The black-ink sky slowly turned over. The morning's first lemon-yellow glow fell softly across Aneouz's face.
`Rowan's face flashed in his head. The smile. Right before the book swallowed him.
Aneouz pressed his teeth together. "Get stronger," he told himself. "That's all that's left now."`
The bus tires passed over a rough patch of road — a sudden jolt — and Aneouz jolted with it, his head colliding with the back of the seat in front, breaking his sleep.
Aneouz opened his eyes roughly, but instantly.
He pulled himself away from the seat back and sat up straight.
He pressed his teeth together — eyebrows down, eyelids half open — touching his head gently, rubbing it. Light fell straight into his eyes.
The window softened it slightly.
He traced it — following the glow back to where it came from. Outside, as far as the eye could see — only open grass.
The twittering of sparrows carried clearly through the glass. White egrets drifted above the field.
Aneouz stared for a while. Then turned his gaze back inside.
A girl was sitting next to him — close enough that he noticed her before anything else.
Aneouz was shocked. Before he could process it, she spoke. "Hello... what are you looking at so much?"
He slid back slightly. Mouth half open. He didn't know what to say. His face showed everything.
She saw it. She moved on without making it a thing.
"By the way," she said, "where are you heading?"
A silence...
"I am going to the nearby station," Aneouz replied.
His arms swept upward in a slow stretch — then dropped back down before it was even finished.
"Where are you heading?" he asked.
"The same place as you are," she said with a small smile. "When I woke up I saw no one on the bus — just you and me. That's why I came and sat next to you."
Aneouz remembered a moment from a while ago.
"Yeah," he replied. "When I got on, I saw only you — sleeping." Then he added, "Your hair looks messy — but it suits you. Did you just wake up too?"
She thought — judging by his words, he seems like a good person.
"Since we're heading to the same place," she said, "I'd like to go with you... if you don't mind."
Aneouz instantly looked at her. He hadn't expected that.
She rubbed her hands together, staring at him. She wondered — did I ask something weird...
"Why not," Aneouz said. "It's good to have a partner while traveling... even it just for a short time."
She let her body sink slightly into the seat, releasing a breath. "Thanks for agreeing," she replied.
She stood and moved closer to the window.
An open area stretched before her — patches of grass, shallow water spreading across the ground from every direction. Something like marshes.
A moment later the bus had already moved on, the marshes left far behind.
She realized the bus was moving fast.
"We'll be there in no time," she said.
"Yeah, I think so too," Aneouz said, trying to get a look outside — but she was standing right in front of the window, blocking the view.
"Anyway," Aneouz said, "what's your name? I forgot to ask."
She turned to him. "My name is Ira."
A small pause.
Then, with just a touch of curiosity edging into her voice — like she had been wondering for a while but only just decided to ask — "What's your name... by the way?"
"My name is Aneouz," he said. "It sounds weird... but I like it."
The bus slowed. A small station appeared outside the window — just a simple platform, a tea stall at the corner.
The brakes caught. The bus shuddered once — then went still.
Ira lifted her bag with her left hand. With her right, she grabbed Aneouz's hand — walking quickly toward the exit. "We're already here," she said.
Aneouz couldn't resist. The way she pulled him — hurried, certain.
The doors hissed open. Warm air pushed in.
The moment the doors opened, Ira rushed outside.
Both of them stepped off the bus. It pulled away behind them, heading to its next destination.
She released a breath. Her body felt lighter.
"Finally we are here," she said.
"You pulled me off a moving bus," Aneouz said flatly. "It wasn't even fully stopped."
"It was stopped," Ira said. "Barely."
"Yeah... whatever, let's go," Aneouz said.
Aneouz looked at his hand. Ira was busy exploring the area — she wouldn't realize.
After a second... Ira's gaze moved toward Aneouz. She noticed instinctively why he was looking down.
She suddenly realized what was wrong.
Instantly, Ira let go of his hand — the very hand she had unconsciously held onto so tightly just a moment ago.
Aneouz looked at her. Ira looked down. "It's a habit," she said.
Aneouz's mouth moved — he was about to speak — until she interrupted him. "Anyway, you don't have to say thank you. I just helped you get off the bus safely."
"And no more talking — we're going to be late," she said, moving ahead. "Follow me."
Aneouz followed. He noticed.
The station was open on every side, a glass roof above it.
The whole platform was wrapped in wispy fog — the tracks ahead almost vanishing into the mist.
They moved further, closer to the station. On the way, Ira whispered, "We have to pass through the tea stall."
"Yeah, so... what?" Aneouz replied.
"Look at the man at the tea stall," Ira murmured.
Aneouz turned toward the stall. Then he looked at Ira and whispered, "Which one?"
Ira turned instantly — eyebrows pulling down.
"Only two people there, yet you're asking this? The one in the raincoat and mask. His hair barely covers his eyes — yet it's clear he's staring at us."
Aneouz turned back slightly. His gaze met — not the man in the raincoat — but a boy sitting beside him. Around Aneouz's age. His eyes carried a calm yet powerful gaze.
He slowly turned toward the man in the raincoat.
Is he the same age as me? A question rose in Aneouz's mind.
Aneouz's gaze stayed fixed on them both. The boy turned to the raincoat man — his mouth began to move.
Aneouz could tell they were talking about something.
Until Ira gently touched Aneouz's shoulder, pushing him forward slightly. "Okay... let's go for now," she said.
Aneouz did not know why — but even as Ira pulled him forward, he found himself wanting to look back.
They walked past the tea stall. Both slowed down. Ira finally stopped pushing him — she let out a deep, heavy breath.
The path ahead was slightly visible. The closer they got, the clearer it became through the fog.
"Sorry for the way I acted," she said, looking at the station in front of her.
"Our path is clear — let's move to the station," Aneouz said. "I think we have to become allies."
"Maybe," Ira replied, looking at the station. "For a short time."
"Maybe," Aneouz also said, looking ahead.
Ira looked at every corner. "I don't see anyone at the station," she said.
Aneouz also looked and failed to find anyone. "It's too early in the morning for a whole crowd to be here," he said.
He turned toward Ira and saw she was making a strange face — yet she nodded. He thought — her face was clearly showing she disagreed with him.
uS
Aneouz turned around, shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows. "Whatever — let's go. Sit on the bench until our train arrives."
They moved closer to the bench on the other side of the track. Ira said, "There is a way to cross the track."
Her hand pointed toward the foot overbridge — iron stairs, covered above by a glass roof.
"Yeah, that's a good find — let's go from there," Aneouz said. But even as he was speaking, she was already moving toward the bridge.
Aneouz followed.
The morning light caught the glass roof of the overbridge. Pale beams cut straight down through the fog — thin and sharp, like something had drawn lines through the air.
The iron frame threw dark shadows across the stairs in a grid pattern.
Aneouz watched a single beam fall across the platform. Inside it, dust moved slowly.
Ira had already climbed halfway up. Her hands rested on the railing. Her hair fell in layers — shorter at the top, longer where it grazed her shoulders — moving easily in the breeze. She looked down at Aneouz from the overbridge.
Her voice echoed through the station. "Why are you taking such small, slow steps?"
Aneouz turned around — and walked even slower than before.
Ira watched. She decided to cross the bridge alone. She moved.
Aneouz's foot met the first iron stair — it rang hollow beneath him.
Aneouz took a step and began to climb.
He looked at Ira while climbing — she was already on the other side of the bridge, climbing down the stairs.
His body moved. Aneouz's steps grew slightly faster — with each heavy step, the sound of the stairs grew with him.
He thought — Ira was moving way too fast...
She was already on the other side of the station, next to the bench. Ira was waving at Aneouz with a teasing smile.
Aneouz had already reached halfway too.
Suddenly...
A strong gust of wind came from the right — powerful enough to force Aneouz to freeze in the middle of the bridge. His hands came up to cover his eyes.
Slowly, the wind died down.
Aneouz moved his hand aside. His gaze moved to the right — toward where the wind had come from.
From up there, Aneouz could notice everything. On the left side, Ira was there, sitting on the bench.
Aneouz turned right. There they were.
The raincoat man and the boy – They were on the same side as Ira, moving toward Ira. From the middle of the bridge Aneouz watched, and ran to reach Ira before them.
Ira sat on the bench, one leg crossed over the other. Her bag rested beside her.
She looked left — nothing but fog. Thick enough that the far end of the platform had disappeared completely into white.
She looked right. Same.
She tapped her foot once. Then stopped. Then looked at her hands.
Then up at the overbridge. Aneouz was still only halfway.
She let out a slow breath through her nose.
She could not see more than a few metres along the platform in either direction — the fog swallowed everything at ground level.
But when she looked up, the overbridge was visible. The glass roof caught the morning light above the white.
She looked away again.
She did not know what was moving through it.
From up there, Aneouz watched. They were moving closer toward Ira...
"She is right in front of us," the raincoat man said.
A strange pattern in his eyes — violet, with dark pupils.