Macult was already waiting outside, his coat on, standing near his car. A few minutes later, Elara stepped out, wearing her coat and looking ready. Without wasting any time, they both got into Macult's old but sturdy car. The engine roared to life as Macult drove off into the cold night. The roads were empty, the city lights fading as they headed towards the hills near the last tunnel. Elara glanced out the window, the night air making everything look more mysterious. "So... how long will it take to reach?" she asked.
"Not long," Macult replied, eyes focused on the road.
After some time, he glanced at Elara sitting beside him, looking out of the window silently. "You said you're an orphan," Macult said calmly, "Since when?"
Elara stayed quiet for a moment, then answered, "When I was 12, my mother passed away. And then… two or three months later, my father too."
Macult's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, but he didn't interrupt.
"I had a big brother too," Elara continued, "but when I was just seven, he left the house. I still don't know why... he just disappeared."
She sighed and looked down at her hands, "After that, I lived at my aunt's house. I wanted to study more, but... my aunt never sent me to school. Instead, she'd scold me all the time, made me clean, cook... do everything. But I used to secretly read from my cousin's school books whenever I could."
Macult listened quietly, his eyes still fixed on the road.
"And yesterday night... I had enough. I left that house," she said with a slight smile. "And this morning, when I was wandering around, I saw the newspaper with your assistant notice. So I just followed my fate."
Macult didn't speak immediately, but after a pause, he said, "You're smart, Elara. That fate might just be right."
Elara smiled faintly and looked back out the window.
After driving for a while in silence, Macult finally slowed the car and then stopped. He looked around the dark, quiet area. "Okay… I guess this is the spot," he said.
Both of them got out of the car. The cold air brushed against their faces as they started walking forward. Around them were tall trees, wild grass, and bushes that made the place feel even more abandoned. The path was rough, like no one had walked there for years.
After a few minutes of walking, they stopped — right in front of a house.
The house stood oddly in the middle of nowhere. It was old, wooden, and a bit broken in places, yet somehow... it looked like someone still stayed there.
Elara stared at it, "Who would even live here?" she whispered. Macult stayed silent, observing the house carefully, his detective mind already calculating.
They stepped inside the house carefully. It was dark, with only the soft glow of moonlight slipping through the cracks of the wooden walls. Dust floated in the air, the place smelling old and damp. As Macult looked around, his eyes caught a strange symbol on one of the walls. He stared at it, trying to remember... then it clicked. It was the same symbol he saw in the book he found at the driver's house.
Meanwhile, Elara was searching the other side of the room for any clues when suddenly — someone attacked her from behind. She gasped, trying to fight back. At the same moment, Macult was hit too, another shadowy figure grabbing him. They both fought back quickly, their moves sharp and defensive, but it wasn't easy — they were outnumbered.
Struggling, they managed to push their attackers back and escape outside the house. As they caught their breath outside, they saw there were four people, all dressed in black clothes, faces covered with black masks.
During the fight, Elara noticed something — the person attacking her had a big red line-like mark running across his arm. She saw it clearly for a moment before getting away.
Without wasting more time, Macult grabbed Elara's hand and they ran back to the car. He started the engine fast, driving away from the strange house. Both stayed quiet on the way back, but Elara didn't tell Macult about the red mark she had seen. She just stared out of the window, her mind spinning with questions.
They finally reached home. As they stepped inside, Macult looked at Elara and asked, "Are you injured anywhere?"
Elara shook her head, "No, I'm fine."
Macult nodded, his voice low, "Good. Then go to your room and get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."
Elara quietly nodded and went upstairs to her room. She closed the door gently behind her, then opened her small suitcase and pulled out an old photo — a picture of her family. She hugged it tightly, sitting on the bed, and tears quietly rolled down her cheeks. She wiped them away, but her heart still felt heavy.
Meanwhile, in his own room, Macult sat on his chair, deep in thought. That symbol was stuck in his mind. He pulled out the book he had found from the driver's house and flipped the pages until he found the same symbol drawn there. He stared at it, his mind trying to connect the dots.
The night was quiet, but both their minds were full of noise.
The night passed slowly. Morning light slipped through the windows as Elara woke up. She quietly wiped her face, kept the family photo back inside her suitcase, and got ready. When she went downstairs, Macult was already sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, the old book open in front of him. He glanced at her, "Morning. You alright?" Elara nodded lightly, "Yeah, I'm fine."
Macult watched her for a second, sensing she was hiding something, but didn't push. Instead, he tapped the book, "This symbol... it's stuck in my mind. We saw it in that house too, same as here in the book."
Elara looked at it, but stayed silent. She remembered the red mark she saw last night — but something in her stopped her from saying it.
Macult stood up, putting on his coat, "We're not done yet. We'll visit the station today, see if we can find some connection with that symbol or those people."
Elara simply nodded. Macult grabbed the book, his coat, and looked at her, "Let's go."
Together, they stepped out once again, the case pulling them deeper into the mystery.
Macult and Elara reached the tunnel again. The place was as quiet and empty as before. Macult started looking around, searching the walls, the ground, anything that might give a clue.
Elara, on the other hand, stood near the train tracks, observing them carefully. She stared at the tracks disappearing inside the dark tunnel. Her mind ran with thoughts until suddenly — her eyes widened a little. She noticed something strange — the marks on the tracks weren't matching. Like… the engine and driver's box were the same, but the coaches behind it seemed... different.
She called out, "Macult!" but then stopped herself. She decided to confirm it first. She stepped a little ahead, checking the rails, and her suspicion grew stronger.
Macult noticed her staring too long. "What is it?" he asked. Elara turned and said, "I feel... when the train passes through here, something changes. The back compartments... they're not the same ones that entered."
Macult paused, thinking deep, then looked at the tunnel again.
Later that day, Macult talked with Henrex. "Send one more train today... let's confirm this. I'll be there when it crosses the tunnel."
Henrex agreed, though confused. As the plan was made, Elara stood beside Macult, still thinking about that red mark she saw, but kept it to herself.
The day ended with the mystery deeper than before — and the next train was about to tell the truth.