Chapter 2: The Unknown Incident

"Hey, boy! Thanks for the sacrifice you gave. It was worth it," the man said with a sinister grin.

Jack found himself surrounded by an endless, suffocating darkness. The only thing visible was the man standing before him. The figure was cloaked in white, his face concealed beneath a hood. On the cloak, a crest of two golden wings gleamed faintly in the dim light.

Jack trembled with fear as he sat at the edge of an invisible surface. His voice cracked as he cried, "What do you want? Where is my brother?"

The man stood still, a menacing presence ten meters away, before slowly stepping closer to the boy. Each step echoed like a drumbeat in the hollow silence.

"Don't worry," the man said, his voice dripping with mockery. "I've secured him. Only his body was given for the sacrifice."

He tilted his head, revealing an evil smile that sent shivers down Jack's spine. With a casual motion, he held something up—his brother's severed head, dangling by the hair.

"AAAAAHHHH!!!" Jack screamed, his voice tearing through the darkness.

His body jolted as he sat upright, his breath ragged and his heart pounding. Sweat clung to his skin, and tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. The realization hit him like a wave—it was just a dream.

"What kind of dream was that...?" Jack whispered, his voice shaky but tinged with relief. He wiped his tear-streaked face and quickly turned to his right, his heart pounding with fear.

There, his brother lay peacefully, sleeping soundly without a care in the world.

Jack let out a deep sigh, his chest still heaving. "Thank goodness..." he murmured, clutching the fabric of his shirt over his heart.

With a sigh of relief, Jack got up and moved the hanging cloth aside. It swayed gently in the cool, breezy wind. Stepping out of the tent, he glanced up at the moon, its pale light illuminating the dark world around him.

"Aah, the time has come. It's nearly three or three and a half," Jack murmured with a smile as he admired the moon.

Determination sparked in his eyes. "Okay, let's head to the railway station before the sun rises," he said, his resolve firm. The thought of obtaining the wishing stone and curing his brother's suffering pushed him forward.

Jack turned toward his brother, his hand outstretched to wake him. "Brother, wak—" he paused mid-sentence. A realization struck him like lightning: they needed to disguise themselves, or even the highest-ranking commoners would not hesitate to harm them.

He stepped back and thought for a moment. "I'll need to cover my body with coal and ashes," he murmured. Without hesitation, Jack gathered ashes and coal from the remnants of their campfire.

As he smeared the coarse, gritty mixture onto his skin, a sharp, stinging pain spread across his body. "Ah, it's itchy... and it burns," Jack muttered through gritted teeth.

Then another thought struck him, stopping him cold. What if covering my brother in this stuff hurts him... or worse?

"What do I do?" Jack whispered, his voice barely audible as he racked his brain for a better solution.

Suddenly, a faint sound caught his attention.

"Hiss... hiss..."

Turning toward the noise, he spotted a small mouse scurrying near the corner of his tent. Jack's face lit up with excitement. "Aha! I got you!" he shouted, leaping forward and grabbing the mouse with both hands.

Without a second thought, he picked up a stone and ended the mouse's life with a swift blow. "This will make a good breakfast," he muttered with a hint of satisfaction, holding the lifeless creature.

But as he stared at the blood staining his hands, an idea sparked in his mind. Jack smiled grimly.

Inside the tent, he rummaged through their belongings until he found a white cloth. Carefully, he wrapped the fabric around his brother, Jade—covering his legs, arms, torso, and head. Then, using the mouse's blood, he stained specific parts of the cloth: one knee, both hands, the right side of Jade's stomach, and his back. The pattern resembled injuries, making it look like his brother had been gravely wounded.

To finish the disguise, Jack rubbed coal dust and ash over the stained cloth, masking its whiteness and giving it the appearance of a grimy, tattered covering.

"All set!" Jack said with a wide grin, his face alight with joy despite the grimness of the task. "Now we can travel without worrying."

After all this, his brother was still sleeping as if nothing was happening to him. "My sleepy brother... okay, that's enough. Wake up, Jade, it's time for our trip," Jack whispered into his brother's ear.

"Y-yeah... the trip..." Jade murmured in his sleep. Suddenly, he woke up with a mix of shock and joy. "The trip! The trip!"

As he sprang awake, shouting, he realized his body was wrapped in cloth and stained with blood. His poor brother looked down and saw he was mummified.

"I'm dead... I'm de—no! I want to go on the trip! Now I'm dead... Brother, I... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," cried Jade, tears streaming down his face as his body ached with pain from the infection.

The scream that came from Jade startled Jack, making him hit his head on the wooden beam above him. "Shut up, Jade! You scared me! You're not dead!" Jack shouted, rubbing his head in pain.

"Really? I'm not dead?" Jade turned to see his brother beside him, then leapt into his arms and hugged him tightly. "I'm so happy I'm not dead!" he sobbed.

Jack sighed, rubbing his head, guilt tugging at his heart. "Alright, alright... I'm sorry for scaring you like this," he said softly.

"Ouch... it hurts," Jade whispered, wincing in pain as the tight cloth around his infected skin pulled painfully.

"Don't strain yourself anymore, little brother," Jack said gently, crouching down to show his back to Jade. "Come on, climb on."

When Jade clung to him weakly, Jack used the black cloths to tie Jade securely to his back, ensuring he wouldn't fall. The makeshift bindings held Jade's hands and legs firmly in place, making it easier for Jack to carry him wherever they needed to go.

After eating a quick meal, the brothers began their journey to the station, starting at 5 a.m. Jack moved stealthily through the streets, avoiding the eyes of nobles. He knew that if any noble spotted a commoner, especially one as weak as his brother, they'd likely take him—and those who were taken never came back.

When Jack finally reached the railway station's front gate, he avoided entering directly. Instead, he crept to the back of the station and approached the tracks.

Jack knew the truth: no commoner was allowed inside the station unless they worked as servants or slaves for nobles.

Even then, they were herded into a separate compartment—filthy, empty, and utterly neglected. These compartments lacked basic facilities like bathrooms or separate spaces for men and women.

Even if a commoner managed to save enough money to travel, they'd have to pay an exorbitant amount to sit in this miserable section, enduring the humiliation that came with it.

Jack hid behind a bush, away from the railway station.

"Jade, stay silent," Jack whispered softly as a train began to move slowly out of the station.

He noticed the train's movement and turned to Jade. "Look, the train is moving," he said, his voice quiet but urgent.

The train approached, Jack observed each compartment carefully. The train was moving slow enough that anyone with courage could grab onto it. When the slaves' compartment came into view, Jack sprang into action. He started running as fast as he could alongside the moving train and leaped into the compartment.

As he landed, he was careful to ensure his brother didn't get hurt. Jade's hands were tied near Jack's neck and chest, while his legs were secured below Jack's stomach with the black cloth. The bindings kept Jade firmly in place, but Jack remained cautious with every movement.

"Ouch," Jack muttered through clenched teeth, feeling the sting of fresh scratches on his hands and legs. Though they weren't fatal injuries, the pain was sharp.

Catching his breath, Jack glanced outside and noticed another compartment at the back of the train. A small smile crossed his face, but it quickly faded as he turned to look inside the dimly lit slaves' compartment.

The space was crowded with slaves and commoners. Their faces were weary and defeated, eyes dull from enduring endless suffering. The air was thick with gloom, and it was clear there was no hope left in them—no escape from the torment they had endured for so long.

"Hello," Jack greeted softly with a forced smile, though inside, he felt a twinge of fear. He knew that if any of these commoners reported him to a noble, he would be doomed.

But none of them paid him any attention. Their spirits were too broken to care, and they showed no reaction, used to seeing others jump onto the train and inevitably get caught at the next station.

Relieved, Jack silently found an empty corner and sat down, making himself as inconspicuous as possible.

As the sun rose over the mountains, its golden light painted a breathtaking scene outside the train. Jack gazed at the scenery in quiet awe, the beauty a stark contrast to the darkness inside the compartment.

He looked at his brother, who had fallen asleep after the nerve-wracking jump onto the train. Feeling a wave of exhaustion himself, Jack leaned back against the corner, his brother still tied securely to him, and closed his eyes.

A sudden thud shattered the silence as a door creaked open. The noise jolted Jack awake, his heart pounding in his chest.

From the doorway, a man in a tattered brown cloak stepped inside, his face concealed beneath a hood. His slow, deliberate footsteps echoed through the compartment, sending a chill down Jack's spine.

Jack's breath hitched. His instincts screamed at him to move—to jump off the train and escape. But his body refused to obey. He was frozen in place, trapped in his own fear. He glanced around, expecting others to react, yet not a single passenger stirred. They sat there, unmoved, as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.

The cloaked man stopped in front of him. Jack stared up at the figure, unable to move, unable to breathe.

Then, without a word, the man sat beside him and handed him a small piece of paper. Jack took it hesitantly, his hands trembling as if his very soul was slipping away. He squinted at the symbols, but his fear only deepened.

"I… I… I can't read," Jack stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

The mysterious man pointed toward the far end of the compartment. "I have found you," he said in a low, chilling voice. "If you want me to let you go, I'll give you a chance. The window at the back—I've already cracked it. Break through it, and you're free."

Jack's eyes darted toward the door, then to the side entrance of the compartment. A sinking feeling gripped him—the door he had entered from was gone.

He swallowed hard. His body refused to move. The weight of fear pinned him down.

The cloaked man tilted his head slightly, as if amused, then smiled. In that instant, Jack felt control return to his limbs.

Without hesitation, he bolted toward the door. But just as he reached for it—

Bang!

The door swung open from the other side. A group of men stepped in, their eyes locking onto Jack and the bundle strapped to his back.

Jack froze.

"Oh, shit," he muttered under his breath, panic flashing across his face.

One of the men pointed at him. "Hey, boy! Who the hell are you?" he barked.

Jack didn't wait for an answer. He lunged forward, slipping between the man's legs in a desperate escape.

"Catch that boy!" the man roared, his voice shaking the compartment.

Jack sprinted through the aisle. Passengers—higher-class commoners—sat drinking and eating, too absorbed in their meals to care.

Two men leaped up, blocking his path.

Jack's mind raced. In a split second, he grabbed a bottle of wine from a passenger's table and hurled it at one of them. "Agh!" the man flinched, stumbling backward into his companion, momentarily blocking their path.

Jack seized the opportunity. He leaped onto the seat beside him, then sprang up, grabbing the metal rod above. With swift, fluid movements, he swung his legs, gripping another rod further ahead. Using his momentum, he vaulted across three or four seats, effortlessly escaping the grasp of the men behind him.

"You little bastard!" one of them roared, scrambling after him.

Their shouts caught the attention of a nobleman leisurely sipping tea. He turned his gaze toward the commotion and immediately noticed Jack's burden—his younger brother, wounded and tightly bound, strapped to his back.

A slow, greedy smile crept across the nobleman's face.

"Oh… the little injured one," he murmured, his voice dripping with amusement. Then, with a snap of his fingers, he called out.

"Greee."

A chilling presence filled the air as a monstrous beast materialized before its master.

The four-meter-tall, black, four-legged creature was shrouded in pure darkness, its body adorned with four devil-like tails. It had no eyes, only a golden, lightning-like pattern running from its head to the tip of its tails. Its gaping, circular maw, lined with jagged teeth, seemed capable of swallowing a human whole in a single gulp.

The nobleman's smile widened. "Go. Eat him."

Jack, still sprinting toward the cracked window—the only exit—felt a looming shadow ahead.

"Ak… akaakak…"

The beast stood in his path.

Jack's breath hitched, but his feet never stopped.

The creature lunged, its massive claws slashing toward him.

Jack's instincts screamed. At the last second, he dropped low, sliding beneath the beast just as it soared over him.

Wind rushed past his ears. He caught a glimpse of its monstrous form overhead before he emerged on the other side, unharmed.

Then, he saw it.

The cracked window.

His only way out.

He bolted toward it, but before he could reach it—

A blinding light burst from one side of the train, illuminating every window with an eerie glow.

Passengers froze, their eyes locked onto the radiance.

"We're doomed…" the nobleman whispered, his face drained of color.

But Jack didn't notice the light—his focus was on the small, rectangular window attached to the door. Without hesitation, he grabbed a walking stick lying nearby and hurled it with all his strength.

Crash!

Glass shattered into countless shards.

Without a second thought, Jack leaped.

"Aaaaaah!" Both he and Jade screamed as they plummeted.

The very next moment—

BOOM!

A massive meteoroid struck the bridge with catastrophic force. The explosion sent shockwaves through the air, and in an instant, the entire structure crumbled.

The train was gone.

The bridge was gone.

A deep, earth-shaking tremor echoed through the valley, shaking the very mountain itself. The impact left behind only a gaping void where the train had once been.

Jack slammed into the ground with a painful thud…

"AAAH!" He cried out, his body wracked with pain. The brutal landing had broken his left leg and fractured his right arm.

"I... I broke my leg… my arm's broken too!" Jack gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the agony.

Jade, still strapped to Jack's back, was speechless. He had just witnessed his brother outrun death, dodging attacks with inhuman agility. For a moment, words failed him.

Jack winced, turning to check on him. "H-Hey… Jade, are you alright?"

"…Yes." Jade's voice was quiet, still in shock.

Jack exhaled in relief, but as he turned back toward the train's direction—his breath hitched.

Nothing remained.

No train. No bridge. Just an endless abyss.

"Where… where did it go?" Jack murmured, eyes wide with disbelief.

His mind reeled, struggling to process the sheer destruction before him. Then, a fresh wave of pain surged through his body.

"AAAH!" he groaned, clutching his broken arm.

But just as the pain nearly overwhelmed him

A chilling presence washed over him.

From the mist-covered side of the mountain, beyond what was once the bridge… figures emerged.

Jack's body stiffened.

Dark silhouettes—at least a hundred of them—stood in perfect formation.

All cloaked in black. All watching him.

A shiver ran down his spine.

"…What in the world…" Jack whispered, his blood turning to ice