I flipped the Key of Dimensions in my hand, feeling the cold metal.
It was incredibly light compared to any other metal.
My fingers traced the grooves on the surface of the card as my heart pounded.
"A Rank 7 Relic..." I murmured.
Why did this thing appear before me without any warning, and even bond with me?
Through that bond, I caught a glimpse of what the Key of Dimensions could do.
My thoughts raced as I tried to figure out a way to take it without being noticed.
I tried to put it into my Storage Ring, but it simply refused to enter.
I was so focused on the card that I didn’t even notice the sounds of battle had already stopped.
Nor the person who had appeared beside me.
"What are you doing?" A soft voice slipped into my ear... a voice I recognized instantly.
I straightened unconsciously and tore my focus from the card, trying to hide it, but I didn’t know what to do.
I turned my head and found her standing there, indifferent as always.
Her white hair hung like silk strands, while her crimson eyes focused on me.
Was this the reinforcements who had arrived?
Seeing that I didn’t answer, she glanced around, specifically at Lucas’s corpse on the ground, then at the card in my hand.
"Did you kill him?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yes, he was one of them."
She gave a small, accepting nod as if it were nothing, then looked at the card in my hand.
"And what is this thing doing in your hand?"
My mind raced to find the best answer.
"I found it with Lucas," I said.
Just blame the dead.
Her eyes stayed on the card for a few moments before she responded.
"Give it to me now." She extended her hand, demanding the card.
I hesitated for a moment, but in the end, I handed her the Key of Dimensions.
Refusal wasn’t really an option.
But it didn’t matter—the bond it had formed with me still existed... and I felt I could reach the card whenever I wanted.
Alicia stared at the black card in her hand for a few moments, then redirected her attention to me.
She looked at me with her crimson eyes before asking the question I had been waiting for.
"So... what happened here?"
I smiled at her.
"Well, it’s a long story... but I’ll make it brief."
No reaction appeared on her face, she just stared.
I wasn’t bothered and continued.
"A few hours after the journey began, the train was bathed in purple light, and we all fell into a deep sleep while dreaming beautiful dreams... Somehow, I found myself awake inside the dream."
I hoped she wouldn’t ask about that last part... Well, with her indifferent personality, I doubted she would care.
I went on.
"With the knowledge I got from some books, I realized we had fallen prey to the Demon of Dream... a Rank 5 monster, so I broke my dream and faced the Demon of Dream in a fierce battle, and in the end, I won, and everyone woke up."
I didn’t mention that Elliot had participated in the battle too.
Well, I didn’t want to share the credit... but she would find out eventually.
I pointed to Lucas’s corpse on the ground.
"As soon as I woke, Professor Lucas, who was supposed to be in Car 2, was right in front of me with a blood-stained sword, the guard was dead beside me, and the other attackers were casually looting the Relics... At that moment, Professor Lucas pretended to be with us... but it didn’t take a genius to realize something was wrong."
"So I let him turn his back and killed him... I’m sure you’ll find enough evidence in his communicator."
There were cameras on the train, but I didn’t think they were stupid enough to leave them running... maybe they even tampered with the previous records.
She looked at me silently, listening to every word I said.
"And because I was completely drained of essence, along with the aftermath of the battle with the Demon of Dream, I couldn’t go and fight with the others... I would’ve just been a burden."
Well, even without essence, I was confident I could perform well... but what’s the point when I could leave everything to them?
Silence settled around us as I prayed internally that Alicia wouldn’t ask any questions.
I knew my story had gaps...
Especially the part about staying conscious inside the dream.
Since that day she interrogated me, she had started showing a strange tolerance for my actions, so I hoped she would do the same today and ignore those details.
And she did.
She nodded calmly, her strands of hair moving with her.
"Well done," she said.
She pulled out her communicator and began scrolling through it.
"What do we do now?" I asked.
I spoke without taking my eyes off her phone.
"Others will come to replace you, whether to return the Relics or complete the transfer."
She seemed to finish what she was doing on her phone and looked at me.
"As for you, you’ll return to the Axis."
"Go stay with your colleagues, I’ll transport you shortly."
With those words, she disappeared from my sight with the card in her hand.
I looked at the spot where she had been standing, then at the tattoo on my wrist.
"The bond is still there," I murmured.
I felt the card... not its location, but I was certain that if I wanted, I could summon it to appear before me.
I placed my hand on my head, ruffling my hair with a sigh.
"More questions..."
...
I made my way outside, where the sea breeze hit me.
The sun had fully risen over the endless ocean.
I looked around at the destruction from the battles others had fought, as they gathered near one of the train cars.
I saw dirt and wounds on their bodies, showing the fight hadn’t been easy.
I didn’t approach them directly, instead staying there, watching the beautiful blue waters.
Thinking about it, it had only been about 35 minutes since the attack, but it felt like more than a day.
I stayed there until Alicia returned with some people, probably the ones responsible for completing this transfer or wherever they were headed.
Seeing that, I headed toward my other colleagues.
As I approached, before anyone could react, I felt the world distort around me.
It was time to return.