The words hit her like cold water.
She shook her head, slow. One step back.
Her shoulders hunched.
Another step back.
Her fingers found the edge of her sleeve and twisted it.
---
Ira pressed her fist to her chest and half-turned toward Aneouz.
Her voice was tight.
"What do you think? About what he was saying... I felt like he was lying."
Aneouz didn't look at her.
His jaw shifted once. Then went still.
His hands stayed at his sides, but his knuckles went white.
"I don't think so," Aneouz whispered slowly.
"The eyes of that man... they're carrying mystery."
His heart slammed against his ribs.
His fingers twitched. His feet felt stuck to the ground.
He blinked rapidly. Once. Twice.
Aneouz dragged a hand to the back of his head and pressed hard, like he could push the pressure out. He mumbled under his breath, "I have to make sure Ira doesn't notice. She's already in trouble."
His eyes darted — to the exit, to Vael, to Ira — then settled nowhere.
He thought: Somehow we should be careful. I feel heavy. Like something is crushing me. Some kind of pressure.
His stare moved.
Then it jammed on the boy standing next to Vael. The boy had a snack in one hand, and a smirk on his face as he looked straight at Aneouz.
Aneouz noticed it. That smirk. That unblinking, intense stare.
The boy held it for a second longer, then broke eye contact with a flick of his gaze to the side, casual.
The boy turned. His eyes landed on the mark on Ira's head.
The smirk fell off his face.
He didn't react. He just watched.
"To understand what the Horizontal mark is? First,
you have to understand something."
Vael hissed.
He didn't move. Only his head tilted, like a predator measuring prey.
Silence.
Heavy enough that they could hear each other's breaths.
Ira's chest rose and fell too fast.
Ira murmured, arms crossed tight over her stomach. "Say."
"The time when nobody knew anything like this existed in this world." Vael hissed.
He took one slow step forward. The fog seemed to follow him.
"What do you mean by 'anything like this'... I didn't expect you to be such a great explainer."
The boy said around a mouthful of snack. He shrugged, leaning on one foot.
Vael didn't look at him. His hands stayed clasped behind his back.
"Don't disturb me. I am serious... right now."
The boy sighed, loud. He threw his hands up, then let them drop.
His hand came up to rest on the back of his head. He leaned back, staring at the ceiling, and turned away.
"Whatever." He kicked a pebble.
Vael exhaled.
The sound was heavy. Tired.
His shoulders dropped an inch before he pulled them straight again.
He turned, slow. His boots scraped against the floor as he took one step forward.
Then another.
Each step echoed.
*Vael:* Hands clasped behind his back. Voice low.
"Back in time. In history."
He tilted his head up, eyes unfocused. Like he was seeing something far away.
His throat bobbed.
"On a planet like Earth... among humans, just a few."
He held up his hand. Pinched his fingers together.
"Less than 0.0001 percent."
His hand dropped. Fell to his side and clenched into a fist. His arm trembled, barely.
"They can do things..."
He paused. His eyes flicked to Ira. Then to Aneouz.
"...an ordinary person could never think of."
Vael took another step. The room felt smaller.
Aneouz shifted his weight, putting himself half in front of Ira without thinking.
"They carry the Covenant."
Vael tapped his chest once with two fingers.
"Extraordinary capabilities."
His shoulders sagged for half a second. Then straightened.
"However, human life is very short. Even the strongest has to die, in the end. So
their wisdom died with them."
He went still.
"That's how the world operated... before *The Sundering Era*."
Vael's jaw tightened. A muscle jumped.
"Something changed after that era."
He raised his hand. Palm facing up. Like he was holding something invisible.
His fingers curled slightly.
"A mark came into this world."
Silence.
His hand slowly closed into a fist.
"The people who have the ZRCQNIMA Book..."
His eyes cut to Ira's head. To the mark there.
He didn't blink.
"...they contain supernatural power."
Vael lowered his hand. Let it hang at his side.
His voice dropped to almost a whisper.
"A man named... Mear Q'nima. Born about 300 years ago." Vael hissed.
Ira flinched. She took half a step forward without realizing it.
"You mean Lord Q'nima?" Ira whispered. Her hand rose to her forehead, but stopped before touching the mark.
"Lord Q'nima? Who is that man?" Aneouz asked Ira, brows furrowed.
The boy rolled his eyes at Vael and blew out air. "Why is she calling him lord?"
A silence for a moment.
Ira didn't look at Aneouz. She turned fully to Vael, spine straight, listening with full focus.
"I'll tell you later," she said quietly.
Vael's mouth twitched. Not quite a smile.
"He is the one who created the idea of the mark. Mear Q'nima realized something: no matter how much ability and wisdom you have, in the end it will all be in vain."
Vael spread his hands slightly, then let them fall.
"So he created a mark.
A mark which can give you the same knowledge and abilities as the person who placed the mark on you."
Ira pulled her sleeves down over her hands. Her voice came out small.
"Why would he create something like that?"
Vael let out a slow breath. He turned his head away, staring into the fog.
"That is the reason power spread across the world."
He paused.
"His vision was to make humans powerful enough... so they could find their gratitude and happiness."
Vael's mouth twisted into something that wasn't quite a smile.
"But not everybody wants the same thing. That is what he didn't understand."
Aneouz stood a few steps behind them.
He didn't speak.
But his eyes never left them, tracking every word. His hands stayed in his pockets, shoulders tense like he was ready to move.
Vael suddenly turned back to them.
"I want to know," he said, eyes flicking to Ira. "Where are you heading?"
Ira blinked and took half a step back.
"Why?" Her brows pulled together. "Just be straight forward."
Vael scratched the back of his neck. Then he gave a gentle smile.
It didn't reach his eyes.
"Umm... it's likely I can help you with the mark. I can explain things later."
His gaze shifted past them. His smile dropped.
"The train is already here."
A train horn blared. Loud and sharp.
It cut through the fog and rattled the ground under their feet.
Both Aneouz and Ira turned.
Ira's eyes went wide. Her hand flew up to her mouth.
Aneouz froze, jaw tightening as he stared.
Behind them, on the tracks, a massive train waited.
Steam hissed from its sides. The doors were open, glowing faintly from inside.
Vael gestured toward it with his head.
"If you wanna come, then get in."
Aneouz and Ira stayed frozen, shocked, staring at the train.