Gilded Ashes-Chapter 38: House Rules

They left the med wing in a little three-person line that looked way more official than it really was.

Raizen walked in front, hospital shirt traded for a clean white blouse and jacket. Hikari stayed half a step behind his left side - close enough to grab his elbow if he slipped, far enough to pretend that wasn’t her plan. Kori drifted on his right, angled just ahead, talking like the world belonged to her.

A few medics looked up from their tablets as the three passed. One older woman gave Raizen a short, respectful nod.

"Careful" Hikari murmured as the corridor turned into a low ramp.

Raizen’s step shortened without him meaning to. He didn’t stumble, but his legs complained.

"I have it" he said. "Thanks."

She nodded, as if that answer counted as a win.

"Of course you have it" Kori said, sweeping her hand over the exit sensor. "You’re a hero. Heroes walk down ramps, they pose, they sign autographs. Once Arashi did all three in under five seconds and a sponsor cried."

"I did not cry!" a passing Warden muttered under his breath.

"Not you" Kori called after him. "Different sponsor. Better hair."

The doors slid open.

Outside, Neoshima rose in layers.

Towers climbed, reaching for the sky, faces of glass and steel catching what little light pushed through the clouds. Bridges and walkways crossed the open spaces, stitching building to building.

Raizen breathed in. The air felt different than the Underworks. Thinner. Cleaner. Like the city had more space for each breath. His legs still felt heavy, like someone had poured sand into his pants, but each step outside seemed easier than the one before.

Hikari matched his pace without comment. She offered her arm once, quietly, without looking at him. He pretended not to see it, cheeks red, but stayed close enough that if he lost balance, he would at least fall onto her instead of the ground.

"So" Kori said, hopping down the stairs two at a time, then waiting at the bottom while they were still halfway, "what did we learn today?"

She started ticking off points on her fingers.

"We learned that Raizen has a button marked "do not press" unless you want the world to cut sideways. We learned that Hikari can draw pretty blue circles..."

"Where do you want to go with this?" Raizen sighed.

"What I’m saying is that I didn’t even need to teach you. Using your Luminite weapons came naturally. Of course, you used the crappiest forms ever, but you used it right when you needed."

"So...? What does that mean?" Raizen raised both his brows again.

"Nothing, really. I just want to acknowledge your merits! You did well."

"The others were awesome, too..." Hikari protested, still remembering how Esen’s shockwaves hit.

"Yeah, I think that Iris is one step away from being promoted to saint for handing out heals like festival candy. And honestly, I have seen better healing - there was once another Phalanx member who could patch up a dozen people at once."

Hikari’s mouth tugged up. "You are quite unfair to Arashi. He was very strong, too."

"I am extremely fair to Arashi" Kori corrected. "I say he is beautiful, and he is, in fact, beautiful. I say he’s sometimes powerful, when he takes things with the slightest of interest. That’s true, as well. This is balanced reporting."

She clasped her hands behind her head as they walked.

"We also learned that Feris believes in destiny so loudly it gave me a headache. Her swings were half luck, half sheer strength."

Raizen almost laughed at that. Almost. Thankfully, he saved his ribs the extra stress

They passed under an arch that opened the way for some sort of residential area. A sign read "The Nest", and another, shinier version displayed "The Hive".

Here, the towers still rose, but their bases softened. Low houses and mid-level blocks spread out between the giants, with wide windows and curved balconies.

"The medics took good care of you" Kori told Raizen. "So please don’t leave your last breath on my doorstep. That would be rude. Also, the paperwork is horrible."

Hikari tilted her head. "The paperwork?"

"Ruining the public Academy image, heh. I only bribe people with pastries on special occasions."

"You really like pastries, don’t you" Hikari asked.

"Pastries are proof that the world still has hope" Kori replied.

They turned down a quieter lane. Kori’s building sat at the far end - a narrow, two story wedge squished between a taller block and an open courtyard. White walls, gray trim, a small balcony that curved like a smile, ivy climbing beneath it. The door was wooden, dark and worn at the handle.

Kori pressed her palm to the sensor hidden under the handle, then pushed the door open with her shoulder.

"Behold" she announced, stepping aside, "domestic bliss."

The main room was... Busy, to say the least.

Kitchen and living space shared one open area. A long counter sat under a row of hanging utensils. An induction surface was set into the dark worktop. A rack of cups sat above - none of them matched.

Raizen thought that mismatched cups might just follow him in life.

Underworks. Neoshima. Same story.

Different... People.

Different... Stories.

Different... Context

The living area had a low table, a couch that had seen better days, and a large plant in the corner that had quietly turned into a small tree.

Pinned on a wall, a shelf held a row of instant photos in different frames, each picture rotated a little off center. The light gleamed too much for Raizen to see anything in them.

"Shoes by the door" Kori called over her shoulder, already kicking hers off and somehow hiding a stray sock under the couch with her toe.

"Mugs are clean unless Arashi washes them. The couch is broken, and sometimes closes in, swallowing you. The table wobbles. Everything else, you’ll find out over time"

"Who does the cleaning?" Hikari asked, eyes already tracking dust with quiet attention. But there was no dust in sight.

"Democracy" Kori answered proudly.

"Which means I have to do it when Kori forgets democracy exists and dictatorship kicks in" a voice answered from the kitchen.

Keahi stood by the counter in a loose tank top and dark shorts. Her flame-colored hair was pulled back into a rough tail. She had a dish towel over one shoulder and a jar of something dark and spicy in one hand.

She looked at them, looked away, then back, as if trying not to stare and failing. "You made it" she finally said. "Hi." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Hey" Hikari said. Her voice came out warmer than she had planned. "Your home is... Very nice."

"It’s fine, I guess..." Keahi said. She hesitated, then turned to Raizen, letting out a cheeky smile. "You were crazy. In the arena."

Raizen bowed his head slightly instead of answering right away. Compliments felt harder to handle than Nyxes.

"Thank you" he said, then failed not to cough right after.

A soft clap sounded from the couch.

Arashi came up from under the cushions with the grace of someone standing up for an audience. He had a white shirt with rolled sleeves, dark trousers without a single wrinkle, and hair that fell into place like he rehearsed every move.

He crossed the room with slow, measured steps.

"I will agree" Arashi said. "Under protest, because I would have preferred to win. But it was astonishing. Refined. Reckless. Barely controlled." His mouth curved. "Magnificent."

Kori flopped sideways the couch so her head hung upside down, and pointed at him. "Look! Exactly what I told you. Brooding, posing, complimenting in one sentence. Literally sponsor bait."

Arashi ignored her. He stopped in front of Raizen and dipped his head in a small, formal nod.

"You were very fast."

"You were very annoying" Raizen replied. "The distance is very hard to close when you keep aiming at my joints. Take that as a compliment."

Arashi’s smile deepened, just a little. "We can both be correct."

"Sit" Kori said. "Or stand. Or lean. We also have a beanbag, but it has its own opinions, and it might swallow you like the couch."

"I’ll sit, thanks" Raizen decided.

He made his way to the couch. His legs argued with every step, but he got there without help.

Hikari sat beside him, careful not to bump his arm. Her back straight, like she was ready to jump up at any time.

Kori dropped onto the rug, cross legged, and reached for a jar of candied ginger on the table.

"So" she said, food already in her mouth, "welcome briefing."

She pointed toward the ceiling.

"The attic is yours. Two beds. Some shelves. One window with an acceptable view. Please don’t open the boxes marked with blue tape. Or the ones under the gray cloths. Or do open them, but put everything back EXACTLY how you found it, and pretend you never even breathed near them. I will also pretend I didn’t notice. We can all lie together. It will be great."

Arashi leaned against the arm of the couch, arms folded loosely, watching Raizen’s face. "You look like you intend to climb the stairs out of spite" he said.

"I intend to climb the stairs because the beds are up there" Raizen answered, smiling. "Spite will help."

"If you want help with the bag" Hikari offered, "I can carry it."

"I got it" Raizen said, then added, softer, "Thank you."

"Obviously" Kori said, dropping another piece of ginger into her mouth and talking with her mouth full. "Before you go up and test your heroic stair climbing, kitchen tour."

She pointed with the jar.

"Knives are sharp. Too sharp. The fridge top shelf is for experiments. Do not touch, if you still want your taste buds alive. Also, Keahi’s spice drawer is a trap. Do NOT sniff the jars. The last person who sniffed them ascended to a better place."

"Home" Keahi said dryly.

"Yes, home" Kori said. "With a very numb tongue and throat."

Keahi shook her head, but not resisting a smile.

The room felt full, but not crowded. Different lives, different pasts, all in one space now.

Raizen let himself lean a little deeper into the couch.

His muscles still ached. His lungs still held the burn of the dash. Gold still flickered faintly somewhere in the back of his mind, like an afterimage. But here, the air was warm, the world didn’t try to knock him down, and nobody was screaming over a loud speaker.

Hikari relaxed a little beside him, shoulders dropping as she listened to Kori list all the house disasters that had already happened.

Arashi stood at the edge of everything, leaning on the wall, like he was guarding the room without admitting it.

Keahi stirred something on the stove, tasting it with a spoon and then adding one more pinch of spice. Then another one. And a third.

Outside, Neoshima moved on - trains gliding, lights changing, clouds shifting.

But inside, for the first time since the Underworks, Raizen felt something.

A place to start from, instead of run and hide through.

He looked around the room again - Hikari, Arashi, Keahi.

The people who had passed the exam with him. And... Kori.

The people he would stand with next.

"Well, then... Welcome home" Kori finally said, more casual than Raizen preferred.

He let the thought settle.

Home.

It didn’t feel wrong.

Not this time.