The route took Atman chose led them away from the Academy's main platforms and downward - each bridge angling slightly lower than the last, the trunks growing thicker, the canopy less dense. The sounds of training faded behind them, replaced by the quieter rhythms of Ukai's lower levels. Less foot traffic here, fewer vendors. The platforms were narrower, older, the wood darkened by years of moisture and use.
Atman walked with exaggerated focus, as if finding the restaurant was his life's mission. He navigated the bridges without hesitation, taking turns, cutting through junctions that Raizen would've walked past without noticing.
They descended another level. The light changed - the canopy above was so thick here that the morning sun came through in scattered beams rather than shafts. The air here was warmer, a bit damper. You could look down the railings and see the ground below.
Atman stopped, all of a sudden.
