Chapter 44 – A Hidden Room February 12, 2025

I held the cold can of Milky X, turning it over in my hands, the sleek, futuristic design a stark contrast to the aged, decaying station. The black and silver surface gleamed faintly in the dim light, the single word Milky X printed in bold, white letters, the only marking, no brand, no description, no ingredients… a mystery.

I shook the can gently, the liquid sloshing inside, and Yuri, ever cautious, frowned. “Are you sure about this, Noah? It could be…”

“Anemone’s food was fine,” I said, grinning, flicking the tab with my thumb.

Hiss.

The can opened, a faint light emanating from within, a soft, ethereal glow, like… starlight. The light swirled within the dark liquid, then faded, leaving ripples on the surface.

Yuri peered into the can, her brow furrowed. “That’s… weird. Are you sure it’s safe to drink?”

I tilted the can, examining the dark liquid, the faint light pulsing, shifting, like… something… alive. I lifted the can to my nose, inhaling cautiously. The scent was… unfamiliar, sweet, yet with a strange, empty quality.

“Noah…” Luna whispered, her hand gripping my arm tighter, her golden eyes wide with concern. “…strange…”

“It’s fine,” I said, though a flicker of doubt, of unease, remained.

I took a sip.

The liquid was cold, smooth, a slight fizz on my tongue, a sweet, yet strangely… bland flavor, a hint of something… metallic… lingering on the back of my throat.

“It’s… carbonated?” I murmured, blinking in surprise.

Yuri and Luna watched me intently, Yuri’s gaze sharp, wary.

“…You okay?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.

I shrugged, taking another sip. “Yeah, fine. Actually… it’s not bad.” I offered the can to Yuri. “Want to try?”

She hesitated, her gaze fixed on the can, her lips pressed into a thin line, then looked away, her cheeks flushing slightly.

“…Isn’t that… indirect… kiss…?” she mumbled, her voice barely audible.

Seriously, Yuri? Now you’re worried about germs?

“What? You don’t want to drink it?”

She flustered, coughing awkwardly, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red. “No! It’s not that! I just…” Her voice trailed off, her gaze darting nervously around the platform.

“Yuri share?” Luna asked, her golden eyes shining with curiosity.

“No!” Yuri said quickly, a little too quickly, then seemed to realize her mistake, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red. “I mean… I’ll try it.” She snatched the can from my hand, her fingers brushing against mine, a jolt of… something… passing between us, then took a quick sip, her eyes widening slightly.

“…It’s… actually… quite good,” she admitted, her voice still slightly flustered.

“See? I told you.” I grinned, enjoying her discomfort. She was trying so hard to act nonchalant, but her flushed cheeks, her slightly trembling hands… they betrayed her.

“Luna try!” Luna said eagerly, reaching for the can.

I handed it to her, and she took a small sip, her eyes closing as she savored the flavor, a small smile spreading across her face. “Smooth…” she murmured contentedly.

We finished the can of Milky X, the unexpected treat a welcome distraction, a brief moment of normalcy in the strange, unsettling atmosphere of the submerged station. For a little while, the silence wasn’t so oppressive, the darkness not so… consuming.

We descended the stairs, our senses on high alert, searching for… something, anything, that might point us in the right direction. Anemone? The train? Some sign of… the others? But the platform was empty, the train gone, the fog thick, the lights flickering dimly, the silence… deafening. No visions, no whispers, no clues.

“…Nothing…” Yuri sighed, her voice filled with disappointment, her gaze sweeping across the empty platform.

And then, a faint buzzing sound.

I reached into my pocket, my fingers closing around the Abyss Compass. It was vibrating, its needle spinning wildly, pointing… somewhere.

“…This…”

The compass had only reacted like this before when we were lost, or when danger was near. But this time… it felt… different. More… deliberate. It was pointing to… something.

“Noah…?” Luna’s voice was small, anxious. “What is it? Where… pointing…?”

I turned, following the compass’ direction, my gaze fixed on a section of the platform wall. It looked… empty. No doors, no markings, just… a blank wall. But the compass… it was insistent.

Yuri stepped forward, examining the wall, her brow furrowed. “…There’s nothing there, Noah. Just… a wall.”

But I knew better. The compass wouldn’t react like this for… nothing.

“Let’s see.”

I walked towards the wall, the compass vibrating in my hand, its needle pointing directly at… a blank section of the wall. Yuri followed, her gaze skeptical.

“…It’s just… empty space, Noah.”

There were no doors, no markings, just the smooth, cold surface of the station wall. But I could feel it. A subtle shift in the air, a tingling sensation on my skin, as if… something… were just… beyond.

“I’m telling you, there’s nothing…” Yuri started to say, then stopped, her eyes widening, her hand flying to her mouth as the wall… shimmered, the air around it distorting, rippling, like water disturbed by an unseen force.

“What the…?”

I reached out, my hand passing through the shimmering surface, as if… through a thin curtain, the sensation strange, unsettling, my fingers encountering… something… a resistance, yet… a yielding, a… passage.

“…Noah…?”

“There’s a way through,” I said, my voice hushed, my heart pounding, a sudden surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. It wasn’t a wall; it was… an illusion. A hidden doorway.

I stepped forward, my body passing through the shimmering surface, a strange, disorienting sensation, as if I were… sinking… into… something.

“…Where…?”

I looked around, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. We were in a small, concrete chamber, the air cold, damp, the sound of dripping water echoing in the silence. This wasn’t part of the station. This was… something else.

Drip… drip… drip…

A single drop of water fell from the ceiling, landing in a small puddle on the floor, the ripples spreading outwards, disturbing the stillness. The walls were rough, unfinished concrete, the space cramped, claustrophobic, like an underground bunker. A table stood in the center of the room, no chairs, just the table, its surface covered in a thick layer of dust, a silent testament to… someone’s… presence. A worn sofa sat in the corner, its cushions askew, as if… someone had been sleeping there.

And on the floor… papers. Scattered documents, their pages yellowed and brittle, some torn, some water-stained, their ink faded, the words… barely legible.

I knelt down, carefully picking up one of the documents, its surface cold, damp, the ink shimmering faintly in the dim light.

And as I touched it, the words… began to glow.

This isn’t just paper. This is… a message. From those who… stayed behind.

“What is this…?” Yuri whispered, her voice hushed, her gaze fixed on the scattered documents.

“Noah… look…” Luna’s small hand gripped my arm, her voice trembling. “…the words… fading…”

She was right. The ink on the pages was shimmering, dissolving, as if… the very act of reading them… was… erasing them. As if… time itself were running out.

I quickly unfolded the clearest of the documents, my heart pounding, my gaze scanning the faded words, hoping… praying… that they held the answers we were searching for.