THEIR NEXT DESTINATION 

When Solanne heard what the train conductor said, she couldn't help but shudder and feel goosebumps all over her body. Her heart is racing, and she can't seem to calm down. 

No, she's not afraid or anything like that; it was the actual opposite. She was rather excited. 

Solanne can be delusional sometimes. She tried to hide the amusement in her expression. However, she was thinking that she was in the same situation as those deities and that they had lived for a long time; she would probably also come up with something amusing like this. 

Sometimes, she tries to play god in the novel she writes, and she likes the thought and feeling of it. It's exhilarating. 

Right, sometimes she tries to diagnose herself with some mental problems, and all she could think was that she was indeed delusional. Daydreams were one of her best friends before. 

Fate. Coincidences. Her gaze traveled to Yael. If she was in the deity's position, there would be a reason why she was paired with him. Yet, thinking through the matter and possible reasons, she can't seem to come up with anything. 

"Solanne?" Yael asked; he met her gaze. 

She smiled and dismissed her thoughts, pulling herself through. "Nothing," she then shifted her attention to the train conductor. 

"Then, what should we do now?" 

As he said, the train conductor rapped the table with his index finger, with a hint of a mysterious smile that seemed to hide trickery and mischief. "Travel. Since you are already here in the portal between worlds, it's about time you received a ticket." 

"Ticket?" Yael asked. He seemed to be confused. 

The train conductor leaned forward, which made the both of them curious. "There is a famous saying here in the portal of worlds. And that is, 'Crimes can't happen, the travelers are frightened, beware, the gods are watching." 

Solanne, who understood this perfectly, smiled back. "So, a ticket will just magically appear?" She sounded so confident that Yael felt like there had been a secret communication between them, and he felt slightly left out. 

Right when she said that two train tickets appeared on the table beside the dishes. Solanne grinned. Her cheeks are red. Her eyes sparkled. She was enjoying this. 

Both of them grabbed the ticket. Yael read the destination, "Temporal Junction." 

He frowned, not understanding as he tried his best to imagine what kind of place has the name 'Temporal Junction." 

Solanne saw the slight smile the train conductor had made as he said after he finished his coffee. "So that will be your next destination. Lucky for you two, that will be the next destination I'll be going. The train is on the 5th platform. Rest assured, you two won't be lost, as someone will guide you there. You'll see them soon. Additionally, one more advice I can give is not to stay in that place long. It's for your own good." 

Solanne raised her brow; her mind started to consider many things while Yael could only stare, still confused and in a daze. 

"Well then, that will be my cue to leave. My break is over," the train conductor stood up. "Be sure to board on time. The train leaves in an hour, so enjoy your remaining time." He left a few gold coins on the table. 

Just as before, Solanne and Yael answered back and asked questions, the train conductor was already outside walking. Solanne watched him walk away. Some time passed, and she saw someone approach the train conductor before they disappeared through the sea of people and traveled in front of them. 

Solanne and Yael sat over there for five minutes before looking at each other. As soon as Solanne met Yael's gaze, she smiled at him. She understood his expression. "You have a lot of questions, do you?" 

Yael sighed and leaned on the chair. "Am I the only one who doesn't understand what was happening? You seemed to understand what the Train conductor has been saying." 

Solanne chuckled. "You really lack imagination, are you?" 

"I'm not in the mood to be insulted." He scoffed, clearly offended. 

"It's not an insult. It's a fact. You're an actor, and you should explore your imagination more." Solanne had this teasing smile plastered on her face, and Yael could only roll his eyes. He was about to sip some of his drink, only to realize that he had already finished it. 

Solanne laughed at him again. 

"So you're not going to tell me?"

Solanne giggled. She then called the waiter to pay for all their food. She counted the gold coins that the train conductor left, and after the bill, there were still 5 gold coins left. That was enough for them to order two seats of meal again. 

Hence, Solanne didn't act on ceremony and asked Yael what food he liked and ordered another set again. As soon as their food arrived. 

"So?" Yael pressed. He had ordered fruits again. 

Solanne smiled as she took a bite of a piece of fries. "Think of this world as a fantasy world, Yael. Gods exist, and they can see everything. Hence, what I am saying, doing, and perhaps what I am thinking right now, they can see it. The ticket that appeared earlier was the proof that I was waiting to confirm my thoughts. They can hear us, and they are watching us. That was why the train conductor has said that." 

As Solanne said those words, Yael stopped momentarily to digest the situation. He can feel his body shiver just by the thought of someone watching him that he was unaware of. 

Of course, he has already been used to people watching since he was an actor, yet there was Television that he was aware of. Yet right now, suddenly, he felt as if countless eyes were around them, and it was not just visible. 

Solanne casually eats her food. "However, in my perspective, their gazes are limited through this station."

"Why so?" Yael frowned. He was trying to pull himself together. 

"It is just my thought," Solanne casually dismissed as she added. "This world is something I have never experienced in my entire life, and although I am unsure and scared, I'm curious at the same time. Through the train conductors' stories, he believes there are some special reasons why they chose us, and I think of that, too. However, I can't pinpoint any reason besides that we met for the first time in the cabin and started off in the wrong places. Besides that, there's the pandemic." 

"I considered them coincidences before, but now, I'm having doubts." 

"Are you implying that the virus is made by the deities?" Yael finds that conclusion unacceptable for some reason. 

Solanne chuckled. "No." She denied. "what I'm saying is our arrangements right now. The reason why we are on vacation. Perhaps they have done something. Our reasons may have influenced. We never know. They're gods. We're mere humans."

A moment of silence. 

"No. You are just guessing." 

Solanne shrugged. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. I'm open to different thoughts." She dismissed. 

Yael stared at Solanne for a minute or two before eating his fruits. 

"Thoughts," he mumbled as he put his fork down. "Can you explain it to me?" 

Solanne frowned. Eyes asking. "What?" 

Yael shrugged as he urged, "Your thoughts. I… well, I am having a hard time understanding." 

Yael was the type of person who lived a consistent and well-balanced life. And the peace it brought to him was kind of addicting. That's why he doesn't understand and panics about these things that shake that balance. 

Unknow. 

Something he doesn't know. 

Solanne grinned. "You want to understand me?" 

Yael suddenly felt conscious. "Is that bad? We're living together?" 

Solanne chuckled. "I'm just opened to different possibilities in life. Just that." 

"Aren't you scared about these changes?" 

"They're inevitable. Still, I understand, and yes, I am afraid of changes. But if those changes don't concern me, I don't care that much." 

"This change affects you though." 

Solanne chuckled as she finished her food. She then added. "You see, Yael, I have never been comfortable all of my life, so I always felt the need to change despite wanting comfort. I hated the environment that chose me to push through my limits and that I had to constantly overthink about my parents' thoughts and my brothers that if I messed up, they might die, or I might die. I hated the thought of disappointment and failing. I really hate it."

"I'm walking on eggshells, and feel like the glass underneath my feet was almost close to breaking because of the cracks. That's how I felt all of my life. Right until the pandemic hits. Still now, though. My thoughts before was that I have to always be on guard and always be on the lookout because I do not know when life will hit me hard and that I'll never be able to stand back again." 

"I hated change, Yael. I despised it because I am a very lazy person." Solanne laughed. "If I have money, I'll rot in the bed all they for all I care, but I do not have It so," 

"And this change," Solanne sipped some water. "I don't hate it. Why?" 

"Why?" 

Solanne grinned. Eyes glinting excitedly like a child. "I also don't know why. But there's one thing I know: I'll be able to gain something from this. Perhaps this is my romantic side talking. You see, despite my age, I sometimes believe in fairytales." 

Yael blinked. Silence enveloped them. 

He was occupied by his thoughts, and so was her. 30 minutes before the time, Solanne and Yael left the coffee shop and went to look where was the 5th platform. It didn't take long for them to find the platform as they spotted one of the train station employees holding a sign with an arrow pointing towards it. 

They do not know what lies ahead of them or what kind of place they are going to, yet they do not have a choice. 

Moving forward was their only option. 

--

Right at the heels of that, the train conductor folded a paper and tossed it on the wind. As if it had strings, the paper flew through the sky, crossing dimensions and landing on a palm covered in flour.

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