The grinding of steel wheels against tracks echoed across the scorching, endless expanse of the desert. The sound was a monotonous, repetitive rhythm amidst the boundless golden sands stretching to the horizon. The train, now carrying only them and Death, hurtled tirelessly onward, like the sole living entity in this desolate land.
Inside the passenger car Death had brought them to after "tidying up" the cargo container, Alice gazed absently towards the distant horizon. The sunlight streaming in had begun to wane, signaling the end of an incredibly long day. She let out a soft sigh, the exhaustion, both physical and mental, still clinging to her.
"Um... Mr. Death? How much longer until we reach our destination?" she asked, her voice clearly tinged with weariness. Though she felt much safer, the uncertainty of the future still gnawed at her.
"Not long now... Oh, it seems we've just arrived," Death replied, rising quickly from his seat and leaning out a small window to peer outside.
A long, screeching sound of brakes against steel rails filled the air. The train gradually slowed and finally came to a halt at a destination none of the survivors had ever expected to see in their lifetime. Outside the train, a large, pristine white bus stood waiting amidst the desert's emptiness, looking incongruous yet radiating hope.
"Let's disembark, everyone... It's time to go home," Death announced, his voice still impassive but carrying a profound meaning for all of them.
Everyone eagerly scrambled off the train. Smiles began to appear on their faces. Though their bodies were still weary and their clothes tattered, their eyes shone with a renewed glimmer of hope. On the bus, ample supplies of food and water were prepared, enough to sustain them for the onward journey. But for them, at that moment, a single drop of clean water was more precious than all the gold in the world.
Once everyone was aboard, Death turned from the driver's seat, his eyes, visible above the mask, softened fractionally. He asked, his voice gentler than usual,
"Ready, everyone?"
"Yes!" Alice and the others replied in unison, their voices firm and filled with elation.
"The journey to the airport might take some time... If anyone's tired, please rest. Don't hesitate," Death said, offering a faint smile that, though hidden beneath his black mask, conveyed a sense of friendliness.
Alice leaned against the window, watching the endless desert landscape speed by. Tears welled in her eyes once more, not from fear this time, but from a maelstrom of emotions. She thought of the horrific past she had just endured... The image of the senior she had trusted, his smiling face a mask for deceit, tricking her, selling her as if she were worthless. Resentment and pain surged through her heart, carried by the tears that now streamed down her cheeks.
Death glanced at the rearview mirror, noticing Alice's tear-streaked face and the pain in her eyes. He could feel that pain... because he too had been in a similar situation before. His own terrible memories surfaced.
"Ms. Alice... are you still angry with that senior?" he asked softly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"Of course, I am! Very angry! He ruined my life! He tricked me and sold me as if I weren't human!" she replied, wiping her tears away fiercely, anger still simmering within her.
"Don't worry about him... I took care of him. Right when he was putting you into that van at the airport that day," Death replied, his voice calm but laced with chilling decisiveness.
Alice was stunned by his answer, her eyes widening. "Took care of him? What do you mean? And what were you doing at the airport then?"
"I was on patrol then. Had a mission to find some missing persons in the area... and I happened to see him drugging you... So, I took the opportunity to settle a personal matter at the same time, ha," Death let out a soft, dry chuckle, as if it were a joke.
Countless questions sprang into Alice's mind, but before she could voice any of them, Screech! The bus's brakes slammed on again, this time so suddenly that everyone lurched forward. They had arrived at the airport – the place that seemed to mark the beginning of true freedom.
"We're here! Everyone can get off. I've arranged a private flight for you all," Death announced, his voice a little brighter.
Everyone on the bus erupted in cheers. Laughter and broad smiles lit up their faces. They were really going home. But before their joy could fully blossom…
Bang! A single gunshot shattered the silence and the burgeoning joy.
Screams of shock and panic erupted. Some instinctively dropped to the bus floor; others scrambled back onto the bus, seeking cover.
Several shadowy figures in desert-hued robes emerged from cover around the area, guns in hand.
"Hey! How dare you mess with my 'merchandise'! Do you know how much I paid for them!" one man, who appeared to be their leader, roared in fury, his eyes blazing.
Death stepped calmly off the bus, his eyes narrowing at the man. "You must be their leader, then? What's your name? Here to reclaim your goods, or to seek revenge?"
"Damn right, I am! I am Zavhar, head broker of the Al-Hazim syndicate, the man they call the Godfather of the Sands! You've cost me face, money, and men! How are you going to answer for this!" Zavhar yelled furiously.
Death smirked coldly beneath his mask. "Oh? You talk big. With just this handful of men, you really think you can take me?"
"Hah! Such arrogance! Men! Show him what happens to anyone who dares to cross Zavhar!" Zavhar bellowed to his underlings.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted all around. Death moved like the wind, effortlessly evading the hail of bullets. He used both his short sword and holstered pistol, dispatching each enemy with precision and finality, like a master hunter.
One of the enemies screamed in panic, "Damn it! Is he a ghost or something?!—Shk!" Before he could finish, Death's short blade silently slit his throat from behind.
Another henchman yelled maniacally, "Come on! Come and get us! Hahaha—Bang!" Death's bullet found the back of his head with pinpoint accuracy. He dropped instantly.
Shouts, gunfire, and the sounds of death echoed terrifyingly across the area.
Thud! The last of Zavhar's men crumpled to the sand, eyes wide in death.
Zavhar collapsed to the ground, utterly defeated and terrified, his face ashen.
"N-no! Don't! I surrender! I'll give you anything! Take them, take them all! Just please... spare me—"
Bang!
Before Zavhar could finish his plea, a bullet from Death's pistol struck him squarely in the forehead. Zavhar's body twitched once before falling still.
Death let out a soft sigh, a thin wisp of smoke curling from the barrel of his gun.
"If I let you go... you'd just go back to your wicked ways. Better you die. Less of a burden on the world," he muttered to himself.
He turned back to Alice and the others, who were still reeling from the shock of what had just transpired. "Let's go, everyone. No point staying here any longer. The plane is waiting."
Alice, despite having witnessed his combat prowess once before, was still too stunned to speak. She could only think,
(Is this truly the skill of a mere nineteen-year-old...? What must he have gone through to become like this…)
But she didn't voice her question then. Perhaps it wouldn't be too late to ask once they were safely home.
After everyone had boarded the small private plane Death had prepared, and just before it taxied for takeoff, Death approached Alice, who was seated by the window.
"Ms. Alice, I'll see you home safely."
Alice looked up at him, a little color returning to her cheeks. She tried a natural smile. "Oh my~ Escorting me all the way home? Have you perhaps fallen for my charms~?" she teased, trying to lighten her own mood.
Death paused for a moment, then replied earnestly, "Not really... It's just that you seem a bit too trusting. I'm worried you'll get tricked again."
Alice gave a wry smile. "Right... I understand. Well then, I suppose I'll be in your care, Death."
"Ha, my pleasure," Death chuckled softly, the first truly relaxed laugh Alice had heard from him.
The plane's engines roared to life. It slowly taxied down the runway and then soared into the azure sky.
Alice and the other survivors gradually closed their eyes, utterly exhausted. Their bodies and minds, battered for days, were finally on their way home. Their hearts were filled with hope, relief, and gratitude towards the enigmatic young man who had saved them.
Death watched his passengers, one by one, succumb to weary slumber. His eyes, beneath the mask, remained impassive, yet a complex emotion flickered within them. He turned and gave a decisive order to the pilot: take them all back to their homeland... as safely as humanly possible.
Their true destination—freedom—awaited them.