Gilded Ashes: When Shadows Reign

Raizen and Saffi stayed frozen for a few seconds after the final chord.

It looked like a graceful ending pose, but it definitely didn't feel like it. It felt like a mistake they didn't know how to fix.

Then Raizen realized where his hands still were, and his brain finally caught up.

He let go quickly, but gently, stepping back like he didn't want to trouble Saffi. She straightened at the same time, smoothing her shirt without looking at anyone, cheeks still very warm. Both were out of breath in a way that had nothing to do with effort.

For a second, neither of them spoke.

They just stood there, trying to pretend this was normal.

But then...

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Slow. Theatrical. Dramatic.

Raizen's shoulders tensed before his mind even processed who it was. He heard this kind of sound before.

Atman stood near the edge of the ballroom with a grin that covered half his face. His clapping stayed slow, almost mocking, like he was congratulating them and judging them at the same time.

"Well, well well!" Atman exclaimed. "Look at that."

Kenzo was nowhere to be seen. Neither were any students. The ballroom felt too open without them, and the sound of Atman's claps echoed more than it should.

Atman tilted his head. "You two liars!"

Raizen blinked. "Huh?"

Atman pointed at them like a prosecutor. "You lied about not knowing how to dance! Yet..."

Saffi made a small sound that might've been a start to denying everything, but she stopped. Her ears turned a little redder.

Raizen opened his mouth, then closed it again because he genuinely didn't know what the correct defense was.

Sang approached calmly from the far end of the hall, conducting wand still in hand. Up close, his expression was composed, polite, and faintly amused in a way.

"Now that" Sang said, "was quite good."

His words carried the same refined tone as before, like every sentence was noble in its own way.

Raizen glanced at Saffi.

Saffi glanced at him.

Both of them looked guilty for reasons that made absolutely no sense.

What could they even say? Raizen never waltzed before, and Saffi guided him.

So she asked Raizen to teach her as an excuse.

Atman's grin grew wider. "See? Even Sang says so."

Sang's mouth twitched. Then, out of nowhere, he started laughing.

Not a polite chuckle. Actual laughter.

It slipped out of him, and for a second his whole facial expression cracked.

Atman's eyes lit up immediately. "What's so funny? Let me join in!"

Sang tried to stop, failed, then turned toward Saffi, still smiling.

"But - heh - but why" Sang asked, voice light now, "were you playing the man's part?"

Saffi froze.

Raizen froze too, but more out of confusion.

"What?" Raizen asked.

Sang gestured loosely, as if the answer was obvious. "The lead. The base. The direction of movement. You were following."

Saffi's face went from warm to fully mortified.

She looked like she wanted to dissapear.

Raizen stared at Saffi, then back at Sang, trying to process what that even meant.

Atman, of course, didn't help.

Atman's eyes widened with delight, and he looked at Saffi like he just found the greatest secret in Ukai.

"Oh" Atman said slowly. "Ooohh."

Saffi made a strangled sound. "Stop..."

Sang's smile stayed soft, but the amusement didn't leave his eyes. "I have to congratulate you, it worked well!" he added, as if he was trying to be kind.

Raizen scratched his cheek, still out of breath, and muttered the simplest truth he had.

"She could lead me better. So I just followed..."

Saffi's eyes snapped to him so fast it was almost violent.

Raizen immediately regretted saying it out loud.

Not because it wasn't true.

Because it sounded… Like something else.

Atman made a noise like he was trying not to laugh again.

Sang finally calmed down, took a slow breath, and regained that composed tone.

"My good man" Sang said, looking at Raizen, "you are the gentleman. You should not allow a lady to shoulder the hard work."

Raizen looked down.

"It was my first time trying" he mumbled quietly.

Sang blinked once, and the strictness softened just a little. "Ah?"

Atman clapped once more, but this time it was just one clap, like he stamped the moment.

"But hey" Atman said, voice delighted, "you didn't die, so that's a win!"

Raizen shot him a dissapointed look.

Before Atman could add something worse, Kenzo suddenly appeared from behind them like he waited for the perfect moment.

He threw an arm around Raizen's shoulder and the other around Saffi's, pulling them both in at once.

"You did an amazing job, since you danced for the first time" Kenzo announced, loud and proud, like he was finishing a speech. "And that's what matters."

Saffi made a small, embarrassed noise, trapped between Kenzo and the memory of what Sang just said.

Raizen didn't fight it. He was too tired.

Kenzo grinned at both of them. "Anyways, you don't actually need dance. It's not like you're going to be summoners or something!"

Raizen turned his head slowly and looked Kenzo dead in the eyes.

"I'd really love to try Eon summoning" Raizen said.

Kenzo's grin fell off his face.

"What" Kenzo said flatly, "did you just say?"

Raizen's eyes stayed steady. "I said I'd love to try it!"

Saffi blinked, then looked at Raizen with new interest. Her mortification was temporarily replaced by curiosity.

Kenzo pulled his arm back from Raizen's shoulder just enough to face him properly.

"You can't just -" Kenzo started. "That's not how it works."

Raizen frowned. "Ha? Why not?"

Kenzo waved a hand, frustrated. "Because it's Ukai's thing. Their culture. Their method. Their bond. You can't walk in and treat it like a new weapon style you want to learn."

Raizen didn't flinch. "I'm not treating it like a weapon." He remembered the way Elin treated Eon constructs: like life, not like disposable creation.

Kenzo paused.

Raizen kept going, voice simple. "I'm curious."

Kenzo opened his mouth again, searching for an argument strong enough to stop Raizen's curiosity.

He didn't find one.

Sang watched them with calm interest, wand resting loosely against his palm, like this was more entertaining than the dance.

Then Atman stepped in, eyes bright.

"I think" Atman said, "it would be a splendid idea."

Kenzo whipped his head toward him. "Atman."

Atman smiled innocently. "Whaat? If the boy wants to try, why not let him? I swear, you're ruining their youth!"

Kenzo pointed at him accusingly. "You can't encourage him every time he says something reckless."

Atman's smile widened. "I don't see why I cannot."

Saffi made a small laugh.

Raizen's eyes lit up, and it made him look more refreshed for a second, like the exhaustion couldn't fully weigh him down.

He looked at Sang, enthusiasm breaking through his usual calm.

"You have free hours now, right?" Raizen asked. "So you can come with us for a bit?"

Sang stared at him, then his expression went very polite, and blank.

"Oh, absolutely not!" Sang said.

Raizen blinked. "Huh?"

Sang lifted his chin slightly. "Categorically no."

Atman sighed dramatically. "Sang -"

Sang continued calmly, as if Atman didn't exist. "I am not going to waste my time stumbling through whatever chaos you are planning"

Kenzo muttered, "Mmm... Fair point..."

Raizen frowned. "We're not chaos."

Sang's eyes flicked to him. "She tripped over your own leg"

Raizen went silent.

Sang tapped the wand against his wrist again, satisfied. "I will, however, be borrowing Professor Atman's office."

Atman's head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

Sang turned and started walking as if the conversation was already over. "I merely intend to sleep."

Atman followed him a step. "Sleep in your own office!"

Sang didn't stop. "Mine is full."

Atman's brows rose. "Full of what?"

Sang answered without turning back. "Instruments, scores... Proper things."

Atman pointed at his own chest like he was personally offended. "And my office isn't full?"

Sang shrugged lightly. "Your office is empty."

"It is NOT empty!"

Sang yawned. "It's empty enough for me."

Atman made a sound of genuine pain.

Sang waved one hand lazily, like he dismissed the argument the way he dismissed students. "I'll return when I wake up."

Then he disappeared through one of the side doors without waiting for permission.

Atman stood there for a second, staring at the door like he was considering war.

Then he sighed, all excitement gone.

He turned back to the group, rubbing his face. "Okay."

Kenzo crossed his arms. "Okay what?"

Atman gestured around the ballroom. "So... Summoning classes aren't today."

Raizen now looked dissapointed.

Atman held up a finger quickly. "A - a - ah! Not bad news. It's just the schedule. You'll have to wait over the weekend."

Kenzo groaned. "Of course."

Atman nodded, like it was obvious. "And right now, students are in boring subjects. Same old things you're used to at Lotus Academy."

Saffi perked up a little. "Like math?"

Atman's eyes narrowed. "Worse."

Raizen stared at him. "Worse than math? What, Eon theory?"

Atman said it with full seriousness. "Chemistry."

Kenzo laughed at the grimace Raizen made.

Atman then turned toward Kenzo, and the grin came back, bright and eager.

"But" Atman said, "I can show you some... Intersting things around the Academy."

Kenzo's brows lifted. "Things?"

Atman nodded, already stepping toward the door like he couldn't help himself. "Things."

Raizen's earlier embarrassment faded as anticipation took its place. The dance was over, the tension broke, but the day was far from over.

Ukai kept offering doors you didn't know existed until someone opened them.

Atman glanced back at them, eyes bright.

"Come on" he said. "Before that problem student seals the hallways again..."