Chapter Text
𝐂𝐡 𝟏: 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦 pov: Welt Yang
The Astral Express shivered violently, crashing into the endless nothings of the universe. As if an invisible force out there took its anger out of the helpless train, things got only worse as they ventured deeper into the formless parade of pulls and pushes. Each member held tightly onto whatever they could grasp, looking at one another, hoping to see at least someone had an idea of what was happening.
No one knew, not even Welt Yang.
He had power unmatched, waiting under his fingertips for his next order, yet the man had no idea what he was supposed to do or where he had to aim for this noisome shaking to end. He only had to go through a few times in which he was completely hopeless and helpless, at the brink of losing those he loves to the mercilessness of the unknown. And this was about to be one of them.
The strong windows of the express cracked, and each piece barely held onto one another. March 7th jumped forward and used her powers to mend the cracks between the windows. Dan Hang and Stelle dared proceed and looked deeper into the pulling abyss, and Himeko held both of them before a blinding darkness swallowed the parlor. Loud voices and alien whispers ran inside, inattentive of the ice fixing March 7th barely kept in place.
“The gravitational disorientation must be coming from that vortex,” the youngest trailblazer theorized, she held tightly onto her baseball as if it could do anything. “Mister Yang, any ideas?”
“It seems to be working like a black hole but it lacks several traits a black hole normally possesses,” the shaking made it harder to speak. Himeko held Pompom tightly, trying her best while calming the conductor screaming between her arms. “It is nigh impossible for such a thing to occur naturally.”
“I take it that no one has any idea what we should do,” March 7th huffed. “Whatever this annoying thing is, it is determined to shatter the windows!”
“B—but if the windows break, then,” Pom-pom jumped in their place as another loud crack filled the parlor. This time, Himeko used her elemental power to melt the glass and unite them. “The Express will fold! The pressure outside and inside is extremely different!”
“What are we going to do? Is this the end?” Stelle finally asked the question no one wanted to think of. The silence between the trailblazers grew stronger, the closer they got to the unnatural vortex, the darker the parlor got despite the lighting—alarms and signs all around the olden Express ringed.
“Low pressure!” the warnings said. “Low oxygen! Low vicinity! Corrupted balance!”
It was, it was the end. Maybe, just maybe, managing to touch the merciless vortex could give them a different answer… They had nothing to lose at that point anyway. The corrupted balance error basically meant the Express lost control and the machines no longer worked to their advantage.
Welt Yang held his staff, his eyes locked on the vortex too unbearable to look at. Once, it had the darkest colors he had seen, and then they all got too bright, and at the very core, Welt Yang saw colors he had never seen before. He channeled his power, about to embark —then he heard a heart-wrenching scream.
He turned his head only to see Stelle and Dan Heng holding Himeko as tightly as they could, screaming her name and barely controlling their own bodies. The Express was shattering, tearing apart slowly albeit unstoppable. As a last resort, Himeko had pushed Pom-pom away and threw her body as a shield, hoping to close the small gasps quickly imbibing the air. Her face carried many emotions, from fear to sheer sadness. “The Parlor is going to collapse, maybe the rest of the Express is in better condition. Leave here, now!”
“Not without you!” Dan Heng said as he forced himself into his vidyadhara form, but no matter how much he tried and even begged, no strength merged him. The timeless wraps seemed to cut their connection from the outside altogether. “Himeko, why did you…”
“Welt, take them!” she turned her head, looking at the older man stuck between his emotions and logic. The shaking got heavier, everything started colliding with one another and bigger gaps appeared on the windows. “You have to protect them, Welt!”
“No, we won’t go anywhere!”
“If we are going to die, we are going to die together!”
“I hope it will be painless,” March 7th prepared herself for the first. Her eyes opened wide when she looked at Welt Yang. “Mister Welt, on your right!”
The thick covering rushed ruthlessly upon Welt Yang, not giving him a second to react. The covering collapsed on him and everything got dark as the echoing voices screaming his name slowly descended into the abyss too.
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
He slowly pried his eyes open after what felt like an eternity spent in a deep, dreamless slumber. The first sensations that greeted him were the harsh, blinding light piercing his vision and a throbbing headache pounding relentlessly at his temples. Welt Yang felt a disconcerting disconnect from his physical form, his limbs heavy and unresponsive, as though his mind and body were existing in entirely separate realms.
His eyes roamed the room, desperately trying to make sense of the blurry shapes and colors around him. Familiar faces floated in and out of his vision, yet he couldn’t quite place where he was. The expressions on their faces were a confusing mix of relief and concern, caught somewhere between joy and sorrow.
Himeko… She was there and in one piece. A great deal of her body seemed to be wrapped in bandages but rather than that, she was well enough to stand on her foot. Despite her injuries, she stood tall, her resilience shining through.
Stelle, Dan Heng, and March 7th were also there, the youngest members of their crew. They didn’t deserve to witness such horror. One moment, they were exploring the infinite expanse of the universe; the next, they were teetering on the edge of oblivion. Thankfully, none of them appeared to be seriously injured.
Stelle’s hand clung to Welt Yang’s, the comforting touch grounding him in reality. It wasn’t like her to show her emotions via touch, he could tell the inner relief she had barely by the way she held him. He couldn’t help but feel like a father in that moment.
The fog in his mind began to lift, and he could finally connect with his body. The disjointed voices around him started to make sense—they were filled with concern for him. Clearly, much had transpired since he had lost consciousness.
He couldn't speak yet; Welt Yang wasn't sure if it was his mouth that refused to move or if his mind was too blank to form sentences. He saw another figure walk in, drawing all the attention. Grateful gasps filled the room as the knight in silvery armor greeted them.
"We cannot thank you enough, Sir Argenti," Himeko was the first to speak. Stelle and March 7th looked as if they might burst into tears, barely restraining the urge to jump up and hug the knight tightly.
He must have been their savior, Welt Yang theorized. It wasn't surprising at all. Argenti always seemed to appear just in time, rushing to aid those in need without expecting anything in return but praise for Idrila.
"I did what any other knight would do. Protecting beauty is my utmost duty, and the Astral Express is surely a precious treasure of Her Highness," Argenti straightened his back. The Knight of Beauty was also covered in bandages. He moved around with a forced casualness, trying to mask his pain, but each step clearly hurt. "Ah, Mister Yang, it seems you have finally awakened. Another blessing of Goddess Idrila.”
Welt Yang nodded, still unable to speak, but he was more than happy to see that they had made it out alive. The mysterious place they were in was most likely Argenti's personal spaceship, the One and Only. The rose motifs on the walls gave it away.
"The covering on the wall next to you fell, and then you lost consciousness, Mister Yang," March 7th began to explain, guessing the older man's curiosity from his gaze. "The big vortex was so close that we had already accepted our fate. Then, he came."
Stelle made a heroic intro sound with her mouth, mimicking the voice of a violin. Argenti appreciated the attempt as March 7th continued. "Turns out, his spaceship has a laser beam! He drove the One and Only right into the vortex and shot at the center. The vortex exploded and, luckily, it didn't hurt anyone. The impact just pushed all of us far away."
"Then," Dan Heng joined in, his voice filled with gratitude and excitement, "he drove back to the Astral Express and fetched all of us from the parlor. While he took care of you and Himeko, the four of us connected the Express to the One and Only."
Stelle smiled. "Once we were done, we got out of that terrible place. It's been a week since everything happened. The repairs on the Astral Express are almost complete. Pom-pom is doing fine too; they wanted us to say hi when you woke up. So... Hi, Mister Yang."
Welt Yang sighed, a pleasant expression adorned his face as his eyebrows relaxed. Argenti gave them a reassuring nod. “Feel free to stay here as long as you want. I am more than happy to help. In fact, I won’t allow anyone to leave before I make sure everyone is alright.”
“We have already been checked by eleven doctors,” Dan Heng stated. “Luckily, they all said our conditions are getting better. I had no idea the Knights of Beauty were capable physicians too.”
“Ah, but a mere hobby of mine, to say the least.” The redhead walked, checking Welt Yang’s IV, the liquid seemed to flow flawlessly. “I want to be prepared for all scenarios. When I’m free, I study medicine to the best of my abilities.”
Welt Yang observed Argenti closely. The knight's words revealed an admirable dedication, yet they hinted at something deeper—a lack of purpose beyond his duties. The realization struck Welt with a pang of sympathy.
As Argenti moved around the room, his eyes betrayed a certain loneliness. It was as if his ceaseless quest for perfection in his knightly duties and medical skills left little room for anything else. His existence seemed confined to the boundaries of his responsibilities and his devout belief in the goddess he served.
Welt Yang, still regaining his strength, managed a soft yet sincere, “Thank you, Sir Argenti. Your dedication is truly remarkable.”
Argenti smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “As I said, it is my duty and my honor. The cosmos is vast and unpredictable; one must always be ready.”
Stelle, picking up on the underlying current of the conversation, chimed in with her usual attentiveness. “But surely you must have some hobbies or interests outside of your duties?”
Argenti paused, considering her question. “Well, beyond my studies and duties, I do enjoy... exploring new places, meeting new beings, and admiring them. But all these are often intertwined with my role as a knight and my service to the goddess.”
March 7th, always empathetic, added, “It sounds like you’re always working. Don’t you ever take a break for yourself?”
Argenti chuckled softly. “Serving others and fulfilling my duties gives me purpose. I suppose you could say my work is my life.”
Welt Yang’s pleasant expression shifted to one of concern.
“Now that we are talking about this…” Himeko searched for the right words. On one hand, enjoying his work life and treating it as a hobby was wonderful indeed. But on the other, it awfully sounded like he had literally nothing else but his title as a Knight of Beauty. “What about your own happiness, Sir Argenti? Don’t you ever feel... lonely?”
The knight’s gaze softened, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his features. “Loneliness is a part of the journey for many who wander the stars. I have made peace with it. The joy I bring to others, the lives I save, that is my reward.”
There was a moment of silence, filled with unspoken understanding. Welt Yang realized that Argenti’s existence was a testament to the sacrifices made in the name of duty and devotion.
“Still,” Welt said gently, “it’s important to find joy for yourself, too. We appreciate everything you’ve done for us but don’t forget to take care of your own heart as well. If you ever see it fit, you are more than welcome to join the Astral Express and travel with us as long as you want.”
Argenti nodded slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Thank you, Mister Yang, your welcoming words are a testament to your beautiful heart. Perhaps... I will consider your words. For now, let’s focus on getting all of you back to full health.”
As the conversation shifted back to lighter topics, Welt Yang couldn’t help but feel a deep respect for Argenti, along with a hope that the knight would find his own path to happiness amid his unwavering dedication. But with that respect, worry came too. Argenti’s selflessness looked like the very same bullet of his demise, Welt Yang could almost picture how the knight would lose his life, most likely in the middle of helping other people. He didn’t like the scene, and he didn’t like how realistic it looked.
A helpless body, tattered and tainted by his own blood and torn fresh, hanging by the waist barely intact. Arms swayed by both sides as the crimson droplets of life fell from his fingertips. The lifeless form, the faded emerald of his eyes, stared into the endless universe. If he could talk, Argenti would say he did whatever he had to do, and that he neared a death he would call a victory.
But how much of a victory a death could be if the lonesome pursuit he called living had nothing different to offer? How much surviving would mean, if it meant repeating the same cycle?
Welt Yang came back to his senses when his gaze met with Himeko’s. She also looked equally concerned so they shared a knowing nod.