CHAPTER 58: NEW BEGINNING

The train chartered by the mayor was equipped with all the amenities needed to make a long journey feel like the comfort of home.

Sirius, Lucy, as well as Iris and Carla, had been brought in advance, transported by secure vans.

The four of them now found themselves in the lounge car, each in their own corner.

An hour had passed, and not a single word had been spoken.

Sirius didn’t know how to break the news. He was waiting for the atmosphere to become more favorable.

Between Iris, sulking under a blanket, Lucy staring pensively into space, and Carla feeling out of place, unsure of whether she was even supposed to be there... She had hoped Iris would make the introductions, but the latter was too devastated by the loss of her hair to even poke her head out.

When one of the two enforcers returned with an update, he thought for a second he’d stepped into winter — the atmosphere was that cold.

"The two teenagers you asked me about — what were their names again?"

Sirius remembered that before being brought here, he had looked into the children from Astoria. After learning they were in a foster facility in a northern city, he had asked about Bell and Brad, wondering if they could be brought here.

"Brad and Bell. The boy should be 14, the girl 13. Did you find them?"

Upon hearing those names, Iris jumped and let her blanket fall, revealing for the first time her shaved head. To her surprise, no one said a word.

"Yes, they match your description, but they’re refusing to speak to anyone," the enforcer said, holding out his phone.

"Give it to me," Iris said quickly, snatching the phone from his hands.

"Yes, it’s me," she reassured them, explaining that they were all okay and would see each other soon.

Then Iris hung up and turned to Sirius.

"Can you arrange for them to be brought here?"

Sirius thought for a moment, glancing at the clock above the door. It was 6 p.m.

Their train was scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. If Brad and Bell caught another train now, they could arrive by 5 at the latest — enough time to bring them in.

With that in mind, he asked the enforcer to contact Sarah.

"Yeah, sure. As long as they’re not a burden."

Sirius had expected to argue. But to his surprise, Sarah didn’t object at all. She reassured him, saying she’d make a call to get the two children on a train as quickly as possible.

Once the deal was sealed, Iris called Brad and Bell again, telling them to trust the men who would come for them.

No longer needed, the enforcer left. There was no reason to watch them anymore — no charges were hanging over their heads.

...

Alone again, Sirius sensed the night would be long. Relieved at the prospect of reuniting with Brad and Bell, he drew the attention of the others — including Carla, who had also been swept up in all this.

"A Transcendent is after us. And to avoid death, we had no choice but to join the Order — though I honestly think that woman made it all up just to force us to work for her."

He waited for their reactions.

After a moment, when no one showed any sign of enthusiasm, Carla felt compelled to speak:

"Is that true? I mean... the Order... isn’t that amazing?"

"Amazing? What’s so amazing about it? It’s never changed — and it never will!" Lucy snapped, suddenly standing up and storming out of the car.

She left behind a confused Carla, not understanding what she’d said wrong.

Having joined the military early on, joining the Order had always seemed like a privilege reserved for elite enforcers. She had thought about it before, but never believed she was special enough. She had resigned herself back then... so when the opportunity came, she hadn’t been able to hold back.

Unlike Carla, who felt called to it, the other three had never wanted that.

They had refused to belong to any organization, preferring their independence.

...

Iris followed Lucy, finding her on top of the train.

"What are you blaming yourself for?" Iris asked.

"Did you use your power on me?"

Iris shook her head.

"No. I don’t need it to know how you feel."

Lucy hesitated, then leaned back against the roof.

She had come here to admire the night sky. But since they were parked in a station, all she saw above was concrete.

"What did you feel when Sirius shot you?" she asked in a whisper.

"Nothing. Just like all the times I had to hurt him, or he had to hurt me."

"How do you do it? Back when we were kids, we didn’t have a choice. But now... I don’t know. Is it really necessary to hurt each other this much?"

Her voice was hoarse, like the words had a hard time coming out.

Iris took her time, wanting to give a sincere answer.

"My power is one of the worst there is.

Every time I change someone’s emotions, I receive the full intensity of what they feel... to the point where I don’t even know what I feel myself.

I get lost, Lucy, in all of it.

The first time, it was to help Brad and Bell. So it made sense.

The second time, I used it on Carla.

But when I had to use it on all those people, I felt their dreams, their hopes... if only for a second.

I wanted to save them — but I couldn’t.

All I could do was watch them die... in such a horrible way... without even being able to ease their pain.

All because I chose to save just one person.

I’m tired of this suffering that keeps chasing us."

Iris walked up to Lucy and rested her head on her shoulder, closing her eyes. The memories of that night came flooding back. She relived it all again.

"You know, I’m the one who tore off Sirius’s arm," Lucy confessed, voice shaking, eyes wet with tears.

"I saw that parasite growing in his arm, eating it away, while he was unconscious. Everything was falling apart around us. I didn’t know what to do.

I didn’t have your courage — or his recklessness.

While I hesitated, a rock fell, crushing his leg.

I saw my life flash before my eyes. I was scared I couldn’t keep our promise.

And in that moment, remembering it is what pushed me to act.

But... will I ever be able to kill you, or Sirius, if I have to?

If I can’t when that time comes... I’ll break our promise.

The one that binds us like family."

Lucy was holding back her tears, pressing her palms against her eyes.

...

Sirius was nearby. When he heard them, he clenched his heart with the only hand he had left.

("Idiot... I’m just a damn idiot...") he cried inside.

("From the start, I let my pride get in the way — never once thinking about how the others felt...")

Whatever happened next, he couldn’t keep making the same mistakes.

With a cast on his leg, Sirius had to hop on one foot, then climb the hatch with one arm to reach the roof of the train.

Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees and began punching himself in the face.

Once, twice, three times.

Then he spoke:

"I know neither of you would do it, so I had to do it myself. Iris... I want you to use your eyes on me. Let me carry the weight you both are bearing. I’ll take care of it."

Iris stepped forward and slapped him — three times — before speaking.

"You idiot, don’t you get it?"

Her voice was raised, filled with anger.

"Lucy and I are strong enough to carry the weight of our own feelings! What makes you think you’re strong enough to act like this?

More than anyone, you’re the one running away! How long will you keep doing that?

Sirius... when will you finally face reality?"

They stared at each other. One now felt weak — the other, furious.

"Stop it, both of you. What’s the point of all this drama?

Since when did we become like this?" Lucy interrupted.

"When we were kids, we shared the same dreams, the same goals.

We promised no one could beat us — because the only ones who could... were us."

"And yet, we were defeated.

By awakening.

By the Order.

Our lives have no meaning anymore.

It’s like when we were children, and others made decisions for us... Maybe holding on to that promise has only been destroying us from the inside..." Sirius added.

Silence returned between the three.

But this time, it was a peaceful one.

No more tension. No more discomfort.

Only calm — and comfort.

"Maybe we were wrong from the start," said Iris, taking Sirius and Lucy’s hands.

Their emotions merged.

Each of them could now feel the sadness, the guilt, the anger of the others — in their rawest form.

Sirius felt his tears rise, overwhelmed by emotions that weren’t even his.

He finally understood what Iris and Lucy had been feeling.

No — more than that.

He felt like he was being born again.

"We’ve been wrong from the beginning.

Each of us has our own dreams.

And even if our ambitions differ, that doesn’t mean we aren’t united anymore."

Sirius wanted to change the world.

Iris just wanted to find herself — to know who she really was.

Lucy only wished for peace.

"I have an idea. Maybe it’ll allow each of us to reach our goals.

It’ll take years — but it’s possible.

If we take it step by step."

"I trust you."

"I’m betting on you, nerd."

Sirius smiled, then revealed every step of his plan.

"The first thing to do is join the Order.

But not the way that cougar wants...

We’ll do it on our terms."

---

The next morning, at the barracks

The mayor had come to wish the delegation a safe trip — leaving earlier than planned.

"I’m sorry you didn’t get to visit the wonders of our city."

"Don’t worry. Next time, I won’t miss it."

"Well then, I wish you a pleasant journey, Miss Sarah Harley."

"Once again, thank you for everything you’ve done."

"No need. It was only natural."

Sarah shook the mayor’s hand one last time, then climbed aboard the train.

With her mission complete, she was heading home — to headquarters.

"The trip should take at least two days, even at full speed. So make yourselves comfortable — the train is all ours."

And so, to the rhythmic sound of the train on the tracks, they left the capital — without ever having visited it — on their way to a new beginning.