"The scent of Central City remains as familiar as ever, yet detached and alien, as if it had never truly changed. I am a stranger coming home."

"This will be an opportunity for a completely new beginning." As the scenery along the railway tracks steadily receded, keeping pace with the gentle sway of the train, such thoughts whispered in my mind.

"I'm leaving the comfort of my small circle to meet elites gathered from all over. What will the landscapes of the rest of the world be like?" The view outside the window shifted from residential districts to dense office skyscrapers, signaling that I was getting closer to my destination—Central City.

For beasts visiting the world's largest metropolis for the first time, the towering skyline of glass-and-steel skyscrapers would undoubtedly feel awe-inspiring. But for me, someone born here and who had spent most of the past decade in this city, it felt more like a strange mix of nostalgia and unease—an awkward sentiment of being a stranger returning to one's hometown.

"The freezing cold and eternal days and nights of the polar regions, the arid heat and drastic temperature shifts of the desert, the dry summers and rainy winters of the Mediterranean, the mild climate of the Westerlies... What different values might emerge from such vastly diverse environments? And in the exchange of these values, what new sparks could ignite?" I tapped my fingernail lightly on the glass of the window, observing how the interplay of lights and shadows in the bustling cityscape seemed to weave tales of both the mundane and the extraordinary.

"...The harmony of life animal and nature animal! And above them all, the Beastars, upon whom all beasts rely, will lead Central City into a golden age of coexistence and prosperity..." The train's electronic display, as usual, played a promotional video right before arriving in Central City. On the screen, the police commissioner, dressed in uniform, stood before the Central Government Complex, greeting all arriving passengers and providing reminders about rules and laws to prevent any unintentional offenses by newcomers unfamiliar with local customs.

"...All public escalators in Central City operate at high speeds. Please stand on the right and keep the left side clear for those in a hurry. Large Ungulate animals, please use the designated elevators..." Police commissioner working in a profession notorious for midlife weight gain, but the German Shepherd maintained his physique impressively well. I found myself glancing at him a few extra times before turning my attention back to the view outside.

I despised these official messages parroting "coexistence and prosperity." For life animals suppressing their hunting instincts and nature animals stifling their flight responses, living together was never as simple as they made it seem.

In recent years, the atmosphere had become strangely charged. Everyone could eloquently talk about coexistence, chanting it like a sacred and powerful mantra capable of solving all problems with a mere utterance.

Back when I was in middle school, every time I returned to Central City, the promotional videos highlighted iconic landmarks that exemplified the city's foundational spirit. Now, the tone felt clunky and preachy, like they were desperately afraid of any beast upsetting the harmony, disturbing the reflection of Central City on its calm waters, and bringing to the surface the unspeakable things hidden beneath.

Of all Central City's landmarks, my favorite was the Rex of Liberty statue. Erected at the harbor to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the end of the Life animal-Nature animal War, the statue bore an inscription on its pedestal that had stayed with me since the first time I heard it during a train's introduction video:

"Give me your fear, those bodies yearning to breathe free;

Give me your pain, those despairing souls cast aside.

Whether homeless or battered by turmoil,

Bring me all the forsaken animals, bring them all!

On this path to freedom, I lift my torch to light the night."

The bronze Tyrannosaurus rex holding aloft a torch served as the statue's central figure. While I found its message profound, I couldn't help but suspect some peculiar sense of humor was at play in its design.

"Wow, so handsome. Is he a model?"

"Yeah, I only noticed when I got up to use the restroom. He's sitting all by himself. Should we go talk to him before the train reaches the station?"

"No way, stop it! If you're so into him, why don't you go?"

"He really looks like Miyagi when he was younger. Do you think he's from abroad?"

"Yeah, so handsome!"

"Nana, don't you wolves have a reputation for being really open? I heard about a wolf couple once who did some obscene stuff in a café, not caring who was watching. Why don't you go try chatting him up?"

"Don't just believe those ridiculous urban legends!"

A group of young females seated across the aisle whispered among themselves. They wore outfits inspired by a temperate ecosystem theme—muted fabrics with bright green plant patterns and plenty of decorative trims that seemed to be this season's trend. After a brief commotion, I heard the distinct sound of a phone camera shutter.

"What are you doing? He's going to hear you!"

"Relax, look—his ears didn't even twitch. He's not paying attention to us."

Their chatter reminded me of small critters rustling in the underbrush, and it made my ears itch as if something was scratching at the back of them.

I tried my best to refocus on the scenery outside the window, suppressing the urge to scratch or flick my ears. As the city's nighttime lights disappeared into pitch blackness when the train entered a tunnel, I finally found some peace in the total darkness. Keeping my chin propped up with one hand, I observed the reflection in the window: those young females, now bored, packing their things, and the other passengers preparing for arrival.

Being complimented, of course, felt nice, but I found it difficult to take such shallow gazes and fleeting attention as genuine flattery. Over the years, I'd even developed a habit of occasionally knocking on my own head—just to remind myself that it wasn't hollow inside. After all, growing up constantly hearing how "handsome" I was from everyone around me had the potential to twist my personality.

The point wasn't whether there was actually anything inside my skull, but to use the physical action as a trigger to reflect on my life's trajectory so far.

In the window's glass, my own reflection glared back at me impatiently, as if ready to scold this pup—one who had just vowed to seize this opportunity for a fresh start, only to immediately falter, trapped in the anxieties of his past.

"This train is now arriving at its final stop, Central Station. Passengers, please prepare to disembark and ensure you have all your belongings with you..."

The announcement system began playing soft arrival music as nearly all the passengers started organizing their luggage or moving toward the doors.

The reflection in the glass curled its lips ever so slightly at one corner, revealing the tip of a canine tooth in what could almost be called a smile—albeit a disconcerting one. Still, I figured that expression likely meant my anticipation for the unknown outweighed the lingering weight of the past.