quietly.
"There are certainly enough of those."
The light-hearted comment briefly eased the tension. Silver looked toward the upper floors.
"There should still be offices. We can look at the archive and administrative departments. If there’s any information left... It’ll probably be upstairs."
Dillian nodded.
"I was thinking the same."
The group followed a broad metal staircase leading toward the second level. Their footsteps echoed loudly throughout the cavernous building.
Halfway up... Silver suddenly stopped, his expression sharpening.
"...Wait."
Everyone froze. Dillian looked back.
"What is it?"
Silver raised one finger.
"Listen."
Silence answered them for several seconds, then...
Tap.
A single footstep echoed faintly somewhere ahead. Everyone stiffened.
Tap...
Tap...
The sound came again. It was slow and measured but unmistakable. Someone or something was walking somewhere around the station.
Iris instinctively reached for her weapon.
"...Did everyone hear that?"
Maya nodded slowly.
"I did."
Selene’s expression grew serious.
"Second floor. Somewhere ahead."
At that moment, the footsteps stopped and complete silence returned. Silver exchanged a glance with Ravenna. It was clear she had heard them too. His heartbeat quickened.
Dillian slowly unsheathed his sword.
"We investigate carefully. If anyone hears those footsteps, don’t go towards them; call for someone."
Nobody objected. The contractors moved as one. Every movement became quieter and their breath more controlled. Silver unconsciously drifted closer to Ravenna; his memories from the novel resurfaced once more.
His grip tightened around his sword.
The footsteps resumed.
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
This time they sounded slightly farther away. Almost as though whoever had made them was walking deeper into the administrative wing.
"They’re moving," Dillian whispered.
Silver nodded.
"They know we’re here."
Whether that realization comforted him or worried him, he couldn’t decide. The corridor eventually widened into an office complex.
Glass partitions divided dozens of rooms. Several doors hung loosely from broken hinges. Nameplates still clung to many entrances: administrative Office, personnel, engineering, and finance. Most had already been emptied. Dust covered every desk. Computers sat lifeless beneath layers of grime.
The footsteps had stopped once again. Dillian looked toward the largest office at the far end of the hallway.
"Director’s Office."
He glanced toward Silver.
"We’ll check there."
Silver nodded.
"We’ll search the archive."
Dillian agreed immediately.
"If either group finds something... We call out."
"Understood."
The group split naturally. Dillian led Maya, Iris, Selene, and Cruella toward the director’s office. The remaining members remained outside to keep watch.
Silver and Ravenna continued farther down the corridor until they reached another room. A rusted metal sign still hung above the entrance.
Archives
Silver slowly pushed the door open. The room beyond was enormous; shelf after shelf stretched into the distance, thousands of folders lay scattered across the floor, cabinets had toppled over, and loose documents covered almost every surface.
It looked as though someone had desperately searched for something years ago.
Silver slowly exhaled.
"...This is going to take a while."
Ravenna nodded.
"Let’s divide the room."
Silver smiled.
"Same as always."
She moved toward the left side of the archive while Silver searched the right. For nearly twenty minutes... Only the sound of turning pages filled the room.
Most files had deteriorated beyond recognition. Others contained nothing more than maintenance records, employee schedules, routine inspections, and equipment inventories.
They were useful but unrelated to the outbreak. Silver opened another cabinet and was met with more reports.
He sighed quietly.
"This is like finding a needle in a haystack."
Across the room, Ravenna continued searching methodically. Unlike Silver, she read surprisingly quickly. One folder after another. Cabinet after cabinet. Until...
Her hand suddenly stopped. She stared down at a single weathered document. Her breathing caught.
The color drained from her face.
"...No..."
The whisper was barely audible. Her eyes rapidly scanned the page again, then again as though hoping she had misread it.
She hadn’t.
Her hands began trembling.
"...Silver."
Her voice was noticeably unsteady. Silver immediately looked up. The moment he saw her expression, his heart sank. He had never seen Ravenna look like that before, not even during battle.