"Here it—" Anna began, but Leonardo quickly cut in with a cheerful, "—is!" matching her pace.
Anna turned to him, a confused expression on her face. "What was that?"
"I wanted to jinx too," Leonardo said, his face lighting up with innocent pride.
Elara burst out laughing, her laughter ringing like a bell. She tapped his shoulder playfully.
"You'll get it one day," she said, wiping tears from her eyes.
Anna sighed, shaking her head with a smile—equal parts amused and exasperated.
As they stepped into the lift, a small crowd followed behind, their murmurs creating a low hum of anticipation.
There, standing tall and dignified, was the conductor from earlier—the one who had talked about the stem.
"What's he doing here?" Elara asked, brows furrowing in confusion.
"Ah, hello there," the conductor greeted, raising his hand in a salute.
His uniform was the epitome of classic railway elegance. A dark navy-gray jacket and matching trousers sharply pressed down the center. A similarly colored cap sat smartly on his head. A name tag on his chest identified him as an official representative of the lift.
"Hi!" Leonardo replied enthusiastically.
The man stood directly in front of him—finally, a chance to ask questions and get real answers.
"Hello, young man," the conductor said warmly. He looked to be in his fifties, his hair streaked with silver and faint traces of black.
"You can call me Hector," he added, smiling.
Leonardo beamed. "I'm Leonardo."
Meanwhile, Anna and Elara stood to the side, watching the interaction unfold.
"Are they related?" Elara whispered, intrigued.
"Definitely a father-son duo," Anna replied with a nod.
"Anyway, this way," Hector said, gesturing toward the lift. "I'm going to guide you through the newly built system." He motioned for the crowd to follow.
The lift was enormous—nearly the size of a three-story building. As people approached, its doors slid open automatically.
Inside, it was incredibly spacious. The only thing separating them from the outside world was a transparent wall and the entrance door.
Leonardo stepped forward and touched the surface, his fingers grazing it.
"Looks like glass. Feels like glass," he thought.
"But it isn't glass," Hector said, his tone mysterious.
"What do you mean it's not?" Leonardo asked, intrigued.
"Let's round everyone up first," Hector replied with a smirk. He clapped his hands. "Everyone, gather here!"
"Welcome to the newly built lift, designed by Sage Rolhim," he announced. His voice carried both authority and excitement.
"To clear up any confusion, the materials used aren't from this city."
A voice piped up from the crowd.
"I knew it! This floor..." a woman exclaimed, running her hand over the surface like an expert. "I'm a material scientist working for Rolls-Worth. I haven't seen anything this strong before."
Smiling, Hector nodded. "The material is called polsium—similar to stone, though its makeup is entirely different."
Most people paused to listen. Objects from other cities were as rare to obtain as to find mysticals.
"Ah-ha! That explains the toughness," the woman said, her enthusiasm palpable. Still, others around her stepped aside, visibly annoyed.
"Yes," Hector replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "The transparent wall, or what looks like glass, is actually an early-stage form of polsium, before it fully condenses."
Leonardo absorbed every word like a sponge.
I'm closer to a different city than to Ronald, he thought, not forgetting his brother.
"I've seen this material before," Anna said, turning to Elara as Hector continued explaining the tourism advantages of the lift.
"When?" Elara asked, curious.
"Dad had a bit of it before we left. Didn't you see it during construction?"
"No," both Elara and Leonardo replied in unison—though Leonardo mostly said it just to join the conversation.
"Jinx?" Leonardo realized aloud, a grin forming. Elara burst out laughing, and even Anna giggled.
"I did it! I jinxed someone!" he cheered.
"'Jinxed' is a whole different thing," Elara said, still laughing.
Hector's voice brought them back to the moment.
"Anyway, let's start the ride, shall we?" he announced as the lift doors closed tightly behind them.