Elias could barely remember the last time he'd been to the outskirts of Arvenelle.
The only reason he'd ever come this far out was because the Elementary Symphony School had organized an excursion to the train station.
Back then, the teacher leading the trip had been excitedly explaining the mechanics behind the new generation of trains—how they had evolved to run on sound vibrations as a source of energy for movement.
And… apparently a lot of other things.
Things Elias couldn't remember in the slightest.
Mostly because he had probably dozed off halfway through the lecture.
Still, the train station was only a tiny part of what made up the outskirts of Arvenelle.
The first thing—and easily the most irritating—was the people.
Yeah. Real people.
There were thousands of them.
Most looked so suspicious that you'd probably assume they'd done something illegal even without any proof.
Merchants crowded behind crooked stalls, selling strange items with even stranger names while loudly boasting about the ridiculous, far-fetched effects their products were supposedly capable of.
What was worse?
There were actual idiots buying them.
People handing over their money without realizing how badly they were getting ripped off.
Some of the people wandering around wore shabby, ragged clothes. A few of them looked like they hadn't touched water in centuries.
Still, most locals already knew who they were.
Dwellers.
People who had built small settlements somewhere in the outskirts because they were too poor to survive inside the city.
They made up the bulk of the working population here—selling random items, repairing broken machine parts…
Or, more commonly, sitting along the pavement with bowls in their hands, begging shamelessly.
The rest were travelers—people passing through from nearby cities, heading to the train station so they could board a ride to wherever the hell they were planning to go.
For some reason, the dwellers here always seemed to have a sixth sense for spotting inexperienced travelers.
They would lure them over to their stalls, peddling whatever ridiculous junk they had on display.
Or better yet…
Elias glanced down at the boy currently clinging to his leg, and felt his eyebrow twitch.
"Sob… sob… please help me, Uncle! My sister needs money for her medical fees, and—and…"
The little boy choked on his fake tears as he clutched the edge of Elias' trousers, crying loudly enough to draw the attention of people passing by.
"Yo… you wouldn't want to abandon a helpless little boy like me who's just trying to save his sister, right? Right!?"
Elias scowled and jerked his leg away with a scoff.
"Listen, kid. These trousers are expensive. I'll have you know they're the latest model from Devinci. Who's going to pay for this now, huh?"
He clicked his tongue irritably.
"Damn it. At this point I might as well take the rest of your money and buy myself a new pair."
The boy's loud sobbing stopped instantly.
Clutching his bowl of money protectively, he glared up at Elias, his face twisting with pure spite.
"Get away from me, you unfeeling bastard."
Elias rolled his eyes.
With a light kick, he nudged the scowling boy aside and continued walking toward the ticket office a few rows of shops down the bustling, dimly lit street.
Around him, engines roared as machinery clanked and rattled. Traders shouted over one another while haggling, scamming, and arguing with unlucky customers.
The whole place was a chaotic mash of sound.
There were people everywhere.
Bodies brushing past each other from every direction, leaving barely enough room to breathe—let alone catch a breath of fresh air.
"Want some Wet Slop Fish, boy?" an old, wrinkled woman called out from her stall.
She casually hacked through the head of a disgusting-looking fish with a butcher's knife.
"I'll even share the secret recipe for its special fish stew," she added proudly. "Eat it and you'll gain a hundred extra years of lifespan."
Elias rolled his eyes and kept walking.
"It has a better chance of removing the little I've got left, old hag."
The man at the stall opposite hers snorted loudly.
"Humph! Kids these days have no respect."
"Fuck off!"
By the time Elias reached the ticket office, two men in military uniforms were just stepping out through the doors.
They barely spared him a glance before continuing on their way.
Elias stepped inside.
To his surprise, the cramped little office was empty—except for a man lounging lazily behind the counter, whistling to himself.
Seeing the empty office made Elias quietly sigh in relief.
There were dozens of ticket offices scattered throughout the outskirts, and most of them usually had long lines stretching outside.
So yeah.
Today might actually be his lucky day.
He walked up to the counter, noticing the middle-aged man's curious gaze slowly roaming over him.
"I need a ticket to Vertnar Moor," Elias said, placing his ID on the counter and pulling out some cash.
The trip cost five hundred Arvon dollars.
Which was… technically fair.
After all, the train would be carrying him almost halfway across the continent.
The real problem?
It was basically a third of everything he owned.
At this rate, he was getting dangerously close to being poor.
Ugh.
Just thinking about it made his stomach twist.
Grinding his teeth, Elias fought the urge to snatch the money back and slid it across the counter instead.
He could practically feel his heart cracking apart as he did.
Unfortunately, the bastard behind the counter clearly didn't share his pain.
The man grabbed the cash in one quick motion, barely glanced at it to count, and shoved it into the drawer like it was absolutely nothing.
Elias took a deep breath, barely resisting the urge to punch the guy in the face.
"Elias Verdan, age fifteen, hometown Arvenelle…" the man's voice dropped at the mention of his city. Then he shook his head and studied him with narrowed eyes. "Your ID doesn't show you're awakened… but you're far too pretty to be a mundane kid. Or did you just awaken recently?"
Elias raised an eyebrow, irritation already bubbling. What did that have to do with anything?
"Yeah, I did. Now can we get this over with already? Giving interviews isn't exactly part of your job."
"At least wait for me to finish, you brat. A section of the train has already been prepared for aspirants heading to the Resonance Academy at Arvon. Vertnar Moor lies along the same path, so it'll do you good to travel with them. I assume you plan on joining the Academy, right?"
Elias froze for a second. Then a slow, mischievous smile spread across his lips.
The thought of messing with a group of people his age—people he had only looked up to in the past—was… satisfying. The kind of chaos he could cause made his skin itch with anticipation.
Ahem, and of course… he was equally planning to make some friends along the way… well, he'd try.
"Of course, old man," he said smoothly, voice smug. "This guy isn't just going to join the Academy. I'm going to lead all those puny first-years as the undisputed final boss during the entry trials. Do you dare to believe me?"
The man laughed, tossing back his ID along with the train ticket and a neatly printed orange card.
"Nice try, kid. But with monsters like Avon Rehn around? I'd say you've got a better shot at that in your nightmares. And don't forget the Voice of Heaven and the Blade of Justice—they're also on the roster. Someone like you? No chance. No offense, lad."
"Then be ready to eat your words when I finally win the damn trials, old bastard," Elias shot back, grabbing his three cards and heading for the doorway.
"Show the orange card to the guards at the station—it's your pass to the aspirant section," the man's voice called after him. There was a suspicious edge to it, like he was trying not to laugh.
Without even turning, Elias gave him the middle finger behind his back, then stepped out of the doorway.
***
The train station was an underground subway, its network of tunnels stretching across the entire continent of Rosteria.
The idea of moving the trains underground had been simple: surface travel was too dangerous. Stray Echoforms regularly attacked travelers, and the Harmonic Council wasn't about to let people die unnecessarily.
The project had cost trillions, but it had been worth every dollar. At least now, people could travel long distances without almost certain death looming over them.
Elias stared in fascination at the intricate labyrinth of tunnels. A steel-and-metal behemoth of a train waited behind two guards standing rigidly at the entrance.
The engine pulsed with sound vibrations that echoed off the tunnel walls—like low, distant thunder, quietly recharging itself with each rumble.
One guard scanned his travel documents, while the other waved a strange instrument over him, probably checking if he had any affiliation with the Dissonant Hand. Behind him, a long line of people waited their turn, patient and silent.
"Subject is awakened," said the guard with the scanner.
The other guard nodded.
"All done. Remember to input the digits on your card into one of the transporters—it'll take you directly to the aspirant section," he added, handing back Elias' ID and the orange card.
The guards stepped aside, and the metallic doors of the train screeched open, inviting him in.
Whistling casually, Elias walked inside, his travel bag hanging loosely from his shoulder.
The interior was dimly lit, stretching into the distance. Rows of transporters lined the room, disappearing into shadows at either end.
The concept of the transporters was simple. They worked like elevators—but moving horizontally, ferrying passengers from one part of the massive train to another.
After all, if you were forced to walk to your assigned cabin, you'd probably never make it there during your entire stay aboard.
Elias yawned, taking slow, deliberate steps toward one of the empty transporters.
Without hesitation, he input the code from his orange card.
The moment the transporter started moving, a strange sensation ran through him—like everything was slightly… off.
The journey was brief, yet surreal. It felt as though he hadn't moved at all… and at the same time, like he'd moved a thousand miles.
The doors chimed open.
What greeted him was a scene of pure chaos.
Teenagers his age were scattered throughout the cabin—some standing alone, others huddled in little cliques. A few leaned against the walls, some wandered the abnormally large space, while others… were "talking."
Well, calling it talking might be generous.
A few meters away, five boys were thrashing a brown-haired kid, kicking him around like he was a sack of potatoes.
A boy with thick glasses sat by the windows, chatting with a monstrous, octopus-like creature perched casually on his shoulders.
Three red-haired girls stared at him, their eyes burning like flames. They were so identical that it almost felt like they were the same person.
All told, there were over thirty teenagers in the cabin. Yet the moment he stepped in, everything froze. Every face turned toward him, expressions ranging from curiosity to indifference… and a few that screamed of nothing but irritation.
Elias rolled his eyes.
Walking in with deliberately unhurried steps, he let his voice carry across the room.
"What are you looking at, bunch of losers?"