The Empty Seat

The dining car of the Astral Express smelled of fresh coffee and something floral—perhaps the lilies March 7th had arranged on the table that morning. Sunlight slanted through the wide windows, casting long golden rectangles across the polished wood floor. The train hummed beneath them, a low, contented vibration that seemed to pulse in time with the chug of the engine. March 7th set down a plate of toast and jam, adjusting the napkin beside it. "Okay, that's three," she said, counting the place settings. "Himeko said she'd grab breakfast later, so—" She stopped. There were four plates. Four cups. Four sets of silverware. She blinked. "Did I set an extra by accident?" Welt Yang entered from the corridor, a book tucked under his arm. He paused at the sight of the table. "That's not a mistake, March. That's a... statement." He walked closer, frowning. He touched the fourth cup. It was warm. "The coffee hasn't been brewed yet," March said slowly. "I just put the pot on." Dan Heng appeared in the doorway, a datapad in hand. He looked at the table, then at Welt's hand on the cup. "There's no one else on board. I checked the passenger manifest before we left the last station." "And the train records?" Welt asked. "Clean. No unknown life signs." March stepped back, her eyes wide. "But the cup is warm. And the train... listen." They fell silent. The hum of the Express had changed—it was deeper, richer, almost like a cat purring. The lights flickered once, gently, as if in greeting. "The train is happy," March whispered. Welt moved to the door and locked it with a quiet click. "Start an investigation board. I want every corner of this train checked. And don't touch that cup." Dan Heng looked from the empty seat to his datapad. He opened a file marked "Anomalies" and began typing. "I'll pull the logs from the engine room. There's something... familiar about this." March grabbed a marker and started drawing a large question mark on a whiteboard she had apparently been hiding under the table. "Case One: The Ghost Passenger. Motive: unknown. Suspects: the train itself?" Welt sighed. "I've seen enough to know that sometimes the most rational answer is that we don't have one yet. But the cup is warm. That's real." The Express hummed louder, as if in agreement.