Chapter 41 – A Change of Scenery

Anemone sighed dramatically, crossing her arms, a mischievous glint in her lavender eyes. “It’s a bit… awkward, don’t you think?” she said, her voice light, teasing. “Standing around like this. Follow me, oppa. I have a… better place… for a chat.”

And with a flick of her wrist, the world dissolved around us.

A momentary sensation of weightlessness, of disorientation, the platform, the train, the ghostly figures… all vanishing in a blur of light and shadow, our bodies pulled, twisted, then… deposited… somewhere else.

We were in a small, comfortable lounge, warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the cold, damp platform. Soft lighting illuminated plush chairs, small tables, an old, ornate clock ticking softly on the wall. It was a place of quiet elegance, a place of… waiting. But… we hadn’t seen this place before. A hidden part of the station? Accessible only to… whom? Anemone? The station master?

I looked at Anemone, perched on a chair, her legs crossed, a playful smile on her lips.

“So…” I said, my voice low, “you’re… the one in charge here?”

“Is that a question?” she asked, her lavender eyes sparkling with amusement.

She gestured towards the chairs. “Sit. Relax. Make yourselves comfortable.” Her tone was light, casual, but the effortless teleportation, the sudden change of scenery… it was a display of power, a subtle reminder of… who was in control.

I glanced at Yuri. She remained standing, her arms crossed, her expression wary, her gaze fixed on Anemone, a silent challenge. Luna, however, moved towards one of the chairs, her golden eyes wide with curiosity, then hesitated, looking back at me, a silent question in her eyes.

I nodded, and she sat down, her small form almost swallowed by the plush armchair. I sat beside her, Yuri reluctantly joining us, her gaze still fixed on Anemone, her distrust… palpable.

I looked around the lounge. It was clean, well-maintained, a stark contrast to the dilapidated platform. No water on the floor, no ghostly figures, no strange, unsettling sounds. Just… a quiet, comfortable space, a place where passengers might have once waited for their trains, their journeys… yet to begin. But did anyone… truly wait here? Or was this… something else… a place for… something else…?

“Noah! Look!”

Luna’s excited voice drew my attention. Food. A plate of freshly baked bread, a steaming bowl of soup, a pot of fragrant tea, had appeared on the table before us, as if… by magic. The aroma filled the air, a comforting mix of warm bread, savory broth, and something… sweet, something… unfamiliar.

“Anemone,” I said, my brow furrowing, “what’s this?”

She grinned, a mischievous glint in her lavender eyes. “Food, silly. What does it look like? Don’t they have food in your time?” She tapped a loaf of bread with her finger, and steam rose from its surface, the aroma intensifying. “Go ahead. Eat. It won’t kill you. Probably.”

Her eyes twinkled. “Probably.”

I swallowed, my stomach rumbling, my gaze fixed on the food. It looked… delicious. Too delicious. Is it safe? Or another… trick?

We hesitated, our gazes fixed on the food, the warmth, the aroma, a powerful temptation in this cold, desolate place. Yuri remained wary, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. Luna, however, looked at the food with wide, hungry eyes, her small hand reaching out, then pulling back, her gaze shifting from the food to me, a silent question in her golden eyes.

I sighed. This was… a test. A test of… trust.

Anemone sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes, then leaned forward, her expression a mix of amusement and… something else… something… darker. “Honestly,” she said, her voice echoing softly in the quiet lounge, “if I wanted you dead… you’d be dead already.” Her lavender eyes met mine, a challenge in their depths. “But you’re not, are you?” She tapped the table with her finger. “So eat. I’m not going to poison you. Besides,” she added, leaning back in her chair, a playful smile on her lips, “you’re going to get hungry eventually, aren’t you? Unless you plan on… starving to death?”

Her words, though spoken lightly, held a chilling undertone. She was right. If we were trapped here, we’d need food. And when that time came… would we be so… cautious?

I looked at the bread, its golden crust, its soft, inviting texture, the aroma… irresistible. I reached out, my hand trembling slightly, and picked up a piece.

Anemone’s expression changed, her playful smile replaced by a look of… satisfaction, as if… she’d been waiting for this.

“That’s more like it,” she murmured, her gaze fixed on me.

I hesitated, then took a bite.

The bread was warm, soft, the crust slightly crispy, the inside fluffy, the flavor… exquisite, a complex mix of sweetness and something… more. It was unlike any bread I’d ever tasted. Perfect. Too perfect.

How is this even possible?

“Noah…?” Yuri’s voice, laced with concern, drew me from my reverie. “You okay?” Her eyes were fixed on me, a mixture of worry and suspicion. “Spit it out if you need to.”

I swallowed, savoring the taste, the warmth, the… perfection.

“It’s… really…”

Yuri’s gaze intensified, her brow furrowed.

“Really…?” Luna whispered, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“Really… good,” I finished, grinning.

Luna’s eyes widened, her small body leaning forward eagerly. “Really? Luna try?”

Yuri sighed, shaking her head, but a small smile touched her lips.

Anemone leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed, a smug grin on her face. “See? What did I tell you?”

It was real. The taste, the texture, the warmth… it was all… real. The tension that had been gripping me since we’d arrived on this floor began to ease, a wave of… relief… washing over me.

“It’s okay,” I said to Yuri and Luna, waving my hand dismissively. “It’s safe.”

Yuri still looked wary, her eyes narrowed, her brow furrowed, but after a moment, she sighed, picking up her spoon, dipping it into the soup.

Luna, too, cautiously took a spoonful of soup, her small hand trembling slightly, the golden surface of the spoon shimmering in the soft light. She lifted the spoon to her lips, her eyes closing as she took a tentative sip.

And then… her eyes flew open, her small face lighting up with a look of pure… bliss.

Yuri, too, took a spoonful, her eyes widening in surprise, then another, and another, her initial hesitation replaced by a look of… pure enjoyment. Luna, her spoon still clutched in her hand, just stared at the soup, her expression… vacant, yet… content, as if… lost in a dream.

I chuckled softly. We hadn’t had a proper meal in… days. Since the seventh floor, we’d been scavenging, eating to survive, not to enjoy. But this… this was a meal.

We ate, our spoons and forks clattering against the plates, the sounds a welcome counterpoint to the station’s silence. We tore the bread, dipped it into the soup, savored the fragrant tea, the warmth spreading through us, chasing away the chill of the Abyss, the exhaustion, the fear, the grief… for a little while, at least. We were… content.

And Anemone watched us, her lavender eyes gleaming in the soft light, her expression unreadable, a silent observer, a… guardian… of this strange, unsettling, yet… surprisingly comforting… place.