They settled into the seats.
Vastarael leaned back slowly as his eyes kept scanning the clean lines, soft luminescent panels and symbols scrolling along the walls that weren't runes but interfaces. The voice returned but this time it was less of an announcement system and more like a presence seated among them.
"Passengers have not registered a destination. Would you like to input coordinates, realm designation, or point-of-interest classification?"
"Before that," he said, resting one elbow against the armrest, "can you tell us where we are right now?"
"Request acknowledged. Current location: The Hidden Citadel. Designation: Central Inter-Realm Station. Creator is the Supreme Entity, The Aeterium Explorer, Vasreveilder Nov Aeteria."
Vastarael's spine went rigid.
"Say that name again."
"Vasreveilder Nov Aeteria," the voice repeated calmly. An Aeterium explorer and architect. Co-founder of large-scale Spheraphasian measurement systems alongside Omniscient... unknown."
"Wait. Explorer? Station?"
"Correct. The Hidden Citadel was constructed to connect all continents, realms and major dimensional strata of Spheraphase. Spheraphase mass and volume is approximately three hundred and eighteen times that of Earth. It is similar to the fifth planet of the Solar System thousands of light years away."
Vastarael stared.
"You're telling me Spheraphase is the size of Jupiter?"
"Affirmative."
Phaenora let out a slow, stunned laugh.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"Vasreveilder Nov Aeteria and Omniscient... Unknown reached this conclusion early in recorded history. Traditional traversal methods were deemed inefficient. The Citadel was created as a mobile nexus. The Hidden Citadel is capable of relocating to any region of Spheraphase or its associated realms."
Vastarael pinched the bridge of his nose. This information was getting a little strange.
"And the First Generation Deities?"
"They discovered the Citadel after its construction. They established residence within a non-operational sector, repurposing it as a seat of authority."
"Hold on. If this thing is that old and advanced, how did Vasreveilder make technology like this eons ago?"
The voice answered instantly.
"That information is classified."
Phaenora clicked her tongue. "Figures."
Vastarael, however, was already thinking aloud as pieces slammed together in his mind.
"No. This doesn't line up. Even if Vasreveilder was a transmigrator from Earth, that still doesn't explain trains. Or tracks. Or standardized measurement systems at this scale. Earth wouldn't even have conceptualized this tech unless there were other transmigrators or he found a way to go back to Earth."
Phaenora tilted her head. "Or forward."
He looked at her.
"When we were transmigrated, we never confirmed when Earth was relative to Spheraphase. For all we know, time displacement isn't symmetric. You could have come from one era and Vasreveilder could have arrived from another."
Vastarael's eyes sharpened. "You're saying he might've come from Earth's future."
Asenane raised a hand slowly. "Okay. Pause."
They both turned to her.
"What do you mean Darling was transmigrated?"
Phaenora winced. "Elyonari didn't tell you?"
"No."
They sighed in unison. Vastarael leaned back, rubbing his face.
"Start talking."
He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "It's too long and messy."
She gestured around them. "We're on a Praesit inside a world-sized station that predates time itself. I think we've got time."
"Alright. But it's easier if I just show you."
He leaned forward and gently placed two fingers against her temples.
"Don't resist."
Before she could respond, Memory Implantation activated. Everything he remembered about Earth was implanted in her memory. She saw how he viewed Earth. She also saw his memories when he lived in that world. Asenane gasped sharply, jerking back as the memories flooded in and then settled, integrating themselves into her consciousness like they had always been there.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
"Greshina Emberforge."
Vastarael looked at her.
"She's a bitch."
Phaenora snorted. "Finally, someone with sense."
"She let you rot in a research facility for sixty years and then she comes back after the damage is done to be your savior? If we ever meet her, I'm beating her ass."
Phaenora nodded firmly. "I'll help."
Vastarael laughed. He remembered when Adelasta felt the same way about her back in Erna Isles.
"Yeah. That's fair."
Asenane looked at him again, this time differently.
"You really did come from another world. And someone from that world came here long before you and left technology behind. No wonder nothing makes sense."
Vastarael turned his attention back to the train's voice.
"Can you sense any other life nearby?"
"Affirmative. Lifeforms detected within the current vicinity of the Hidden Citadel total approximately three million, eight hundred thirty-two thousand, five hundred twenty-five. Of these, three million, eight hundred thirty-two thousand, five hundred are classified as non-intelligent entities. Only twenty-five beings, including the present occupants, exhibit cognitive function sufficient to be considered intelligent."
"Alright, focus on the twenty-five intelligent ones. That's what matters right now."
The train's voice paused for a fraction of a second, almost as if it were parsing the request before it continued.
"Understood. Focusing on intelligent lifeforms. Of the twenty-five, two are in proximity and appear to be restrained by a crystalline construct approximately thousands of kilometers ahead of your current position. Identification markers suggest these beings correspond to the entities similar to you."
"Set that as our destination."
"Destination coordinates acknowledged," the train replied. "Estimated time to arrival under current velocity parameters: ■■■■ hours. Adjustment for acceleration or deceleration will recalibrate this estimate accordingly."
There was a subtle pause as the voice vanished. Vastarael reclined slightly. The information was staggering, far more than a single human—or even a Divine—could easily process. The sheer scale of the Hidden Citadel, combined with the knowledge that nearly four million lifeforms existed within it, made the task at hand feel almost insurmountable. Yet, the clarity about the twenty-five intelligent beings, and the immediate proximity of Shimmer and Runner, provided an anchor for his focus.
He glanced out the elongated windows, watching the patterns of bridges and pillars scroll past at impossible speed. The voice spoke again, breaking the silence with its even cadence.
"Recommendation. Utilize the transit period to conserve energy and optimize neural processing. The complexity of the Hidden Citadel's lifeforms and constructs may require immediate cognitive response upon arrival. It is advised to remain alert yet not expend unnecessary resources during transit."
Vastarael inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the advice.
"Understood. Maintain current velocity and keep monitoring all intelligent lifeforms. Alert me immediately to any changes in their status or location."
"Affirmative. Continuous monitoring active. Alerts will be issued in real-time as conditions evolve."
Vastarael leaned back, closing his eyes briefly to allow his mind to sort through the data. Phaenora and Asenane remained quiet beside him, seemingly absorbing the enormity of the situation in their own ways.
"Okay then, let's relax for now. We'll summarize the situation later."