Katerina stared in bewildernt at the spilled coffee, then slowly raised her head.
"What's happening?"
A trickle of blood ran from her nose.
Lu Li glanced out the window. The fleeting shadows of the forest were gradually slowing, and the raging blizzard had subsided.
Hiss!
White steam burst from the side as the car jolted violently, and the train ground to a final halt.
As the rising steam dissipated, the stationary train was plunged into a dead silence.
Soon, an attendant ca from the front of the train into the first-class car.
"My apologies, esteed guests. The tracks ahead have iced over, making it impossible to proceed."
"For how long?"
Katerina didn't want to speak, and The Fallen and Prusius weren't suited for the task, so only Lu Li could handle the conversation.
"It's unclear for now... The conductor is contacting Surgtoun and the settlent of Majiao for assistance..."
With that, the attendant hurried off toward the rear cars.
Brief cries of panic could be heard, but they were muffled by the closed door of the car.
A few minutes later, the attendant returned to the first-class car, instructing them to remain inside and wait for the rails to thaw.
The snow was still falling, neither strengthening nor weakening, and it seed unlikely the train could move again until it stopped.
"Is sothing going to happen?" Prusius asked quietly.
No one answered him.
After a while, Prusius stopped the conductor as he hurried through the car and asked him again.
"Please, don't worry. The ancient mark isn't just for decoration."
The conductor, sporting a gentlemanly mustache, didn't notice it was Prusius who had spoken and gave the sa reply he had given hundreds of tis:
"The ancient mark on the car's body was ticulously carved by Master Prosius. There's no need to worry about your safety, unless you leave the car yourselves... You..."
After boarding the train, Lu Li had already removed his cloak, revealing his face.
"Keep this a secret," Lu Li said.
"Of course... Esteed guest." He bowed respectfully, hand to his chest, and backed out of the car.
Shortly after, they saw the conductor, now wearing a coat, leading four shivering and grumbling workers with tools past the car to inspect the iced-over rails up ahead.
After a while, they returned to the train.
The situation was not good. The iced-over section was incredibly long; they had walked for nearly half a kiloter and still hadn't reached the end of it. Chipping the ice away by hand was impossible. The news from outside was equally grim: the first snow of the Severe Winter had blanketed the entire northern Main Continent, and Vinnelag was no exception.
No one knew how long this cold spell would last, or how much ti it would take for the ice on the tracks to clear...
The only thing that allowed the conductor to breathe a sigh of relief was the fact that the renowned exorcist himself was on "The Delight," which ant they should receive help soon...
Ti passed. The attendant ca by once to replace the coal in the stove, ensuring the first-class car didn't grow cold from the chill outside.
The passengers in the rear cars had no such luxury; they had to bundle up in their clothes to stay warm.
The snow grew a little heavier, laying a white blanket over the forest.
Ignoring the potential danger, it seed to be a rare mont of respite.
Around noon, a thin veil of mist appeared deep within the withered forest.
At first, it was hidden by the falling snow, but it gradually grew more distinct, spreading slowly from the depths of the forest.
"That's an anomalous fog! Why is it here now?!"
Prusius's incredulous cry drew everyone's attention.
Watching the approaching fog, Lu Li wondered aloud,
"Could this be a fog tide?"
"Impossible. A fog tide doesn't appear without reason; it only cos from the sea," The Fallen replied.
The arrival of a fog tide is never without warning.
Moreover, this fog was coming from the south—which ant it would have had to cross the entire Main Continent to get here.
"Perhaps it's a fog vortex..."
Katerina shook her head. A fog vortex never moved, precisely because it was a "vortex."
A fog tide and a fog vortex had been ruled out, and The Fallen couldn't sense any anomalous aura, yet no one believed this was an ordinary fog.
The worried conductor appeared, first asking Lu Li if he knew the source of the fog, and then politely requesting that Lu Li allow the passengers from the other cars to move into the first-class car.
The first-class car was warr, and it had more of the ancient marks.
A faint commotion could be heard from the next car.
"Let them co," Lu Li said.
"Thank you for your help."
The conductor left to relay the ssage to the rear cars. The Fallen looked over at Katerina, who had just been about to say sothing but held her tongue.
"What were you going to say?"
"Nothing."
"Then I'll be the bad guy."
"It's better if you don't, Mister Fallen," Prusius suddenly interjected, stopping The Fallen from saying sothing selfish.
"We follow Mister Lu Li precisely because of the radiance of his humanity, don't we?"
The Fallen, like Katerina, seed to want to say sothing, but in the end, he only gave a slight shake of his head.
"I hope you won't regret this decision. After all, I only have five days left to live."
The door to the car opened, and soon, passengers flooded into the first-class car.
The conductor personally kept order, arranging them in the seats and scolding the fools who had brought their luggage with them.
Before the fog arrived, everyone on the train had crowded into the first-class car, a space filled with fragnted whispers and weeping.
The conductor didn't forget to inform everyone that it was Lu Li and his companions who had allowed them inside. Amid the murmurs of gratitude, so passengers stared in surprise at Lu Li's black hair and black eyes, recognizing him.
The fog reached the edge of the forest, its approach silencing the whispers in the car. The curtains were drawn, and the atmosphere grew oppressive and tense, leaving only the sound of nervous breathing.
The last snowflake vanished as the fog enveloped the train.
Within the fog, hidden behind the curtains, silhouettes gradually began to stir.
Lu Li looked at The Fallen, who shook his head in response.
At that mont, Katerina lowered her head to look at the coffee cup in her hands. The shadow of the cup materialized beside her.
She glanced up at Lu Li and saw that he had already noticed sothing was amiss. It wasn't just him; everyone was staring out the window.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting motes of dust dancing in its patches of light—a brightness and warmth that many had never seen before.
Soone dazedly lowered their head, inhaling the pleasant scent of sun-ward clothes.
The bustling sounds of human voices gradually rose from outside the car, and the shadows projected on the curtains grew clearer.
One of the passengers, mustering his courage, pulled back a corner of the curtain.
They saw a blue sky with white clouds, a wide and bustling sunlit street filled with passersby, stray dogs chasing butterflies, children running and playing, and mothers holding their children's hands as they carried shopping baskets.
The door of the car had opened at so point, and the distinct sounds of the street flooded in.
Finally, unable to resist the sight outside, a few passengers stepped out of the car. They looked around with childlike curiosity, smiles spreading across their faces as they slowly wandered off.
But many did not leave the train. They had saved their shillings and bought tickets, all in the hope of starting a new life in Vinnelag.
A few minutes later, the fog thickened once more. The silhouettes, the noise, the sunlight—everything vanished.
The fog did not last long. It soon receded back into the forest and disappeared.
All that remained were the people in the car, gripped by a sense of loss and disappointnt.
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