The truck rattled across the rocks of the wasteland.
Dust rose behind them.
"Look," Elaina said. "It's all rocks."
Jean leaned slightly toward the windshield.
"We've arrived."
Grimm shifted forward.
In the distance, color bled into the horizon.
Trees.
Thick.
Lush.
Vibrant.
Art narrowed her eyes.
"The vegetation and the wasteland meet in a perfect line."
They crested a final ridge.
Grass began exactly where stone ended.
No transition.
No blending.
Just division.
At the center of the forest stood a massive glass dome, glinting beneath the light.
Elaina pressed closer to the window.
"The big dome... what's it for?"
"The Lab," Jean replied.
Kane's eyes twitched.
Lab.
The word echoed somewhere deep.
The truck stopped at the border.
Rock beneath one tire.
Grass beneath the other.
Dean turned the wheel and drove off with Jean and Grimm toward the rendezvous point.
Silence settled.
Kane stepped forward.
The forest seemed closer now.
Still.
Too still.
He reached toward the grass.
Art caught his wrist.
"Activate your jamming first."
He looked at her.
"The forest misguides," she said quietly. "You won't notice it happening."
Kane stared at the trees.
They didn't sway.
His emptiness shifted slightly.
Not filled.
Just disturbed.
Art activated her suit.
The others followed.
"Our target is near the dome," she said. "We move quietly."
Her eyes settled on Elaina.
"Quietly."
Elaina smiled — softer this time.
Art stepped forward first. The others followed.
The forest was silent.
No wind moved the branches.
The leaves hung perfectly in place.
She paused.
"Disguises."
Her suit shifted.
Fabric reshaped.
Kane and Elaina followed her lead.
They stepped onto the stone path.
Red leaves framed the trail like painted glass.
The air smelled sweet — too sweet.
Ahead, citizens gathered near a pond.
They walked in measured strides.
Stopped at the same intervals.
Spoke in lowered tones.
Men in near-identical coats.
Women in matching dresses and bonnets.
Children dressed as smaller reflections.
No one strayed from the path.
Kane watched.
The rhythm of their movement was uniform.
Predictable.
Calm.
He slowed.
A fragment slipped into his mind.
A hand — larger than his.
Warm.
Walking beside him through trees.
Light filtering through leaves.
Laughter in the distance.
The image faded.
He blinked.
The forest remained.
Something in his chest tightened.
Not full.
Not broken.
Just... displaced.
As they approached the station, their earpieces clicked.
"We've established the rendezvous," Jean said.
A brief pause.
"The identification cards will clear the first check."
The line went quiet.
Inside the tent, Jean set the device down and stepped back outside.
Dean and Grimm sat near a low fire, smoke curling into the night air.
They waited.
—
Art, Elaina, and Kane reached the station entrance.
Marble and stone framed the structure.
Golden gears were set into the walls like ornaments — decorative, yet functional.
A soldier blocked their path.
"Identification."
They presented their cards.
He scanned them.
Stepped aside.
Inside, the station opened wide.
Benches aligned in clean rows.
Passengers seated in composed silence.
A faint ticking filled the air.
Not loud.
But constant.
Tall poles rose along the platform, gears turning slowly at their tops.
Speakers clicked.
"All passengers, please begin boarding one at a time."
The locomotive rested on the tracks — bronze and gold.
Steam released in controlled bursts.
The wheels resembled interlocking cogs.
Order.
Precision.
They boarded.
Art and Elaina moved toward the second cabin from the engine.
Kane followed.
The hollow within him had not faded.
Quiet.
Persistent.
They took their seats.
Conductors stamped tickets.
Food carts rolled past.
The ticking never stopped.
"Train 12 will depart shortly."
Art lifted her glass, took a sip, and set it down.
"The cells are in the second-to-last car."
Elaina gave a small thumbs up.
Kane turned toward the window.
His chest tightened.
He rested his hand over it.
The emptiness felt closer now.
Not filled.
Not understood.
Just present.
Art noticed.
"Rest here."
He didn't answer.
She shifted her attention to the aisle, listening.
"The laboratory was extraordinary."
"I've never seen inventions like that."
She filtered out the idle chatter until—
"That man was different."
"He was menacing."
Art rose slowly.
Elaina followed.
They trailed the two women into the next car.
"Excuse me," Art said.
The women turned.
"Did you notice the uniformed man at the station?"
One adjusted her glove thoughtfully.
"The one with the golden hair?"
"Yes."
"Black and gold uniform. Different from the red conductors."
Art's eyes narrowed.
Different.
Menacing.
Black and gold.
It aligned.
"Thank you."
She stepped away.
Elaina leaned closer.
"Who do you think it was?"
Art's fingers hovered near her lips.
"It could be—"
The door slid open.
A man entered.
His head covered with his hat.
He stopped, pointing at the door behind them.
"Excuse me. I need to pass by."
Art and Elaina moved close together.
Art motioned with her open hand.
"Sorry. Please, after you."
The man tipped his hat.
A dim light caught in his silver hair.
His hand rested briefly on the door handle before he stepped through.
His stride was unhurried.
A measured step.
Another.
The rhythm did not break.
Closer.
Kane's chest tightened.
The ticking in the station seemed louder now.
The window beside him reflected the forest.
Perfect.
Still.
Misleading.
The movement ceased.
The man halted at the booth.
Kane did not move.
The man turned slightly, removing his hat.
He lowered himself into the seat across from Kane.
He placed the hat gently on the table.
Kane's breathing quickened.
Their eyes met.