"My Germ's ability is..." Helmo's gaze shifted to the top of the tent, and in a blink, he vanished.
Yuray and Yousafer spun around to find Helmo standing atop the tent's peak. The Chief and Haim gasped in disbelief.
"How did he do that?" the Chief stammered.
"Teleportation?" Yousafer asked, leaning forward.
Helmo vanished again and reappeared on the ground. "I can move instantly to objects near me, but there's a distance limit. I can only go as far as my eyes can clearly focus."
Yousafer locked his hands behind his head. "That ability is going to be incredibly useful. It's brilliant."
"Are you jealous?" Helmo joked, a newfound confidence in his voice.
Yousafer scoffed, looking away. "It's a coward's tool... perfect for running away or making an opponent lose their mind."
Haim rushed to his son, checking him for injuries. "Are you truly alright? Nothing feels wrong?"
"Don't worry, Father. From now on, you don't have to fear for me. Your son has become strong."
Haim smiled faintly. "You fool. Do you think more power means I'll worry less? You're still my son."
The Chief chuckled. "Let him boast a little, Haim. It's been a long time since he's felt this alive."
"Yousafer, it's time," Yuray said, gripping his horse's reins and leaping into the saddle.
Yousafer nodded and followed suit. He looked down at the Chief. "I wish you a safe journey."
"And to you," the Chief replied.
"You're headed for Randor, aren't you?" Haim asked. Yuray nodded. "Then our paths stay joined for a little longer. We need to reach Randor as well."
"To the capital?"
"Yes," Haim explained. "The World Train passes through Randor. It's our only way back to our home continent."
*A whole different continent...* the Chief thought, marveling at the scale of their journey.
Yousafer tossed a leather pouch toward the Chief. The old man caught it awkwardly, nearly dropping it. "What is this?"
"Something you'll need," Yousafer replied.
The Chief opened the bag to find a fortune in metal, copper, silver, and gold coins. He was stunned. "This... this is too much."
"Take it," Yousafer said, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.
The Chief bowed deeply in gratitude. "I will never forget what you have done for us. Thank you, young masters."
***
**Back at the Ruins of the Factories**
Two figures stood amidst the smoldering wreckage. One of them held a device shaped like a sunflower, speaking into it while his brown eyes scanned the destruction.
"Both factories are completely leveled. Lavana and I have searched, but we found nothing."
The man, Cleo, was in his early thirties with a long beard and black hair. A red lotus was tattooed on his forehead. He wore a short green suit with red trousers and tall black boots.
Beside him stood Lavana, a girl of nineteen in a loose, flowing green suit that concealed her form. Her blonde hair was tied in a sleek bun, a single black feather sticking out from it.
A raspy voice crackled from the sunflower device. "I'm counting on you, Cleo. You and Lavana. Do not disappoint *him*."
"Don't worry. We'll find them," Cleo said before the line went dead.
He turned to see Lavana walking away. "Hey! Where are you going?"
She didn't answer.
"Miserable teenager," Cleo muttered, catching up to her. "Do you think you're some master detective? Who do you think did this?"
"How should I know?" she replied coldly.
"That failure of a manager... we didn't even find his body," Cleo grumbled.
"Do you think he escaped?" Lavana asked softly.
"No. He was too greedy to leave his hoard. He's dead, for sure. But where do we even start?"
They came upon a pack of wild dogs scavenging. Lavana moved with sudden, explosive speed, her leg snapping upward to kick one of the beasts. *Boom!* The dog was launched into the air, and the rest of the pack fled.
They reached the corpse—mangled and rotting under the sun. The air was thick with the hum of flies and the stench of decay. Lavana pulled a white cloth from her sleeve to cover her nose.
"No tracks... the dogs ate our evidence," she sighed.
"There's a village an hour from here," Cleo noted. "The workers lived there. Let's start there."
They reached the village only to find a ghost town. The wind whistled through empty doorways.
"They fled as soon as the factories fell. They know who did this," Cleo said, tracking the horse prints leading away. "Let's go."
A while later, they reached the river.
"Dammit!" Cleo growled, staring at the water.
Lavana hopped across the stepping stones to the other side, searching the bank. She looked back at Cleo and shook her head. "They were smart. They used the water to mask their trail."
"Smart? I would have done the same," Lavana added with a shrug. "Now what?"
Cleo scratched his head. "We keep searching. We can't go back empty-handed."
Lavana looked at him with pure disdain. "Are you just trying to spend more time with me?"
Cleo ignored her. "Let's move. I hate the forest."
***
**October 25th**
Yousafer and the group finally saw it: the massive walls of the capital.
"Randor!" Haim exclaimed.
"So that's it," Yousafer whispered. The city was small compared to the great empires, but it was densely packed, its houses peeking over a five-meter-high stone wall.
They stood on a hill overlooking the capital, which was nestled between jagged mountains. As they approached the gate, they saw something strange—a white line stretching into the distance.
Soldiers in familiar uniforms—the same ones they had seen on the warship—patrolled the walls. *The Army,* they both thought.
But the real marvel was the railway. It didn't sit on the ground. Instead, it floated two meters in the air atop a path of solid white clouds. The tracks stretched as far as the eye could see, a suspended road with no pillars to support it.
"The World Way!" Haim breathed.
"What is that?" Helmo asked, jumping down from the horse.
"The Cloud Path," Haim explained. "It's built for the **World Train**. They call it that because it touches every corner of the globe."
"A train that runs on clouds?" Yousafer was genuinely intrigued.
"Yes. It's incredibly fast. Even the world's greatest scholars still don't understand how it stays afloat without supports."
The area near the gate was bustling. Crowds flowed under the floating tracks as if it were perfectly normal. Haim went to a small booth near the gate to buy tickets. Suddenly, a low, rhythmic thunder vibrated through the ground. A dark shape appeared on the horizon.
The World Train arrived. It was a colossal, coal-black engine, ancient and weathered, yet radiating a sense of unstoppable power. It let out a deafening whistle and hissed as white steam billowed from its roof. Doors hissed open, and retractable stairs descended to the ground. People poured out like ants from a disturbed hill.
"It's... it's never-ending," Yousafer remarked, unable to see the back of the train.
"It's more than just long; it's fast," Haim said. "It travels at over 600 kilometers per hour. It only passes through here every seven days. We're lucky."
Haim turned to the boys. "Well, my young friends, this is where we part. If we ever meet again, I will repay this debt."
"Don't worry about it," Yousafer said. He looked at Helmo. "And you... don't be reckless. Now that you're a Possessed, remember: there is always a bigger mountain."
Helmo smiled and extended his hand. "I'll take your advice."
They shook hands, and Helmo said his farewells to Yuray. As they boarded the train, Helmo paused at the door. "Let's meet again someday!"
Yousafer and Yuray both smiled.
The train let out one final, earth-shaking whistle and began to move. The story of the forest had ended, but for Helmo and his father, a new journey was just beginning.
**End of Chapter**
***
**What awaits Helmo and Haim on their journey? And what secrets will Yousafer and Yuray uncover in the heart of the Kingdom of Randor?**