Mysteries: Arcana Wars

“…We must firmly believe that there is no difference between us…”

Rad sat outside the shabby classroom, eating an energy bar and listening to the sounds coming from inside. It was a break from work, and he could hear his instructor Allen giving a lecture in the classroom while sitting here.

The classroom was built with some construction waste. A small space was simply marked out in the underground space for use as a classroom.

There is no wind or rain in the underground city, and the classrooms do not need to be protected from wind and rain, but simply divide the space. Therefore, people do not care whether the classrooms are complete or not, and the crooked building fragments are randomly collaged, and the gaps left behind become windows on the exterior walls of the buildings.

Through these windows without curtains and glass, Rad could see Atala, the little girl he had just met, who was giving a speech in the classroom.

At first, Rad didn't realize that Atala was a girl. It was not until Mr. Allen wiped off the thick oil and dirt on her face that Rad discovered that Atala had such a beautiful face. The girl changed into clean clothes and walked in the dim tunnel with a light, like a diamond shining in the mud.

Boys of this age are not yet in love, and admiration has not yet sprouted in their hearts. Rad simply has a good impression of such a beautiful person.

The girl has a vague attraction to Rad. This is not only because of the girl's beauty, but also because of the mystery and yearning.

Atala came from a small underground city called Laundry Lane, a place Rad had never seen or heard of. Because of the collapse of the underground city, Atala came to Rad and became a member of the Exiles.

A beautiful peer of her age came from a distant, unknown underground city with a flashlight in her hand, carrying the smell of ruins and despair, and the light of the flashlight could not illuminate the emptiness in her eyes. Rad was curious about her past, wondering if she had experienced any other stories besides the collapse of her home, but she always kept silent in the end when the past was mentioned, and then walked away with the flashlight, leaving Rad full of curiosity and desire to explore.

But Atala seemed to be different from Rad. Compared to Rad's eagerness to learn but dullness, Atala could quickly comprehend the knowledge taught by Teacher Allen in class, easily passed various tests, and became a role model in the class. When Rad was still hesitating and learning, Atala was awarded the bright red robe early, was approved to become a member of the Exiles, and became an idol around Rad.

There are so many things about her that Rad envied, not only her good looks, but also her rich experience outside Banyan Street, eyes full of stories, a smart and capable brain, and the rebelliousness and determination to make choices... Everything about Atala attracted Rad.

A warm and even fierce vitality was growing tenaciously, quickly filling the hollow bottom of Attala's eyes. After the soul of this humanoid body was drained by the painful life, it was filled with anger and hatred from itself and others.

"What are you doing here, Rad?"

At some point, Attala was standing behind Rad, wearing a dazzling red robe.

"We want revenge, Rad. It's my cause, and yours.

“We’re going to kill all the rich and powerful people.

"We will make those who have bullied us and insulted us pay for it!

"We will create a beautiful world where all people are created equal and there is no distinction.

“It will definitely exist, it will definitely come in the future!

“Now I have devoted myself to this great cause.”

"But why are you standing here in a daze?"

Rad wanted to explain something, but found himself speechless.

"Where's your red robe, Rad?"

Rad tried hard to defend himself, but his lips seemed to be glued together and he couldn't make any sound.

"Why don't you put on your red robe?"

Atala approached aggressively and started screaming at Rad.

“Where’s your red robe, Rad?

“Put on your red robe, Rad!!

“Put it on!!

“Put it on!!

“Put it on now!!!”

Rad suddenly woke up from his dream. He sat up straight, and felt his ears buzzing.

That loud noise just now was... a bomb?

He gradually came to his senses and found himself squeezed into a small rail car with sister Luna. The car was full of terrified people, holding their loved ones and belongings, trying to keep their figures low. As long as they closed their eyes, they were just a car of black soil.

His memory gradually came back, and Rad remembered that he seemed to be at home a second ago, arguing with his sister Luna, but in the blink of an eye, he was in a rail car.

He opened his mouth to ask something, but Luna covered his mouth.

"Shh, don't talk."

Luna pressed down Rad's head and used her spirituality and clairvoyance to scout the surroundings.

After knocking Rad unconscious, Luna immediately took Rad and began to move, escaping from Banyan Street before the disaster struck.

Originally, the best solution was to take Rad directly to open the door and travel through time, but the pollution on Luna's body has not been cleared yet, which greatly interferes with her transmission. The last transmission error is still vivid in her mind.

At this juncture, if the transmission fails again, both of them will be doomed. To be on the safe side, the always cautious and timid Luna chose some ordinary ways to evacuate, such as rail cars and tunnels.

Facts have proved that her decision was correct. Not long after she evacuated Banyan Street, she heard news of the exiles' riot on the road, and then a large number of underground city refugees came out from various tunnels and escaped through their own secret passages.

Almost at the same time, the exiles launched suicide attacks on multiple dungeons at the same time.

In the underground city, knowing a secret passage means having a way to survive. Luna fled along this railway track and met some refugees one after another on the way. Finally, they found this rail car and decided to travel together.

Faintly, various explosions and screams could be heard coming from the soil, adding layer upon layer of fear to people. Like Rad, people were curious about where the explosion came from, but they didn't dare to speak. They just wanted to escape from the cave as soon as possible.

But Rad was completely unaware of the tragedy happening outside the soil. He was simply suffocated by the depressing atmosphere.

There was a dull thud and the rail car suddenly stopped.

Luna raised her hand to signal everyone to keep quiet. She crossed the truck bed and came to the cab to find out what was going on.

"There seems to be a body on the track ahead." The driver said, "We may have to walk a distance, or take turns getting off the car to move the body."

Rad got off the train with the refugees and watched them move the bodies lying on the tracks away and move slowly forward with the rail car.

Soon, a second body appeared in front of Rad and was quickly cleared away by the refugees.

Then, the third, fourth, fifth...

As the rail car moved forward, more and more bodies appeared in the tunnel.

The densely packed corpses were like dust and gravel, spreading on the ground, forming a thick layer in the tunnel.

Some of them were refugees in grey, others were exiles in red robes. They lay on the yellow soil, their black wounds revealing white bone fragments, their red blood oozing along the track to Rad's feet, no longer distinguishable from one another.

Here a large group of fleeing refugees engaged in a brutal confrontation with the exiles.

Rad began to join the team carrying the bodies that blocked the tracks. He first felt sick, then fear, but in the end, only numbness and exhaustion remained.

The dead, heavy flesh pulled at Rad's arms. He pushed aside another corpse once more, only to reveal a blinding red underneath.

Atala in red robe died on the dark railway tracks.