It was time to leave this nascent, decaying city...
“Whoosh...” The train, spewing white steam, rushed into the station from a distant track, accompanied by the smell of burning coal and a slightly piercing roar. People carrying bags and luggage, each with their own heavy hearts, slowly boarded after the train came to a stop.
These were the early days of steam trains. Ticket prices weren't exorbitant, but they weren't exactly cheap either, hovering within a range that a middle class family could barely afford. Several companies were currently engaged in a rat race culture, competing on what they called a “comfortable experience,” emphasizing excellent dining and travel on board.
For instance, the Newco Steam Locomotive Company, whose train they were on, had one major draw: it offered passengers sweet citrus, a specialty of Lobilance, or desserts made from sweet citrus. For travelers about to endure the hardships of a journey, a cup of sweet citrus juice was practically a panacea for bitterness and fatigue.
However, in just a few years, if the world developed normally, this phenomenon would be replaced by cheap roadside restaurants, leading to even cheaper train tickets and industrial product prices.
But that was a story for later, not very relevant to the present.
As boarding time approached, a crew member hurried to the platform. He recalled the instructions he had just received, sighing at how different services were for the rich. They could even request a reception upon boarding. What could he do? They had bought the highest-class tickets and paid extra for the service.
He hoped he could do a good job; perhaps a small tip from them could cover his dinner needs for a week, or even a month.
He moved through the crowd, searching for the passengers described in the letter. They weren't hard to find; he spotted two exceptionally beautiful young women seated. Especially the one with a slightly sickly pallor; her hair was covered by a hat, and her eyes, though appearing deep black, subtly revealed a hint of scarlet.
This young woman seemed to be a Royal Court person, possessing a face that represented the pinnacle of classical Royal Court aesthetics. Even if it weren't decades ago, she would still be flawless now, like the images of deities painted on the dilapidated ruins of churches. Even believers might find such beauty exaggerated, but he truly hadn't expected such a beautiful human to exist.
“Ladies...” he said, trying to be deferential. Immediately, a rather heavy luggage bag landed in his hands. Feeling its weight, he couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
He watched the blue-haired girl pick up the extremely weak-looking girl. He hefted the bag again. He had recently heard that Lobilance Academy had suffered a terrorist attack, forcing the cancellation of its annual anniversary celebration. Many professors were said to have died in the incident, and numerous tourists had urgently changed their plans, preparing to return to Limbo and surrounding cities.
“Sigh...” He looked up, feeling the luggage was quite heavy. He glanced ahead and saw the blue-haired girl cast a sidelong glance at him for a moment, as if seeing through his little thoughts. A blue glint flashed in the corner of her eye, and three shimmering silver coins flew out, landing in his somewhat unprepared hand.
“Truly... truly thank you very much!”
“Stop with the chatter... keep up.” The blue-haired girl’s tone was cold, as if she had lost something. She walked ahead without looking back, and even after the crew member placed her bags in her private compartment, she didn't say another word.
She placed the sickly girl on the bed, removed her black contact lenses, then took off the rather elaborate hat. The girl's dull, grey-white long hair immediately cascaded out like a waterfall. She helped the girl take off her shoes and coat, and from the luggage bag, she neatly arranged the blankets she had bought and washed a few days prior.
“I never realized you were so controlling before...” The unangered girl stirred, her eyes mechanically shifting to look at the blue-haired girl still arranging luggage beside her. Only now did the true reason she couldn't move become apparent: her fair wrists and ankles were bound by pale gold shackles, though ordinary people couldn't see these items at all.
These were artifacts Clo had forged from the bones of the God of Time and shattered authorities, highly bound to her soul. Simply put, they were sealing chains, similar in effect to the toe rings she had once used on Li Yue, but much stronger now.
“Perhaps my mind became twisted the first time you decided to abandon me...” Clo murmured softly. She covered Li Yue with the blanket and gently stroked her bloodless face. “I just endured it for so long... so long...”
“Long pain or short pain... didn't you choose the former?” Li Yue chuckled faintly, mockingly. She didn't resist Clo’s embrace, or rather, she had no strength left to resist. She was completely powerless now.
“You hesitated... but even if we went back to that time... I wouldn't abandon my choice,” Clo said seriously. “I won't let you leave... absolutely... absolutely not... no matter how much you betray me...”
“You haven't kept a single one of your promises... so how could I just let you leave?” Clo gently stroked Li Yue's face. Her eyes held a pathological fervor, different from the usual pathological state Li Yue associated with her, yet still a twisted emotion.
“Then let the pain last a little longer,” Li Yue murmured. The scars on her arms hadn't fully healed, but she could no longer feel any pain. She looked into Clo’s eyes, filled with complex emotions, and vaguely recalled that summer after the rain had cleared.
Why didn't I just leave...? Perhaps I couldn't forget... that afternoon, when I whispered 'I love you' in your ear, and that rainy day when you were so overjoyed you didn't sleep until dawn. Truthfully, I couldn't sleep that night either.
Perhaps I should have recognized reality then and left early. But alas, at that time, I was already immersed in the human world, and I couldn't recall any of my past memories...
I'm truly sorry for liking you so much without permission...
So now... consider this your punishment for me. I accept it willingly...
She closed her eyes slightly, feeling the warmth on her lips and the wetness of Clo's soft tongue in her mouth. She offered no resistance, simply accepting it silently.
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