I made my way to the Orabell station.
A small station sat close to the road. At the front was a reception desk with a glass window and a little brass bell. A tired clock hung above it.
A few people stood in line waiting for tickets. Someone tapped their foot. An old man leaned on a cane. A mother held a small child. They clutched cash or folded papers with times written on them.
The receptionist worked quickly—stamping a paper, sliding a ticket through the window, nodding politely. You could hear the clock ticking and the rustle of paper. A kettle whistled in the corner and the smell of tea mixed with dust.
Posters and a timetable hung on the wall. When a ticket was handed across, the person smiled a little. The line moved forward. Small, quiet journeys began.
It was the Orabell station.
I stepped into the line and stood at the back. A few others joined behind me.
The Orabell was the transport system for long distances. It wasn't a plane or a bus like in my previous world. These were beasts—or rather, large, friendly creatures.
There were many variants: Flying Orabell, Ground Orabell, and Water Orabell.
These were the most used and the most efficient creatures for transport.
And I was here for that as well. The one I was looking for was the Flying Orabell.
The Flying Orabell was the airplane of this world—covering long distances in a short time.
The line moved forward and so did I.
There were dozens of Orabell stations across the Human domain, no matter where you went.
Then it was my turn to purchase a ticket.
The receptionist girl greeted me with a big smile and politely asked, "Hello sir, may I please know your desired destination?"
"To Sheron City, please."
The receptionist's smile faltered for a second as she looked at me.
"Umm... are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, sir. That will be 150 Nens."
I smiled and took the money from my pocket, handing it to the girl.
She nodded and handed me a ticket.
"Here you go. Have a nice day."
I took the ticket and made my way to the waiting room.
It was a dusty place with all sorts of people sitting and waiting for their Orabell to be ready.
Some were napping, some stared at the old dusty floor, and some tapped their feet.
After searching, I found an empty seat and took it.
I felt a bit anxious sitting among so many strangers.
"Looks like the habits from my previous self haven't left me yet..."
An announcement crackled.
"The Flying Orabell #039 is ready for departure. Passengers are requested to slowly enter the Orabell in a line. Please make your way to Gate B."
I stood up and made our way to Gate B.
Passing through the gate, a huge runway came into view where many Flying Orabells were parked. Among them was a gray Orabell with the number 039 painted on its back.
Orabells were large, round creatures with many colors.
A passenger cabin hung under each Flying Orabell so passengers could board.
Once on board, I looked around quickly.
Thankfully, the passenger cabin was clean—unlike the station. There were rows of seats.
I checked my ticket for the seat number.
"Oh, seat number 6."
I made my way to seat number 6, careful not to disturb the other passengers.
I sat on the light brown seat. It was undeniably comfy and made me feel sleepy as soon as I rested my head.
A grin spread across my face as I thought about the Mountain of Aurora.
I could easily get stronger with what lay there.
I was simply waiting for the Orabell to take off.
But to my surprise, another man stepped on board.
He was handsome—no, too handsome to ignore.
Yellow hair, sharp eyes, long brows, and a calm face.
"H-huh...?!"
My jaw dropped. I stared at him.
That man wasn't supposed to be here now.
Confused, I glanced at his face again.
"No... no way... it's really him."
Unfortunately, it was really him.
He was supposed to be escorting the princess of Valerius to the royal capital.
What was happening to the story?
My mind spun.
"Hey, mister, I think that's my seat."
A calm, polite voice came from beside me.
I slowly turned, expecting anything but him.
To my utter horror, he was standing there smiling at me.
"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Yes—I had. Not a ghost, but something close to a nightmare.
I remained silent, staring at my legs, and took the folded ticket from my pocket.
I quickly unfolded it and saw the number 6.
'Was he mistaken?'
"Would you mind rotating it a bit?" he asked.
I turned it, and to my horror, I realized I'd been holding the ticket the wrong way.
It was nine, not six.
I slowly faced the man and finally said, "Sorry."
"Sorry" was the only word that came out of my useless mouth.
I was too shocked to say anything more.
I quickly left the seat for him and moved to seat number 9.
Before sitting, I glanced once more at the man who was also watching me.
It was almost impossible to guess what he was thinking—even I, the author, couldn't predict him.
I turned to the window to avoid eye contact.
Outside, birds flew by.
"Is it already in the air?" I wondered.
The Orabell had already taken off. If I hadn't looked outside, I wouldn't have known.
The moon rested low in the dark sky, calm and bright, spilling soft silver across the road. Tall trees bent over the path and their leaves whispered as the carriage moved beneath them.
In the distance the royal capital glowed—tiny lights and tall towers like a sleeping city waiting for morning.
The carriage rolled quietly, the ground Orabell's hooves a slow, steady drum.
Inside, a young girl sat by the window. Moonlight painted her face pale and gentle. The cold wind slipped through the open pane and lifted her long sky-blue hair, making it wave like a ribbon.
She didn't speak—she only watched the lights ahead.
Her eyes were clear and hard, like diamonds frozen in ice.
You could feel the hush around her: part wonder, part loneliness, and a little anger tucked under the surface. She stared straight outside the window at the capital as if trying to decide what it would mean when she reached it.
The road, the moon, and her quiet breathing made the night feel full of waiting.
Then someone talked disturbing the quite night.
"Lady Su-yeon, we are about to reach the royal capital."
Su-yeon didn't move her head but just nodded.