Kisaragi Station || Apocalypse Paradise #3

183: Bamboo Grove Mountains

Get down... what?

Lin Sanjiu gazed at the newspaper in her hands, her shock persisting even after some time.

"Please, don't let it be what I think it is," she murmured. She felt drained and plopped down on the seat. "Didn't this train protect me from those group of children and that teacher?"

However, her certainty wavered in the face of this world's enigmatic nature. Lin Sanjiu found herself questioning the very essence of this apocalyptic realm. "I'm sure I've come across this world's name before..." she pondered with a furrowed brow, yet the memory remained elusive despite her efforts. At a loss, she whispered, "Should I use my Consciousness Mimicry?"

'Maybe Nüwa could understand this world in a split second.'

This realization underscored that the ability was quite an incredible cheat.

"No, no," Mrs. Manas's voice unexpectedly echoed in her mind, catching Lin Sanjiu off guard in the quiet of the train carriage. Startled, she sprang to her feet. "Lin Sanjiu, your Higher Consciousness is currently inadequate for emulating Nüwa's thought process."

The unexpected opportunity to converse brought Lin Sanjiu a surprising sense of solace.

Even though Mrs. Manas might not have been real or ordinary, Lin Sanjiu found solace in her presence. Treasuring each word, Lin Sanjiu inquired anxiously, "Why isn't it enough? I've been able to use it before. Is it possible for my Higher Consciousness to diminish over time? And what exactly happened in the classroom back then?"

Mrs. Manas wavered, evading her questions with, "Your situation is indeed unusual, but there are tasks I must attend to with your Higher Consciousness... Moreover, should you use your ability to emulate Nüwa, you'd risk falling into a coma within moments."

Realizing the implications, Lin Sanjiu immediately discarded the thought. Surrendering to unconsciousness in such an alien environment was out of the question. She yearned for a deeper conversation with Mrs. Manas, for a thorough explanation of everything. Sadly, she found that her mindscape was now empty. No one answered her.

Once again, she found herself enveloped by loneliness. After evolving and experiencing interactions with Nüwa and the Neuhumes, she seldom felt this emotional.

Before reuniting with B. Rabbit and his gang, she experienced periods of such calm and rationality that she herself found it unnerving.

Yet, this was one of those rare moments when she felt distinctly jittery. The extraordinary calmness she once possessed had vanished without a trace during her stay here, and Lin Sanjiu longed for it. Had she been able to regain her composure, had she not been so on edge, she might have devised a strategy to address this situation long ago.

The tear in the green seat cover made sitting uncomfortable for Lin Sanjiu. The train carriage was eerily quiet and empty, creating an illusion of peace as if someone had deliberately held their breath to craft this deceptive tranquility.

Yet, Lin Sanjiu found herself alone in this unsettling quietude.

A mix of fear and anxiety gnawed at her, compounded by the alarming headline glaring from the newspaper. In an attempt to dispel the oppressive silence, she began to flip through the pages, seeking solace in the mundane act of making noise. Her gaze fell upon the picture which scared her, accompanying an article about a Tenebraelogist—a term unique to this world.

Determined to distract herself, Lin Sanjiu consciously overlooked the ominous warning and delved into the article. Fortuitously, the newspaper was in Chinese, and despite unfamiliar terms and phrases, she grasped the essence of the story. It chronicled the once-celebrated Tenebraelogist, Le Bon, whose international acclaim plummeted after his publication of a controversial paper that sent shockwaves around the globe, inciting widespread panic.

However, even after a few years, Le Bon's prediction did not come true. Other tenebraelogists questioned his theory. In the end, he became a joke. An angry mob destroyed his house, and he lost his job. When Le Bon, now over forty, appeared on television again, he looked like a slightly deranged old man. The article, featuring an exclusive interview with him, was written to mock him. It ended with the famous line he said on TV that scared everyone.

"The dark matter invasion will occur. It is just a matter of time. When the world ends, I will only rescue my believers!"

The words on the newspaper were very clear, and the paper had not even turned yellow. Lin Sanjiu closed the newspaper and sighed. The doomsday had already descended upon this world, and Le Bon was probably right. She wondered if he was still alive somewhere in this world.

"But what did he mean by dark matter invasion?"

Lin Sanjiu was unfamiliar with many of the terms used in the article, which naturally made it difficult for her to fully grasp its content. After setting aside the newspaper, her mind buzzed with unanswered questions, yet she found herself slightly less anxious.

The train pressed on, its movement accompanied by the same recognizable sounds of the tracks. It glided past cityscapes and residential areas, presenting a picture of normalcy save for the absence of people. As the journey continued, the urban landscape gave way to fewer buildings, signaling the approach to less populated areas. After two uneventful hours, Lin Sanjiu finally reached her destination: Bamboo Grove Mountains Station.

As the train doors opened, Lin Sanjiu positioned herself at the edge, peering out. Her heart gradually returned to a normal rhythm. The vicinity of the station was devoid of buildings and peculiar-faced individuals. The station itself was spotless, hosting a few stalls offering souvenirs and snacks. Through the transparent barriers of the station, a mountain loomed vaguely in the distance.

Despite the unsettling silence and the absence of people, the station mirrored any typical one found at a tourist site. After some deliberation, Lin Sanjiu made her way out of the carriage and onto the platform. Her decision to alight wasn't influenced by the newspaper's warning—its inconsistencies and lack of clarity rendered it an unreliable guide for her actions. Remaining on the train wasn't a feasible long-term solution for Lin Sanjiu, who was eager to escape the chill and find a winter coat at her earliest convenience.

Lin Sanjiu felt a pang of unease as she glanced back at the train carriage she had just left. The train had offered her a semblance of safety, making it difficult to step away from that secure space.

"I hope I made the right decision," she whispered.

There was no way an empty train could respond to her. The train doors sealed shut and moved away with a final whistle. Standing alone on the platform, she quickly spotted the exit leading to a road outside; she wasn't concerned about being trapped. The real challenge was the biting cold outside. She hurried to a stall near the exit, grabbing several vests emblazoned with Bamboo Grove Mountains and layered them on. However, the vests were too thin to fend off the cold, leaving her arms exposed to the harsh wind. Shivering uncontrollably, Lin Sanjiu wrapped up the food and beverages from the stall, converting them into a card, before rushing out of the train station into the silent, scenic landscape that awaited her.