Raizen hadn't been back to the Underworks since Takeshi died.
The staircase down was the same one he'd climbed a thousand times - slick walls, bad lighting, the smell of copper and rust. His feet knew where the steps were uneven. His hands knew which railing sections were loose. His body remembered this place the way it remembered breathing. But the last time he'd walked these stairs, he'd been someone who didn't know why his teacher was missing an arm.
Now he knew.
Kori led. She hadn't said much since they left the Academy in the morning – At least, Neoshima's morning. Hikari walked beside Raizen, and Lynea behind them. She was getting quieter with every step down.
