After awhile, I got a little hungry. I left my bag in my cabin and went looking for something to eat.
The train was massive. I totally got lost in a matter of seconds. I found a golden door that I thought led to the cafe— but when I opened it, my jaw dropped open.
People were walking around in freakingswimsuits. Pools of hot water were built into the floor, and a cascading waterfall fell from thirty feet above. Tropical plants bloomed everywhere, and the air around me felt muggy and hot— ninety degrees or more. It was nothing like the chilly Malovian atmosphere I’d only experienced seconds before. People swam in the steamy pools underneath blazing sunlight, and I heard the singing of tropical birds in the background. It was like I’d walked straight into South America.
How could you have an entirehot springin the middle of a train? With a glance down, I saw with a jolt that my normal clothes had vanished, replaced by a bikini that showedwaytoo much skin.
It must be illusion magic, right? That was the only explanation I could think of. This stuff wasn’t real— it just tricked your brain into thinking it was.
Feeling off, I left the room and returned back to the main hall. Once I closed the door behind me, the swim suit disappeared and my clothes returned.
I really had to get used to this place. I resumed my mission of looking for the cafe, though I was careful not to open any more doors that I passed.
Finally, I found the cafe, sitting at the front of the train. This time of day, they were selling pastries. The glass case encompassed a variety of delicious cupcakes and cookies, each one looking more perfect and savory than the last.
“What can I get you?” the attendant asked from behind the counter. She had a thick Slavic accent, and my God, she was gorgeous. Her sleek dark hair and blue eyes were perfectly accented by the railway uniform she wore. She could be a freaking model.
“You speak English?” I asked in surprise.
She bobbed her head. “Yes. American, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” I confessed nervously. “It’s my first time out of the country. I worried I wouldn’t be able to communicate with anyone.”
The attendant smiled kindly. “Everyone in Malovia has to study English in high school. It’s the language classes at the university are taught in. I’m assuming you’re a student?”
I bobbed my head. It was a relief to know that I wouldn’t have to learn an entirely new language overnight while attending Arcanea University.
“Most Arcanea speak Malovian only in their own homes. I’m certain you’ll be fine,” she stated. She tilted her head, then added, “You seem a little pale.”
“I just walked into some sort of hot springs room. I’m new to illusion magic, so it was a little unexpected.” I gave a nervous laugh.
“The Malovian Railway has several enchanted illusion rooms for our guests to enjoy,” she replied. “Besides the room with the hot springs, there’s also a ski resort room, a water park, and a mini shopping center, as well as sleeping cabins for guests taking longer journeys. The illusions help to pass the time while traveling.”
“Thanks for explaining all this to me.” I felt way behind. I hoped I could catch up, but at the same time, I was relieved that everyone spoke English and I wouldn’t be totally lost here.
I bought a cherry pastry, then headed back to my cabin. I thought the pastry was another illusion, until I licked the sugar off the top and decided it definitely had to be real.
In the hallway, I noticed a girl walking by. She had sleek brunette hair, and makeup done to perfection. She was wearing a crisp outfit that looked like it’d come from the pages of a magazine, and high heels.
Two girls followed behind her, identical twins. They were dressed similarly to the other girl, who’d I worked out was the head bitch, and were very tall. They had hooded eyes and square faces.
I was so busy looking at them that I didn’t realize where I was going. The train jerked to the side unexpectedly, and I slammed right into the leader. My cherry pastry smeared all over the front of her outfit.
The girl gave a gasp and jumped backward, shaking her hands. Shit. I’d just ruined her designer tee. My mouth opened to apologize. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bump into you.”
The girl glared at me. In a thick accent, she said, “Are you serious? Can’t you watch where you’re going?”
The girl waved a hand. The jelly on her shirt vanished instantly, and I had to blink twice. Did I just see that?
I realized that I was in a place where magic was real, and people probably did this all the time. I bet I looked really stupid in that moment.
The girl was giving me a stare at my astounded look. I quickly rearranged my face and said, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to bump into you.”
“It doesn’t matter if you didn’t mean it, it happened anyway,” the girl bit back. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood, otherwise, you’d be paying me for my shirt.”
Wow, okay. She didn’t want to play nice. That was fine. I was good at that, too. “I apologize. But to make up for it, do you mind if I buy you some manners, or common decency? You’re obviously in need of some.”
The girl’s mouth dropped open again, and the twins gasped behind her. I gave her a smirk. Yeah, I knew how to play this game. Very well, in fact.
