Heroes?

One of the girls —a blackened burn wound across her forearm— stepped forward. "It's exactly what it sounds like," she said. Her voice was surprisingly steady, steeled even. And where others were crying, she seemed fine... a little angry perhaps.

"They use forbidden techniques to break the three laws of magic... though I don't know much else about them," she continued, her eyes faraway in thought. "In fact, I didn't even believe they existed until today."

'That doesn't tell me much,' Gian thought.

"What about instructors, lecturers, professors? Are there any in this train?"

"Does anyone know?"

The survivors shook their heads.

However, one boy stepped forward, his eyes still watery from crying. "Th—there's a caretaker at the front," he stuttered. "I spoke to her when I entered the train," he added.

Gian nodded slowly. "How useful would she be?"

The boy shook his head. "M—Maybe a second ascended mage? I don't know."

Gian played with his wand thoughtfully. "And how powerful are second ascended mages? Strong enough to take on the figures if she knew what was going on?"

The boy shook his head. "I-I don't know."

'I can cast a single spell right now, I'm not sure how strong it is, but this girl seems to think it's something special,' he thought, noticing that the girl was still staring at him in awe. 'Perhaps I could learn more, but even using that one spell drains me completely. I'll need more mana.'

He thought of the blessing he had received— gold to mana conversion. However, he'd have to kill at least one of the intruders to even try.

"What spells can everyone here cast?"

The survivors looked at each other.

"I know a low-level wind spell, 'cooling gust'," the girl with steeled eyes said. "However I'm not attuned to wind, so it'll take me a moment to cast it."

Gian nodded, pretending as if he knew what benefits being attuned to something brought about. Back in Enquath, such a thing didn't exist.

The potion girl raised her hand. "I know a low-level fire spell, 'fireball'. Though I'm also not attuned to fire," she said, looking at Gian with a knowing expression.

'She's hiding the fact she knows mind magic,' he realised. Perhaps there was a reason. Did he have to hide his spell as well? He'd have to ask.

The girl with glasses stepped forward. "I'm a fire mage. I know three fire spells, two low-level, one beginner-level."

The others in the group turned to her, a mix of surprise and respect on their faces.

The two remaining survivors looked at each other. 

"I... don't know any spells yet," the boy from the group whispered.

"Me neither," the remaining girl added. "I was hoping I'd be able to learn here."

Gian nodded. "A wind spell, and a couple of fire spells," he whispered. "That could be useful."

He pointed to the two survivors without any spells. "Are you two sure you want to follow us?"

The girl was the first to step forward. "I have a sister in the higher cabins," she said. "I... I need to make sure she's okay."

"I'm the same," the boy blurted out. "I mean, I have a cousin. If what Diedre said is true, then she'll be a target."

'So that other guy's name is Diedre, huh?'

The potion-girl scoffed. "Just how does a false-breed have a true-breed cousin?"

The boy stared off to the ground. "I'm from a branch family," he whispered. "But we've been close ever since we were kids."

Gian held a hand up. "Let's avoid sharing personal information," he said. "It'll only make later decisions harder for the rest of us."

"You promised!" the girl with glasses shouted.

"And I'll keep that promise," Gian shot back. "But there's no telling what might happen."

"Anyway, we need to get moving. If they kill too many students, then our chances of survival decrease."

The group nodded, a few of them hesitant, but still in agreement nonetheless.

"Well, I'd like to know everyone's names at least," the potion girl spoke up.

Gian turned to look at her.

She shrugged. "What? If we're going around acting like heroes, we need to know what to call each other," she said.

Gian didn't trust her; no doubt she had an ulterior motive. Perhaps names were a requirement in her mind spells. 'Probably heard mine on the bus or something,' he realised.

"Mine's Persophene," she said, standing up. "He's Gian," she added, pointing at him.

The girl with glasses spoke up hesitantly. "Kate."

The girl with steel eyes pointed at herself. "Luna."

"Rebecca," the remaining girl added.

The final boy looked at everyone else, a little flustered. 

"For heaven's sake, even a virgin shouldn't be scared of saying their own name out loud," Persphone chided.

"T-Tom," the boy replied meekly.

Gian sighed. "Great, now that introductions are out of the way, can we get moving?" he said sarcastically.

"Brighten up, Gian," Persephone said, tapping him on the shoulder. "Who knows, the academy might right our names on golden plaques for this."

She then whispered something to her thrall, and he walked off to join the other group.

"Okay, let's go," she said, and the group began making their way up the train. 

*

According to Persephone, each section of the train held three compartments —two cabins in each. She had found the survivors towards the end of this section, not willing to go onto the next.

It took them a few minutes to get back to that point. Most of the cabins they had passed through were in worse states than theirs. Bodies sprawled everywhere, the odour of burnt flesh clogging the air.

It reminded Gian of the night his parents died. While the others made small talk, he focused forward. Remembering the past was not something he was fond of, definitely not something he wanted to be doing around strangers.

"So this is it?" he asked, once they reached the end of this section.

The different sections were linked together by a massive blackwood door. This one seemed blacker than it should've been. He ran his fingers over it.

"Soot," he whispered. The attackers had tried blasting the doors open.

"Spell immunity," Kate said, fixing her glasses. "The train walls are made from the same material."

"I guess that's why they didn't just burn the whole thing down" Luna added.

She clasped the handle, and it began shimmering silver. "All students have been given access till the conductor's cabin," she explained, opening the door.

Beyond it was a small empty space. Here, the walls were more flexible, perhaps rubber, though Gian couldn't be sure.

"Does anyone else see that?" he asked, noticing that the air seemed to... glitter almost. 

However, no one responded; it was as if his words had been silenced right as he said them.

Persophene opened her mouth to say something as well, but no words came out.

'So that's how they were able to attack without rousing suspicion,' Gian realised. 'They're using some sort of sound-suppressing spell.'

Gian gestured for everyone to proceed, however, he slowed down his pace. The intruders could still be in the next cabin.