Chapter Fourteen: Echoes from the Depths

Due to the necessity of following the railway tracks, Lily and her companions first had to approach Waterloo Station and determine whether the tracks there were the ones they needed. Though they could have gone directly to the Thames riverside and searched for a route from there, that would have amounted to wandering aimlessly, wasting precious time. Now, Lily and her group were racing against the clock.

Compared to the surrounding buildings, which were damaged or partially collapsed, Waterloo Station, at least from the outside, showed no obvious signs of destruction apart from an inevitable air of age. Even the station’s main entrance, crowned by the world-famous arch and its mechanical clock, still managed to move its second hand stubbornly from time to time. Flanking the clock, tall stone columns bore multiple bronze statues, each in a distinct pose, their expressions vivid and lifelike, yet forever unchanged—like the mist enveloping Dunlun, eternal and unalterable.

“Who are those statues, anyway? I only know this commemorates the Battle of the Arch,” Stephenson asked, curiosity piqued. He was particularly fond of art and history.

It was clear no one in this party could answer him. The orphanage children had lived secluded lives before coming of age, rarely venturing outdoors except for supervised excursions to locations of historical or political significance. Lily herself had once joined a study tour led by the orphanage director to the legendary British Museum, Dunlun’s center of art. Though Lily had not understood much, she had been deeply moved.

“You already know more than any of us, Stephenson. Alright, we're about to enter a semi-closed building with unknown conditions, so stay alert,” Lily reminded everyone, signaling Sandra to proceed.

Sandra pulled out her flashlight and switched it on, focusing intently on the area ahead.

Typically, the grand halls of Dunlun's train stations were constructed with steel, forming uniquely designed arched ceilings, with special glass panels embedded to create a transparent roof. But now, due to the impact of the Mist of Two Point Four on direct sunlight, little light filtered through the transparent dome.

After only a few steps, Sandra reluctantly relaxed her guard posture—there was no need. Within the twenty-four-meter range of her vision, there was nothing but a lone standing sign... not even the shops on either side were visible.

“Wow...” Stephenson, walking in the middle of the group, let out a gasp.

“This station is really huge...” Camille muttered under her breath.

Lily and Aiden had been here before, so they were less astonished, though Lily felt a twinge of frustration at not being able to see the shops flanking them—what was there to be vigilant about?

A dull thud suddenly sounded deep within the station.

Everyone halted instantly. Stephenson looked around nervously, Sandra fixed her gaze on the direction of the noise, Dunn began moving slowly toward the right side of the group to change his viewpoint and try to spot the shops, while Lily focused her senses and listened intently.

Within fifty meters, there seemed to be no intelligent beings watching her, nor anything “valuable,” and she could hear no additional sounds.

Having made these judgments, Lily glanced back at Aiden, meeting his eyes and giving a slight shake of her head.

After they set out, Lily had explained her abilities to Aiden, so she trusted he understood her meaning.

As expected, Aiden immediately caught on and began moving to the right side as well.

With Dunn and Aiden shifting, the rest gradually edged toward the shops on the right side of the station. Stephenson, not fully understanding why, followed suit rather than remain stationary.

“Aiden, did you bring it?” Lily quietly asked as she moved closer.

“Yes,” Aiden replied simply.

Lily said no more and followed Dunn, who led them along the station’s rightmost shops deeper inside.

On the way here, Lily had warned the exploration team about the possibility of encountering other unidentified people. With John’s disappearance, Lily believed that anyone they met was likely to harbor ill intentions, so there was no point in negotiation—either avoid detection or find a way to deal with them.

As for “dealing with them,” Lily felt it was too daunting for now. Whether Dunn, Aiden, or anyone else in the group, they were all merely fourteen or fifteen years old. Did any of them truly have the courage for such a thing?

Even though Lily was officially considered an adult, it was clear that a person’s mindset doesn't transform overnight with a birthday.

Forced to mature early by the departure of the orphanage teachers, Lily and John had no choice but to grow up quickly. Yet her age and experience were what they were; she could not mentally prepare herself to take a life without resistance or remorse.

So, avoidance was the theme of this expedition.

Despite heading deeper into the station, their goal was never to investigate the source or cause of the noise. They wanted to quickly find the correct railway and leave.

Arriving at the now inactive ticket barriers, Dunn quickly scanned the area, then turned and signaled Sandra with a gesture they had developed—meaning “switch places.”

Sandra nodded and swiftly stepped forward, taking Dunn’s position, then easily leaped over the barrier and surveyed the surroundings.

Aiden, Stephenson, Lily, and the others followed, also jumping over the barrier. Only Camille struggled somewhat—using Ander’s gaming terminology, she was on the strength build, so her agility was lacking...

Incidentally, British train stations rarely had security checks...

Of course, inside the “walls” now, there was no need for such controls.

Sandra quickly identified the route to Embankment Station and led the way toward Platform Three, which was Waterloo Station’s fixed route to London Station, so those tracks would certainly lead to Embankment.

To reach the platform, they had to descend a staircase. The team changed formation to move in pairs, two by two, with the last pair keeping an eye on the upper levels behind them.

They moved slowly, trying to keep quiet and avoid making noise. It took them over a minute to descend the roughly hundred steps to the platform below.