Several hours had passed since the fading light of day had surrendered to the tranquil embrace of the night. While the majority aboard the train were succumbing to the allure of the night, readying themselves for restful slumber, Val found himself in stark contrast to this common routine.
Given the recent assassination attempt, the notion of sleep felt like an invitation to potential danger. He feared that in such a vulnerable state, he would be an easy target for his enemies, and the possibility of never waking up in exchange of one night of sleep was a risk he was not willing to take.
Therefore, Val chose to remain vigilant, keeping himself anchored to the reality of the situation. He refused to give in to the bodyâs natural desire for rest. In the grand scheme of things, sleep was a luxury he could not afford as he had to stay awake, to stay alive. As of his moment, hiis life was similar a precarious tightrope walk, where a momentâs distraction could tip the balance. For others, this was a good time to rest. But for Val, the night had transformed from a time of rest into a vigil because of the presence of an assassin. His eyes were the only sentinel between safety and an untimely end.
Surrounding him was the comforting familiarity of the compartment which he shared with two others. He was occasionally scanning his surroundings with a predatorâs intensity and his ears were straining for any unusual sound that could signal an impending threat continuously. Despite the mounting fatigue from 16 continuous hours of wakefulness, his senses remained razor-sharp and his mental faculties alert. There was no space for complacency. After all, his very life was in jeopardy.
With a slight shift of his weight, Val reclined into his seat, drawing a momentary respite from his intense vigilance. His eyes gradually drifted towards the window, settling on the world beyond the glass.
To ordinary eyes, the world outside wouldâve been swallowed by the pitch-black mantle of the night, offering nothing more than an abyss of obscurity. However, it looked like an entirely different world to Val. His unique Nocturnal Vision trait granted him the ability to witness the world at night in a way maybe no one else could, allowing him to observe the breathtaking scenery hidden behind the veil of the night in vivid detail.
Outside the train, a sprawling wilderness stretched out as far as the eye could see. Raw and untamed, it reflected the raw, undeniable essence of nature in its most authentic state. Trees thatâve never experienced an axe could be seen standing several hundred feet tall, their towering canopies kissed by the soft silver light and the intense crimson light of the moons.
It looked like a wild and untamed realm, where the laws of man held no sway.
However, amidst this untamed expanse, a single path of civilization carved its way â the railway track. đđ±đ xt.đđt
It ran like a life-line through the heart of the wilderness of the kingdomâs outer region, representing the indomitable spirit of human ingenuity and endeavor.
The train moved along this path like a solitary beacon of light cutting through the heart of the darkness, its engine humming a steady rhythm that echoed through the silence of the night, attracting unwanted attention.
But they were quickly taken care of by the guardian before they could even approach the train and taint it with their filthy selves.
Grrroowwlll!
Uuuuuuugggghhhhh!
As the night deepened, the roars of predatory beasts rose and fell in the forest. Val, with his excellent hearing senses, could also pick up the quieter grunts and growls of the undead who roamed the woods. Thankfully, the surroundings were devoid of any anomalies. Had there been any unusual noise mixed in, it could only have meant one thing: the presence of a devil. Those creatures were notoriously more difficult to deal with than the usual dwellers of the forest.
âItâs a relief that their distinctive noises are absent from the chorus of the night.â Val mused.
As if he had jinxed himself and the others on the train, an eerie melody of a flute was addes onto the symphony emerging from the forest.
Its haunting notes wafted through the cold night air, creating a symphony of discord amidst the guttural cries of the creatures of the wilderness.
Valâs eyes narrowed in confusion, his thoughts churning. âWho could possibly be playing the flute at this hour, and in such an environment?â he thought, his instincts tingling with a sense of unease. âWhatever it is, it doesnât seem friendly.â
Thatâs what his sixth sense told him. The creature playing the flute wanted him dead!
But who was it?
His gaze followed the direction of the sound, piercing through the dark and landing on the source of the noise.
A considerable distance away, next to a mountain, a silhouette, barely visible against the twilight, could be seen perched on the shoulders of a massive figure. Its figure was slim, almost frail, with wild, weed-like hair that danced in the frigid breeze. A white cloth, adorned with several squirming, bloodshot eyes, concealed its own eyes. A skull, presumably human, hung ominously around its neck, and a wicked, unsettling smile stretched across its face. It was completely naked.
âMorthos.â
Recognition dawned upon Val as he took in the sight of the peculiar figure.
It was the notorious destruction devil, Morthos, who had been causing chaos and destruction throughout the kingdom in recent years.
Wherver Morthos went destruction followed!
Seeing him wasnât a good sign at all.
The Destruction Devilâs graceful execution of the haunting melody was a stark contrast to the monstrous figure beneath it.
To Valâs disbelief, the figure supporting Morthos was a giant so towering that even the seven hundred feet tall trees seemed dwarf-like in comparison.
âWhat the fuck is that?â he exclaimed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Morthos had always appeared alone. There was no mention of this ridiculously tall giant that seemed to be made completely out of dark fog. Val didnât know what it was. No one knew what it was. It was the first time such an anomaly had showed itself to the humans.
Meanwhile, jolted by the abrupt melody of the flute, Lord Lucious, who had been reclining on a bunk, opened his eyes instantly. His emerald orbs glowed mesmerizingly in the dimly lit compartment. His familiar, Sebastian, a sentient shadow, was already alert, having sensed the imminent disturbance.
âSeems like our tranquil night is going to turn into a chaotic one, Sebastian,â Lucious remarked, a trace of a sigh in his voice. âIf things get out of hand, I might even have to exert these old bones of mine.â
Sebastian, reflecting the somberness of the moment, responded, âIndeed, Master. The scent of mayhem is already permeating the air. It appears we have a restless night ahead.â
Simultaneously, the experienced guardians of the train, seasoned warriors charged with ensuring the safety of all aboard, sprang into action at the haunting melody.
They knew that this melody was not just any random sound â it was the signature of one of the most notorious cursed artifacts, the âEnthrallerâ.
The Enthraller was an artifact of infamy that belonged to the destruction devil who had been named Morthos.
This sinister artifact, the Enthraller, had the ability to manipulate the simple-minded and the mindless, turning them into mere puppets dancing on the strings of the puppeteerâs will.
This power, while typically ineffective against the cognitive prowess of humans, proved devastatingly effective on beasts and zombies. After all, their lesser intelligence made them vulnerable, easily ensnared by the fluteâs hypnotic tunes.
Confronted with such a chilling enemy, Captain Leroy, the commanding officer of the guardians, quickly rallied his men.
âMen, brace yourselves. That damned melody is the call of Morthosâs cursed Enthraller. Weâre dealing with a beast of a situation here. That cursed flute has the power to twist the will of beasts and the Walking Dead, turning them into Morthosâs mindless puppets. And I can guarantee, theyâre already on the move, heading this way. Prepare for battle. We must protect this train, its passengers, and ourselves. We cannot afford to underestimate Morthosâs power. May the light guide us in this darkness!â His voice boomed, cutting through the panic of the impending danger. It was both commanding and fierce, seemingly injecting the other guardians with chicken blood. They were ready to roll and rumble!
His gaze swept over his men who stood alert. He nodded in appreciation. Although they were tense, they werenât going to back out. Such men were worthy of respect. There was even a woman amongst them, and although she wasnât much of a fighter, her determination was no less than theirs.
However, even as Captain Leroyâs command resonated in the train, one of the younger guardians, a greenhorn barely wet behind the ears, couldnât hide the fear in his eyes. Confronted with the stuff of legend on his very first month on board, he felt afraid, terrified even.
âC-Captain, isnât dealing with Morthos a bit too⊠too much for us?â He stumbled on his words, the tremor in his voice unhidden
Captain Leroy turned to look at him, recognizing him as a fresh recruit named Edward.
âEasy or not, Edward, weâve got a job to do. Weâre the last line of defense between that horde and our passengers. This is a threat we cannot, and will not, take lightly. Remember, weâre all that stands between life and death for the people on this train!â Captain Leroy commanded. âSo man up and get ready to f*ck them up!â
âYes, Sir!â
The guardians said in unison.
âItâs here.â
An inexplicable light flickered within Lord Luciousâs eyes, basking his face in a cryptic glow, and at the same time, Valâs skin prickled with an uncanny sensation, his hair standing on end as an overwhelming sense of danger pervaded the air.
They were both able to tell that trouble has arrived!
Suddenly, the darkness outside the train was punctuated by the menacing glow of countless red eyes. Each pair colder, more sinister than the last, fixed unblinkingly on the train. As the eerie melody continued to play, a huge amount of creatures began to emerge from the shadowy depths of the forest.
Among them, there were enormous beasts the size of elephants monstrous wolves and a seemingly endless swarm of the Walking Dead.
At a glance, there were at least hundreds of them, and Val could see that there seemed to be even more in the distance submerged by the shadows of the trees.
There were probably thousands of them in the woods, their forms invisible in the inky darkness of the night.
Only Val saw them.
The guardians were unaware of them as it was too dark outside the train. They didnât know the trouble theyâve encontered was far greater than they expected!
The sound of the flute intensified.
In response to the melody, the huge wave of zombies and beasts began surging towards the train!