After an hour—perhaps two—the remnants of their meal were cleared away, and the steady rhythm of the steam locomotive began to lull the weary toward rest. Valentine and Leah had already succumbed to slumber, their bodies leaning lightly with the train's motion, breaths shallow yet calm.
Ryan alone remained awake.
He sat by the narrow window, eyes reflecting the faint glow of passing lamps and the endless darkness beyond. His expression was still, yet not tranquil—like a lake whose surface betrayed nothing of the currents beneath. It was a look forged by prolonged danger and unspoken memories, one that resisted easy interpretation.
Adam noticed.
He lay still, feigning rest, while his gaze lingered upon Ryan. The events of Cordu, the ruins, the fear, the things that should not have existed—they had weighed heavily upon him, Adam judged. No one endured such circumstances without leaving fragments of themselves behind.
After a moment's hesitation, Adam spoke, his voice subdued, careful not to disturb the others.
"Ryan… what we experienced back there was no small matter. Anyone would be shaken by it. Your expression tells me as much."
Ryan exhaled slowly. The sound was barely audible over the clatter of steel and steam. He glanced back, meeting Adam's eyes for a fleeting instant, then returned his attention to the window, as though the darkness outside was preferable to the thoughts within.
Adam continued, his tone sincere rather than probing.
"To awaken without memories, abandoned amidst destruction—it is a dangerous thing. Had you not been there, I doubt I would have survived. For that… you have my gratitude."
Ryan's shoulders shifted slightly, the tension loosening as though Adam's words had cut a knot he had not realized was there.
"It was nothing," he replied quietly. "Once we reach the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery, we'll find a way to help you locate your family. You won't be alone."
Adam nodded. "I'm fortunate to have encountered people like you."
He paused, then added, almost as an afterthought, "There is something I neglected to mention."
Ryan's eyes sharpened, though he did not turn.
"When I was still in Cordu," Adam said, "I entered a ruin—one that remained mostly intact—to gather supplies. While inside, someone appeared. A young man, about my age. He was… unsettled. Highly strung. I believe he was Aurore Lee's brother."
The name Lee cut through the air like a blade.
Ryan turned instantly. The gloom that had clung to him evaporated, replaced by focused alertness. His posture straightened, and his voice dropped, tight and controlled.
"Did he notice you?"
Adam blinked at the sudden shift but answered honestly.
"No. I hid inside a wardrobe and remained completely silent until he left."
A memory surfaced unbidden—grey fog, thick and formless, swallowing figures whole. A man and a woman whose faces could not be seen, whose presence felt unreal, as though separated from reality by a thin yet impenetrable veil.
The fog… Adam thought. The young man in the ruin…
The resemblance was unsettling.
If they were indeed the same person, then he must have seen Ryan, Leah, and Valentine lying on the floor—unconscious, vulnerable. And yet he had offered no help.
I made the correct choice, Adam concluded calmly. Revealing myself would have been a mistake.
Ryan's voice broke into his thoughts.
"That was Lumian Lee," Ryan said, certainty leaving no room for doubt. "There is no one else it could have been. And you avoided him…"
Adam watched Ryan closely now.
"How did he fail to notice you?" Ryan murmured, more to himself than to Adam. Then, lowering his voice even further, he continued, "He's a Hunter. His senses exceed those of ordinary people. Tracking, perception, instinct—these are second nature to him."
The intensity in his words caused Valentine to stir, Leah shifting faintly beside him.
Ryan finally looked directly at Adam, his gaze sharp, searching—as though trying to uncover an answer hidden beneath layers of improbability.
"It shouldn't have been possible," he said softly.
"So tell me… how did you escape his notice?"
Adam grew anxious by Ryan's reactions and behavior towards this person he has mentioned.
It safe to say that they suspect that I'm somehow special. But in what way? I don't know what the term special means to them.
If they believe I am, they might eat to exploit me in some way in the future . Their selfless help might just turn into a form of slave work or harbour.
Ryan just stated that lumian had skills beyond or greater than what a normal human should,if thats the case than why didn't he notice me too?
Maybe he was too emotional at the moment he didn't notice my presence.
That shouldn't matter for now should I claim to them that I am such a person with extraordinary abilities.
Yes that seems logical, I'll just say I'ma spectator or a reader or something. Wait a savant fits well under that criteria and I have this instinctual habit to gather scrap materials to create useful stuffs.
As Adam mind spun with all these thoughts he discovered a problem. He had already told them that he had lost his memories if he were to say he was a special person now with not lethal abilities . It could arouse more suspicion from them.
Adam thought against that idea pointing out the inconsistency of it .
At this time Leah and Valentine had already woken up from their short sleep.
Immediately Ryan said to them .
Adam just told me that while he was exploring Cordu . He saw lumian.
Leah and Valentine couldn't hide their shock and bewilderment
Leah immediately looked towards Adam and asked with an urgent tone .
What was he doing when you saw him.
After some thought Adam replied with evident discomfort from their attitude on this matter
He replied saying he went to his house to grab some stuffs into a suitcase. From what I saw he planned to leave Cordu Village.
Adam replied with pure honesty, he did this to Express his sincerity and willingness to answer any questions they had for him .
The ever silent Valentine said with a calm tone, he must be heading somewhere else but if the abormality is connected to him he risk causing disaster whereever he goes .
Ryan and Leah agreed to Valentine sentiment as they had realized that lumian is deeply connected to this and might harbour some corruption from that evil God .
Ryan then swiftly replied we have to inform the churches to be on the lookout for him as well as the others that managed to escape before the ritual commenced.
With that said the area went silent for a moment.
As this eerie quiet grew ,Adam recalled something he didn't quite understand from the information they had told him about Cordu and it anomalies . Wanting to know Adam asked
What is a beyonder?