The train rattled steadily, metal against metal, a rhythm that almost felt like it was trying to lull everyone into silence.
"Ah… finally, I'm going home."
He leaned back into the seat, letting his head rest for a moment, eyes half-closed.
University had drained him dry.
N\Same lectures, same faces, same cycle.
Nothing stuck.
Nothing mattered enough.
"Needed a day off," he muttered under his breath.
He opened his eyes again and glanced around.
Rows of people, but no one really there.
A man in a formal shirt staring at nothing, earphones in and A woman scrolling endlessly, thumb moving without pause, expression unchanged.
A student across the aisle, head tilted against the window, eyes open but unfazed.
Everyone looked… used up.
He exhaled quietly, turning his gaze back toward the window.
The outside blurred past—fields, poles, the occasional station flashing by like it didn't exist long enough to matter.
His phone buzzed faintly in his hand.
He unlocked it and checked the timing.
20 minutes to arrival.
"…and then I've gotta book a taxi too."
"Nice."
There was no real irritation in his voice.
His fingers tapped lightly against his knee before curling into a fist.
A small grin slipped onto his face this time.
"Finally…"
He tightened his grip just a little more.
"I can get it."
Months of saving.
Cutting corners.
Skipping things he didn't really want to skip.
All for that one thing.
That limited edition console.
He could already picture it sitting in his room—clean, untouched, his. No shared space, no interruptions.
Just him, a full day off, and nothing else to deal with.
The train gave a slight jolt as it shifted tracks.
------
The train rolled on, evening light slipping in through the windows—softer now, dim enough to blur edges.
The guy near the window, the same one who hadn't moved for the last half hour, suddenly straightened.
"W–what is that?"
His voice cracked. He raised a finger toward the sky.
A few heads turned.
Then more.
Someone leaned across the aisle, squinting past the glass.
Another stood up slightly, trying to get a clearer view.
"Wow…" someone whispered.
The golden patterns—faint in daylight—were sharper in the evening.
Lines within the rings. Movement within movement.
—??? POV:
'Huh? What even is outside for them to be this shocked?'
I turned my head, more annoyed than curious at first.
Then my eyes caught it.
"…what the hell is that?"
The words slipped out before I could even process them.
The rings were clearer now.
Not just circles—layers, each one moving differently.
The outer ring steady, almost calm.
The inner ones shifting, rotating the other way, but not randomly. It didn't look like motion anymore.
Phones came out instantly.
Click. Click. Click.
"Bro, record this—record this!"
"Must be a government project!"
"Looks so cool!"
Someone pushed closer to the window, nearly blocking the aisle, trying to get a better angle.
A guy across from me was already livestreaming, voice shaking between excitement and confusion.
"It's everywhere—look, people are saying it's global—"
'Everywhere? How's that possible?'
'It should only be visible in Asia and Europe considering its position. For it to be visible in American subcontinent as well?;'
Another voice cut in, louder, almost trembling with something else entirely—
"This is it."
"God is coming. "
"It's divine, I'm telling you—look at it!"
The man got weird looks and confusion arose from others.
I pulled out my phone, fingers moving faster now.
Notifications flooded the screen.
Posts.
Videos.
Threads.
Everywhere.
'Seems like It appeared half an hour ago.'
I scrolled further.
Official handles.
Statements.
NASA. ISS. ISRO.
All within minutes of each other.
I opened one of the clips—a press conference, barely a minute old.
"—there is no detectable mass associated with the structure—"
I let out a short breath, almost a scoff.
"A projection?"
"No mass? What absurdity…"
No mass.
No physical reading.
"It's made up of light , so , it has no mass?"
"No shit, Sherlock," I muttered under my breath, eyes still fixed on the screen before flicking back to the sky.
But even as I said it, it didn't sit right.
Light didn't hold shape like that.
Didn't rotate with that kind of movement.
-----
An hour had passed.
The circle hadn't moved from its place—not in the way anything real should.
It was still there, still massive, easily spanning something the size of California if you tried to compare it But now, it was sharper.
Clearer.
The evening sky made the gold stand out, every ring defined, every rotation easier to track.
And those inner patterns—
they were more visible now.
The train had started slowing down more frequently.
Short halts.
Signal waits.
I checked the time again.
Almost there.
My phone buzzed.
Caller ID lit up.
I smirked a little before picking it up.
"Heylooo brrooo, do you seee what I seeee??"
His voice was way too excited for someone who definitely hadn't moved from his spot since morning.
"Haha yeah," I leaned back slightly, eyes still drifting toward the window, "I can see what you see."
A pause.
"So what do you think it is?"
I exhaled through my nose, watching the rings shift again, just slightly.
"No idea."
He didn't stop there.
"Do you think it's like one of those manhwas? You know—world changes, portals open, people get powers, gods descend and all that?"
I let out a small laugh.
"Hahah… maybe."
My gaze stayed fixed upward.
"Who knows… it might just be aliens."
"Bruh, imagine if people get powers and if you suddenly get some broken ability," he shot back instantly.
"Don't forget me when you become some SSS-rank monster or something."
"Yeah, yeah," I said, shaking my head lightly.
"I'll remember you when I'm ruling the world."
He laughed on the other end, but it faded quicker than usual.
"Still… feels weird, doesn't it?"
"…yeah."
For a second, neither of us said anything.
Just the faint sound of the train and distant chatter bleeding through the call.
"Alright," I said finally, shifting slightly as the train slowed again. "For now, take care of yourself."
"Yeah… you too."
"I'll call you when I reach home."
"Bye"
"Bye bro."
The call ended.