Slowly, I turned back to face the soldier, who had raised a hand, stopping me once again.

  There was something in his eyes now...

  Concern?

  Hesitation?

  Maybe even doubt.

  "What now?" I asked, my patience running dangerously thin.

  The soldier’s expression remained tense as he lowered his raised hand, eyes studying me as if he were still processing something.

  A second later, he spoke again.

  "Do you even know where the portal is?"

  I exhaled slowly, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

  Was that really his concern right now?

  "Yeah," I said, keeping my tone level. "I heard the train announcement. It’s ahead, past the railway stop, near the tracks. Doesn’t sound too hard to find."

  The soldier still didn’t look convinced.

  He shifted his weight slightly, glancing toward the exit as if debating whether or not to physically stop me again.

  "And what if another soldier questions you out there?" he pressed. "You think flashing your ID is going to be enough?"

  I shrugged.

  "Should be. I’ll just show it again if anyone asks. Problem solved."

  The soldier let out a sharp breath, clearly frustrated.

  "Look, I get that you’re a hunter, but this isn't a simple situation. This isn’t just some ordinary checkpoint where flashing an ID gets you through. We don’t even know what kind of portal this is. For all we know, it could be high-ranked, and no one's prepared for that yet. Showing a card isn’t going to magically make everything fine."

  I met his gaze, holding it for a long moment.

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  He wasn’t wrong.

  Portals that appeared out of nowhere, especially on a railway, were rare.

  The uncertainty of its rank made it even riskier.

  But the alternative?

  Sitting back and waiting while who knows what came spilling out or is inside delaying me from being able to meet him until it resolved and the damn train can be allowed to move?

  I wasn’t interested in waiting, I needed to try my ability.

  "I’ll handle it," I said simply.

  The soldier's jaw tightened like he wanted to argue further, but I was already turning away.

  I had wasted enough time, and nothing he said would change what I was about to do.

  I stopped just before stepping off the train, turning my head slightly toward the soldier who still seemed reluctant to let me go.

  His brows were furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line, and the tension in his posture hadn't eased in the slightest.

  I sighed.

  "Look," I said, my voice even, "if they deny me entry, then fine, I’ll leave. I won’t argue, I won’t push my way in. I’ll just walk away and let you guys handle it."

  The soldier blinked, surprised by my sudden shift in tone.

  I tilted my head slightly.

  "And of course, that means if anything unexpectedly comes out of that portal… that’s on you guys." I let the words sink in, watching as his fingers twitched slightly at his side. "And if it’s something you can’t handle, if people start dying because you guys didn't accept me rather you look down on me, well, that’s not my problem, is it?"

  A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face.

  I shrugged.

  "Seems fair to me. You want me gone? I’ll go. You want me to step in? Then stop wasting my time."

  I could see the conflict in his expression, the way his instincts told him to keep pushing back, to keep following protocol, but at the same time… there was doubt.

  The kind that settled in when the weight of responsibility started pressing down.

  The soldier exhaled through his nose.

  "Tch." He took a step back, rubbing his forehead as if trying to will away a headache.

  I had no intention of sticking around for another debate.

  But as I stepped off the train, I heard him again, louder this time.

  "Wait!"

  I didn’t.

  "You don’t even have any assurance if they’ll let you through!" he called after me, his voice laced with frustration.

  I kept walking.

  Behind me, the murmurs of the other passengers grew fainter as I moved further from the train.

  The soldier, however, wasn’t done yet.

  I could hear his hurried steps as he followed.

  "You’re seriously just going to ignore me?" he demanded, his boots crunching against the gravel beside the tracks. "What if they turn you away? What if they don't accept you because of your... you know, rank"

  I sighed through my nose but didn’t slow down.

  "Then, just like I said, they would have to handle the problem themselves."

  I could feel his glare burning into the back of my head.

  "Damn it, that’s not the point! You can’t just—"

  But I could.

  And I did.

  I didn’t need his permission.

  I didn’t need his approval.

  I had already made my choice.

  Whether they let me through or not wasn’t my concern.

  For now my concern was reaching that portal and trying out my new ability and going to rest.

  And if this guy wanted to keep arguing?

  That was his problem, not mine.