Arlo breathed a sigh of relief as he found himself back at the train station he had used to arrive in Axen, finally, he would be leaving his pow that the preparations for the tour were plete. He pulled his luggage into his private and flopped into his seat uhe air ditioning.

  The room was a det size, but after asking for a deluxe he had expected much better. Arlo snorted, it seemed he couldn’t expect much from Axen City even on the most basic levels.

  Around him, the faint sounds of train whistles bellowing faded into the background as the final call to board began, in a few moments his vehicle would begin moving and he wouldn’t have to think about this godforsaken city for a while.

  Taking out his phone, he read some messages from Mateo and the new member they had signed on. Arlo scoffed as if anyone could repce Mars. He quickly discarded the thought, reminding himself that Mars had abahem and not the other way around.

  Looking out the window at the passersby, Arlo wondered if he should have sent the picture to E.C. the night he took it instead of sitting on it, Mateo would chew him out if he knew Arlo had a ce to grab Mars but had let it slip by so easily.

  The train rocked to life, chugging as it began pushing towards its destination, Arlo felt the steady rog under his heels that would smoothen as his journey progressed. As he tio people-watch, he noticed a familiar figure walking towards one of the trains heading in another dire.

  The white haired man squinted, leaning forward until he ractically pressing his face against the window pane. His mouth sed, staring as his eyes found Mars and the girl he had spoken to the previous night. They were b a train, but to where?

  Before Arlo could asses even more of the situation his train had pulled fully out of the station, now on its way back to Evangels.

  “Shit!” He cursed, squeezing his fist so hard it almost left imprints in his palm. He had missed her again, that was three ow. If he had only grabbed that shrimp at the cafe st night he would have had a ce to talk to Mars before he left for Evangels.

  A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, so what would he do now? Would he tell Mateo he saw her? Or would he delete the picture from his phone and pretend it never happened?

  Arlo opened up his phone and scrolled past the sshots of stats and b passes until he reached the picture of Mars and Ats he had taken the night before. His thumb once again hovered on the image of Mars’s sad expression, it was almost as if she was staring at him.

  They had been friends once, she had his bace.

  But those times were over now weren’t they?

  He tapped the delete button and cleared the picture away before he could have any more sed thoughts about sending it to E.C. Arlo exhaled. There was no reason t trouble to his doorstep by starting the hunt for Mars back up again. For now, let her live her life and he would call this an unofficial favor from himself to her.

  For now anyway.

  ----------

  “Wow, this is so cool!” Aya said, running into the rge train , her uncle had paid for a private able to aodate up to three people and si was just Aya and Mars they would reap the bes of all the space.

  The chairs could vert into a bed but for now, they were arranged in a sitting position with a retractable table built into the walls of the room. The entire space had a dark green color with creamy yellow ats, Aya thought it was cozy but Mars, not so much.

  “Who the hell desighis? Couldn’t they pick better colours?” Mars said pg her backpa the chair, Aya was already sitting down, practically boung with how excited she was to be orain.

  Fred, after showing them to the for the long ride, had left to board his train to Evangels before he missed it.

  “I’m just excited to be here.” Aya squealed.

  “Believe me, it shows.” Mars retorted with a smirk. She took out a sleek ptop Aya had never seen her use before, along with the Zephyr gear. “It’s going to be a 13 hour sic route through the forest until we get to Mericross so I suggest you py a bit.”

  “But I packed my head gear up with the movers.” Aya whined, stretg her hand across the table towards Mars’s headset. The dark haired girl pyfully smacked her hand away.

  “No, didn’t you get something from that guy earlier?” Mars said recalling the rge man and the girl whom Aya had referred to as Renard and Nisha.

  Aya’s head perked up immediately, cheg her duffle bag she pulled the gift into her p only now realizing its weight. She shook it gently, trying to guess its tents.

  On the box was a letter from Renard, Aya read it carefully.

  [I got some old stock I wao get rid of and I thought you of all people would appreciate it.

  P.S.: Nisha may or may not have had something to do with it. ;)]

  Aya giggled and began ripping apart the ing to reveal the box of a new headgear. She gasped, lifting the box to show Mars who was busy setting up her Zephyr.

  “Mars look! Look!”

  Mars turned her head to look toward Aya who resenting the box like she was a child, she sighed fondly and wondered how in the world she had bee such close friends with a pipsqueak. She wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  Renard had given Aya a new headgear and as they read through the pag Aya found it graded version of her Revista.

  “Revista-i, as in Mark I?” Aya read out loud under Mars’s gaze. The dark haired girl nodded in approval.

  “hey improved some of the features in this model, you should be able to taste and smell better in the game when you py now.” Mars said. She slid into the space beside Aya. “Yht your ptht, I’ll show you how to set it up.”

  “Thanks, Mars.”

  Mars pced her hand in Aya’s hair and stroked it fondly.

  “No problem, I’m just happy you got some better equipment. I hope you didn’t fet our bet.” The girl singsonged. Aya b the thought of having to fight Mars and was once again keenly aware of the differen their skill level.

  “Oh, I totally didn’t fet.” Aya said nervously. Mars ughed again.

  “Silly girl.”