Omen

"Gilan Iros."

Gilan smiled, reached out to clasp her fingers, and after a brief touch, released them with gentlemanly grace.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Menis."

"Mr. Gilan, am I interrupting your work?"

Menis glanced at the documents before Gilan, an apologetic look crossing her face.

Gilan shook his head and calmly gathered the papers, stacking them neatly before placing them back into the manila envelope. Then he set it aside.

"Not at all," he said.

There were still four days left of the journey, plenty of time to read and consider them at leisure. But the woman before him had caught his attention, and Gilan intended to test the waters first.

"Where are you headed, Miss Menis?"

"I don't know." The violet-eyed woman rested her cheek on one hand, her tone bewildered. "I'll just take the train and see where it goes."

"It's merely a journey taken on a whim."

"That's truly enviable," Gilan said with feeling.

Just then, a long train whistle sounded outside the window.

The train slowly began to move, leaving Bickfort Station and heading farther west.

"Why are you envious?" Menis arched a delicate brow, clearly puzzled. "Mr. Gilan, you don't seem like an ordinary person either. If you wished, you should be able to cast aside these worldly affairs and seek peace within your heart, shouldn't you?"

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't do that for now."

Gilan shook his head with a smile.

Menis watched him quietly, her thoughts unreadable.

After several seconds of silence, she broke into a radiant smile.

Changing the subject, she said:

"It's rather boring just sitting here. I've recently learned a little divination. Would you like to try it?"

"Divination?" Gilan was intrigued.

This was an art of the God-Communion Spiral, part of the magical domain, and Gilan himself