Chapter 75 Coordinates

"What? Orion, you want to go out alone? No, I don't agree!" Stelle said, her voice filled with concern. She had just come from the Garden of Recollection's Mirror and was clearly upset.

"We should be careful," Dan Heng added, though he didn't completely disagree with Orion's plan.

"Technically, the Astral Express shouldn't restrict a passenger's freedom," Orion mentioned, trying to keep things calm.

Orion sat back in his chair, sipping his tea without a care.

"But you just went through a lot..." Stelle started, but Himeko cut in smoothly.

"We're not against you, Orion. We're just worried about your safety," Himeko said, trying to ease the tension.

She and Welt were less concerned than Stelle, but they were still curious about why Orion wanted to leave.

"Is it something you were searching for?" Welt asked, sitting across from Orion. His wise eyes showed he had already guessed Orion's reason.

Orion nodded slightly, taking another sip of tea before showing a strange mark on the back of his hand to everyone.

"Wow, it looks like a shooting star!" March 7th said, her eyes wide with curiosity.

The mark on Orion's hand indeed looked like a shooting star, glowing with colors as mysterious as the universe itself.

"When did this appear? Was it during the fight with the stelleron?" Stelle asked, leaning in to get a closer look.

"It's simple. This mark is like a door..." Orion explained briefly. He didn't reveal where it came from, but everyone on the train had their own secrets, so no one pressed for more.

Everyone fell silent, thinking over what Orion had said.

Stelle was the first to speak. "With Orion here, maybe finding treasure chests will be easier."

"Or fighting," Dan Heng added, always thinking ahead in battle.

"Or getting more tasty food!" March 7th chimed in, her eyes sparkling.

Himeko looked around at everyone, then at Welt, trying to find some agreement among them.

"Maybe Orion can bring back that mecha from the last planet for me to try out," Welt muttered, causing Himeko to sigh.

"You guys..." Himeko said, holding her forehead. The mark on Orion's hand didn't seem to have any connection to fate, and she was starting to doubt its power.

Orion's calm eyes met Himeko's, showing a confidence that made her realize he was no longer the same unsure boy who first boarded the train. After experiencing the trials on Jarilo-VI, even with the seven-year gap, Orion had grown and learned a lot.

Himeko held back what she was going to say, taking a sip of her coffee instead.

"This door... it's like a portal, and I feel like I need to go through it. There's something there I need to take care of," Orion explained.

"Duty?" Himeko asked.

"Yes, something like a sense responsibility," Orion replied. "When things are destroyed, memories can also be lost. What people forget, we remember for them. What they remember, we preserve for them."

Orion's tone took on a serious, almost chanting quality, which made everyone on the train look at him strangely.

"Orion... are you okay?" March 7th asked, touching his forehead as if checking for a fever.

"I'm fine," Orion said, confused by her concern.

"You sounded just like that weird messenger who was trying to sell me something yesterday," Stelle commented.

"Really?" Orion tilted his head, puzzled. The words had just come to him naturally when he thought about "responsibility."

"Maybe you should wait a couple more days," Himeko suggested, still worried.

"No need," Orion said, shaking his head. He joked that he had finally gathered what he needed for this journey and wanted to strengthen himself before the next mission.

"Alright..." Himeko nodded, deciding not to interfere. The Astral Express didn't usually get involved in passengers' personal decisions.

After all, Stelle often returned to the space station to handle mysterious tasks, and everyone else on the train had their own business to attend to. Even though the Astral Express was a small, free faction, unlike some more controlling groups, they respected passengers' freedom.

Everyone on the train knew that someday, they might all go their separate ways—Stelle might leave after finding her memories, Dan Heng might settle down after his journey, and March 7th might find her hometown. But for now, they were all still together.

"So, I won't say goodbye. This is just a short trip," Orion said, as he activated the strange mark on his hand.

A glowing portal appeared on the train, looking like an enlarged version of the mark on Orion's hand.

"I'll bring back souvenirs!" Orion waved before stepping through the door.

"Stay in touch, Orion!"

"Don't forget to come back for the next mission!" they called after him.

As Orion passed through the door, it slowly closed, becoming smaller until it disappeared.

"Did I just hear laughter?" Orion thought to himself as he stepped into the unknown, unsure if the sound was real or just his imagination.