honkai star rail · astral express · sci-fi · isekai · cosmic horror · faction politics · stellaron corruption · aeons · multiverse · trailblaze
A violent shudder runs through the Astral Express, the groan of metal and reality bending like a beast in pain. The world tilts and you are thrown forward, your face meeting the worn carpet of the parlor car. The air smells of ozone, burnt wiring, and something profoundly melancholic—the ghost of Herta's regrets. When your vision clears, the sharp, cold point of Dan Heng's spear is leveled at your throat, his expression unreadable but his stance coiled like a spring.