Chapter 37: Open up. I’m the train assistant

Chapter 37: Open up. I’m the train assistant *Thirty minutes before the train stopped.* Under the crystal’s glowing light, two hooded men stood up. One of them held up two fingers to the other, who nodded and moved left, passing the public bunk bed. He patted a few people’s backs, giving them the same signal. They nodded in return, donning face masks. Then, they turned to the unsuspecting passengers, some sleeping, others chatting. One of the masked men approached the glowing crystal displayed out in the open. He pulled goggles from his pocket and put them on, signaling for his partner to do the same. Then, he covered the crystal with a thick blanket, instantly plunging the space into darkness. "Who covered the crystal?!’’ "Turn it back on!’’ "Don’t joke around—people are pre—Ghhk...gurgle...khhrrgh....ugh...’’ The woman’s voice was cut off by muffled choking sounds. People further away didn’t notice due to the rolling wheels’ loud noise and shouts calling to light up the surroundings. Only those close to her sensed something strange. One of them moved towards her, hands outstretched to feel his way in the dark. He tripped over something, grimacing as his knee hit the hard floor. Stretching out his hands, he felt around and touched a warm, thick liquid. Frowning, he brought his hand to his nose to sniff. The metallic, salty scent made his eyes widen. He recognizes the smell instantly—blood. Fear gripped him, but it quickly turned into horror as muffled screams echoed through the room. Panicked, he crawled under a bunk bed, covering his ears as more screams and the sickening scent of blood filled the air. His body trembled uncontrollably, his heart hammering in his chest. When the screams abruptly stopped, he held his breath, squeezing his eyes shut. He prayed that whoever was behind this wouldn’t find him. Blood seeped through the cracks, soaking his body as he remained still, his breath shallow and his body frozen in terror. One of the masked men scanned the room with his night-vision goggles. His gaze passed over the man hiding under the bed, lingering for a moment before moving on. "They’re all dead. Let’s move to other cars,’’ one of them called out to the other. The two left the gory scene behind, their knives glinting faintly even in the dark. The air was thick with a metallic stench of blood, the bodies of their victims lying with slit throats and pierced hearts. This pattern repeated across the other train cars. The leader of the operation approached the control cabin, where three guards blocked his path. "Passenger, you’re not allowed here. Turn back,’’ one of the guards, an average-height man, warned sternly. The hooded man raised two fingers into the air. Before the guard could process what was happening, a dagger pierced his chest. His disbelieving gaze fell on his colleague before he crumpled to the floor, dead. "It’s two days. The operation starts now. Leave none alive,’’ The hooded man ordered as he stepped into the cabin. The other two guards nodded, pulling face masks over their noses and putting on goggles before leaving. The hooded man activated his powers, turning invisible as he approached the man at the controls. His dagger gleamed sharply under the faint crystal light. Their shadows overlapped on the wall, the movement showing the moment the control operator’s throat was slit. The hooded man pushed the lifeless body aside and yanked the emergency brake lever. The train screeched to a violent halt. *Present* Ethan shut the door behind him, two pairs of eyes immediately locking onto his. He was about to speak when a knock interrupted him. He frowned, pressing a finger to his lips and moving closer to the door to listen. "Open up. I’m the train assistant. I need to check if you’re having issues with the dimming crystals as well,’’ a professional yet polite voice called out from the other side. "Why did the train stop suddenly?’’ Ethan asked, making no move to open the door. Instead, he froze a small section of the wall. "I’m as clueless as you are, dear passenger. I don’t have the authority to ask questions. Now, open the door,’’ the voice responded the last sentence carrying an edge of urgency. Ethan pressed against the section, froze, and created a peephole. Looking through it, and with the help of the faint room crystal light, he spotted three pairs of shoes outside. He raised three fingers to Julian and motioned toward the door. Julian immediately understood. Eva glanced between them and mouthed to Julian, "Three people outside?" Julian patted her head in confirmation. Eva pinched his hand in response, making him wince as he pulled back. A gleeful smile crossed Eva’s face as she fixed her hair. Julian’s gaze held amusement as he watched her victorious smirk. Ethan shot them a flat look, pulling their attention back to the situation. "Open the door, or I’ll assume you can’t and we—I’ll open it myself,’’ The man slipped on his words, exposing the fact there were people with him His tone was anything but polite; the man beside him couldn’t wait any longer; he covered his hands with layers of hardened rock and punched the door. "Bang!’’ The impact left a dent in the iron door. Ethan stepped back, forming ice daggers in his hands as the door continued to buckle under the repeated blows. Julian and Eva brought out their weapons as well; after a few more strikes, the door flew inward, slamming against the far wall. Two men dashed into the room, one aiming for the crystal while the other fired an arrow at Ethan. Ethan froze the arrow mid-flight and retaliated with an ice dagger. The man reacted and dodged to the side. He pressed on his wrist bow, releasing a rapid volley of arrows. Eva swung a dagger towards the man heading for the crystal; the dagger pierced his shoulders, slowing him down a bit. Eva swung a second dagger which pierced his neck as Julian faced the earth power user. His fight was swift, pausing the man in place, he appeared in front of him and thrust a dagger into his heart. Ethan was rounding up as well; he froze the man in place, keeping him alive for interrogation.