Midnight.
Hazuki lay quietly on the grass in the orphanage courtyard, arms folded under his head, eyes half-open as he stared at the night sky. The stars were clear tonight. No clouds. Just quiet wind brushing the treetops.
Ridan floated down beside him, landing softly like mist taking shape.
Hazuki blinked, glancing sideways.
"…I thought spirits couldn't land on the ground."
"For regular spirits, yes," Ridan replied, his voice calm. "But I'm an ancient spirit, remember?"
"Hmm." Hazuki gave a small nod and returned to watching the sky.
They stayed like that for a while. Just the two of them. The night wasn't cold. It was the kind of silence that didn't press. Just drifted.
"So what next?" Hazuki asked quietly.
Ridan didn't answer right away. His form drifted slightly upward, then floated parallel with Hazuki.
"You said your dream was to sightsee the world, didn't you?" he said eventually.
"Yeah." Hazuki's voice was steady. "I'm still new to this world. Haven't seen much."
