Trying to stay out of sight, I made my way toward my assigned compartment with a blank expression.
Danzo and Ghost followed, forming a group of three.
The Elpathion Trains were massive, their interiors spacious and elegant.
Honestly, I had missed the atmosphere of train rides from my original world.
So, I didn't mind traveling alongside commoners at all.
Upon entering the compartment, my eyes landed on the all-too-familiar layout—rows of seats on either side, a narrow aisle in the center, and giant windows lining both walls.
"Yep… it's a train, alright."
Following the numbers on my card, I found my window seat, perfectly centered in the compartment.
Ghost took the seat beside me, while Danzo sat alone behind us.
And as if fate were playing a cruel joke, Seris and Selena were seated directly across from us.
The moment Seris Moonlight's gaze met mine, we both instinctively looked away.
The tension didn't go unnoticed.
Selena merely nodded politely under her witch's hat before turning her attention elsewhere.
Ghost, ever observant, watched for a moment before speaking in a hushed voice.
"Things seem… complicated between you and the Moonlight Princess."
"That's right."
I didn't deny it.
No matter how much she tried to conceal it, I knew just how much that girl hated me.
"Your story is famous across the empire. Did you really try to rape her?"
Ghost's words cut through the silence like a blade.
Danzo, intrigued, leaned forward from behind, waiting for my response.
"The corpse makes a good point. I've been meaning to ask you that myself."
Ghost ignored Danzo's mocking nickname for him and simply waited for my answer.
I let out a weary sigh.
"You answered my question earlier, so I suppose it's only fair that I answer yours now… Yes, it really happened."
Raising my palm, I conjured a pink mist tinged with black, revealing a peculiar book bearing the title "Sedection."
"I used this skill back then to try and violate her. But that attempt… ended in disaster."
I spoke in a bored tone, but the weight of my words was undeniable.
After all, I was openly admitting to rape.
"Damn… Frey, you're bolder than I thought. So, you're not just a spoiled brat—you're a perverted one too."
"I'm surprised you can talk about it so casually."
Danzo and Ghost reacted accordingly, but I simply dismissed the skill and leaned against the train window.
"There's no point in hiding it. The past is the past."
Danzo shrugged, glancing toward Seris.
"Well, she's the most beautiful girl alive, so I kind of get why you'd want her."
I let out a weak chuckle.
"Come on, man… It was rape. Don't act like you 'understand' it."
A brief silence followed before Ghost, ever perceptive, spoke again.
"I see… So that's why she hates you."
"I wouldn't say that's the reason."
Ghost tilted his head.
"The rape… isn't why she hates you?"
Both he and Danzo looked puzzled.
I simply nodded.
"That's just what everyone was told… But the truth is far worse."
"Worse than rape?"
Even Ghost struggled to grasp the implications.
I could tell they were burning with curiosity, but I simply shook my head with a faint smile.
"Of all people, I'm the least qualified to talk about it. So let's leave it at that for now."
Seris Moonlight…
Knowing the full truth of what happened, I was certain—she would never forgive me.
Because I had forced her to relive her worst nightmare right before her eyes.
Even someone like her, who pretended to be emotionless, would never be able to move past that.
So, in a way, I understood her.
After a brief silence, Danzo groaned.
"Seriously?! You're just gonna leave us hanging after all that buildup?!"
He tried to press for more, but when I refused to budge, he gave up quickly.
Ghost, however, continued staring at me intently.
"Then… what will you do? If things are really as bad as you say, your situation is a nightmare, isn't it? After all… we're heading straight for it."
Winterfell.
The home of the Moonlight Family.
As an answer to his question, my face turned expressionless—the same look I often wore in the Nightmare Lands.
"What will I do? The answer is simple… I won't back down. The past is the past, but if the Moonlight Family wants to play games, I'll answer with everything I have."
Hearing my response, Ghost smirked, satisfied.
"I'll be looking forward to it."
A few minutes later, the entire compartment trembled as the train roared to life.
Like an awakened beast, the Elpathion Train surged forward, tearing through the wind.
The scenery outside the window shifted constantly, growing faster and faster as the train picked up speed.
I found myself lost in the moment, absorbed by the sights.
This journey would take me closer to the land I had only ever described in words—closer than ever before.
So I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited.
...
...
...
- Selena Hemsworth's Pov -
"Hmm… I just overheard something interesting."
Those three were using Aura Manipulation to keep others from listening in.
A clever and effective trick—but unfortunately for them, I heard everything.
Instinctively, I turned toward Seris Moonlight.
My gaze lingered on her, drawn to her striking features.
She was beautiful—undeniably so. It wasn't hard to understand the countless stories about her.
And then, there was her complicated relationship with Frey Starlight.
I wanted to understand them—these new classmates of mine.
In the past, I had been part of the Witch Class under the traitor, Kai Luc.
A girl who found herself in a class full of betrayers—classmates who turned against the nation overnight.
All of them followed Professor Kai Luc down his path of treachery…
So, as a witch loyal to my homeland, I killed them all.
I slaughtered the very people I once called comrades.
Even now, when I look at my hands beneath these gloves… I still see their blood.
For a time, I considered leaving the temple, but then he came—offering a place in the Elite Class.
His words were poison wrapped in honey, but they struck deep nonetheless.
And before I knew it, I was here.
This time, I was part of the Elite.
They said they were strong.
They said they were different.
I wanted to see it for myself.
Starting with the girl right in front of me.
"Seris, how about I do you a favor?"
As expected, Seris turned to face me, her expression cold and unreadable.
"What kind of favor?"
A smirk played at my lips as I flicked my gaze toward the boys seated across from us.
"Frey Starlight is right there. Should I kill him for you?"
Seris's eyes widened—not with fear, but with surprise.
It lasted only a moment before she collected herself.
"I don't appreciate these kinds of jokes, Selena."
"I'm not joking. Don't you want him dead? After everything that happened…"
"No."
A swift, unwavering response.
My smile only widened as I pointed out a crucial detail.
"Your family doesn't seem to share that opinion."
Seris clenched her fists, fingers tightening just slightly, before turning toward the window.
"That has nothing to do with this."
In other words, her family's will was not her own.
She was trying to act indifferent… but her emotions had already betrayed her.
"I find that hard to believe. In the end, Seris… you didn't do anything to stop them, did you?"
For a brief moment—
Fleeting, yet long enough for me to catch—
I saw her true emotions.
She didn't want to kill him.
But she hadn't stopped her family from trying.
"Heh… My dear Seris, that's called hypocrisy."
"What do you know…?"
She asked, voice tense, her hands gripping her knees.
I simply shook my head slowly.
"Nothing… I know nothing."
This was my first day in the Elite Class—I had no intention of provoking the Moonlight Princess further.
For now, this was enough.
Silence settled between us once more.
But our focus had shifted elsewhere.
The train was crossing a massive bridge, overlooking a deep abyss.
This bridge was famous—Snow Tower.
An architectural marvel spanning an enormous chasm, allowing the train to cut across the terrain efficiently.
From the moment we entered this region, no one had taken their eyes off the windows, mesmerized by the breathtaking view as the train raced forward.
The scene helped ease the tension from earlier.
I was about to close my eyes, hoping to get some rest.
But it seemed I had asked for too much.
It happened fast.
The train's horn blared, but another sound suddenly followed—
A deafening explosion.
In an instant, the bridge ahead was obliterated.
Then came a third sound.
Screams.
The train—falling from the sky.
A moment of silence.
Then chaos.
Then destruction.
A train plunging into the abyss, bodies violently thrown around inside.
"Ah… So this trip wasn't going to be peaceful after all."