Rian Cole stood in front of an old carriage outside the Scarlet Storm clan.
The wooden planks were worn, with peeling black paint and a couple of cracks showing their age. The wheels looked ready to call it quits, and the horses pulling it had a tired slump.
No one was around. Not a soul. Just the wind whistling through the trees and the faint echo of some bird too lazy to fly closer.
'Some send-off,' Rian thought, pressing his lips tight. He glanced back for a second, stealing a quick look at the clan behind him.
Red tunics with golden threads glinted in the morning sun from a distance, but no one came out to wave goodbye.
Not his dad, not his siblings, not even a nosy servant.
Nothing.
Rian slipped a hand into the pocket of his gray rag and brushed the cloth pouch holding his uncle's red pills. Those little pellets were the only thing keeping him in check while he figured out how to tame his powers.
The driver, a skinny guy with a hood shadowing half his face, raised a hand in a curt wave.
"Get in," he said, his voice rough and bored.
Rian nodded, awkward, and mumbled a "Sure" as he climbed into the carriage.
The door creaked when he shut it, and the inside smelled of dust and old leather. He plopped onto a hard bench, resting his head against the wall, and the carriage lurched forward.
At first, the road was stone, full of bumps that made the carriage jolt like it was hacking up a lung. Trees and hills stretched around, a green sea with no end.
But within minutes, the ground smoothed out into a concrete road winding down the mountain.
Rian peered out the window, bored.
The scenery was the usual: rocks, bushes, and a grayish sky hinting at rain.
'Lame,' Rian thought, closing his eyes to catch a break.
Barely a minute passed before a noise snapped him out of it.
A weird hum, like a mechanical beast growling, made his eyes pop open.
Rian leaned toward the window, frowning.
There, alongside the carriage, zoomed something he'd never seen: a red box on wheels, fast as the wind, with smoke puffing out the back.
No horses, no wings, nothing to explain how it moved.
"What kind of ride is that?" Rian muttered, scratching his head. His eyes tracked the thing as it whizzed by, gleaming under the sun.
Suddenly, a window on the machine rolled down, and two girls poked their heads out.
One had short black hair and waved with a grin. The other, with long brown hair, held a small box in her hands, pointing it at him.
Rian tilted his head, puzzled.
'How's that thing work?' he thought, squinting. 'Do those girls have powers or something?'
"Hey there!" the short-haired one shouted, her voice barely cutting through the machine's roar. The other giggled and elbowed her, muttering something low.
"Wow, that carriage looks ancient," the long-haired one said.
"Think a wheel's gonna pop off?" the other shot back, raising an eyebrow as she pointed at it. "It's a total wreck."
"Don't be dumb," the long-haired one replied, rolling her eyes. "Families with carriages these days usually have cash, but seeing one that beat-up isn't exactly common…"
Rian raised a hand and waved back, more out of reflex than interest. The girls laughed again, and the red machine sped up, leaving him in the dust—literally.
The cloud it kicked up stung his nose, and Rian slumped back on the bench, clicking his tongue.
"Here's hoping I don't run into another one of those," he grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "What a racket."
Rian shut his eyes again, trying to tune out the carriage's clatter.
And time dragged on.
Hours later, a loud noise jolted Rian awake.
BEEEEEP!
It was a shrill scream, a mix of horn and screech that set his nerves on edge.
Rian bolted upright, alarmed, and peeked out the window again.
"What the hell?!" he yelped.
They were surrounded.
Dozens of those noisy machines—red, black, blue—crawled along the road.
Some blared that awful sound again, BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP!, while others sat still, stuck in a line that barely budged.
People inside the machines gawked at the carriage, some pointing those little boxes like the girls had.
Rian scowled, gripping the window frame.
"Too loud," he growled, covering his nose with a hand.
Despite the annoyance, he couldn't help staring. They were weird, cool—like metal beasts.
"This is nuts, but I'm too wiped to care," Rian muttered, closing his eyes for the third time.
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the air, a blast that shook the whole carriage.
Rian leapt up, heart in his throat, and stuck his head out the window, eyes wide.
In the distance, a black smoke cloud climbed the sky, and the ground rumbled under the wheels.
The horses whinnied, spooked, and the driver let out a hoarse yell as he yanked the reins.
Outside, people in the machines started shouting too, some flinging doors open and scattering in every direction.
'What's going on?' Rian thought, clenching his fists.