Kenzo stood alone on the platform hand above his eyes, looking after Atman. "Welp... He's definitely gone, ha ha!"

But Atman didn't stay gone for long.

For a second after Kenzo's strike, the platform felt empty in the worst way. Rain kept falling. Leaves above swayed. The hole Atman made in the canopy dripped with water.

Raizen stared at the gap in the branches, trying to understand what he just saw.

Saffi stayed beside him, calm on the outside, but her eyes tracked the empty space like she expected something to come back.

Then something did.

A shape dropped through the leaves.

Fast. Faster than it flew up.

Atman came down like he aimed for the platform.

Black-blue smoke condensed around him as he descended, twisting fast, tightening into a thick, brutal shape. It didn't spread as fog this time. It formed a weapon.

A mace.

More than three meters long, looking quite heavy even though it was technically made from smoke, the head thick and ridged like it was carved from darkness and pressure. The handle fit perfectly into Atman's grip, and the whole thing moved like it was part of him.

Raizen's breath cut.

Atman didn't just fall back.

He lunged down. He turned Kenzo's swing against him

Kenzo's eyes snapped up.

For a split second, he didn't move, like he was still trying to figure out what happened. Then, in the last second, he stepped under it and raised his hammer.

The mace hit the hammer.

The platform shuddered.

Not a small tremor. The whole old structure shook under them like it was suffering an earthquake, and Raizen's knees bent on instinct. Water jumped off the wooden boards in a tiny burst.

A deep crack ran from under Kenzo's boots, spreading outward like a thin spider web in the wet wood. More cracks followed, branching in several directions, stopping just short of the platform's edge.

Raizen stared at the fractures, stunned.

Kenzo held the block anyway.

His jaw tightened, but his arm didn't shake.

Atman stood in the air in front of him for a second, smoke weapon still pressing down, rain sliding off his cloak and dripping from his chin.

Then he released pressure and landed lightly, like he didn't just try to smash Kenzo through the platform.

The mace dissolved into threads and slipped back into his cloak.

Raizen's mind was still catching up when a voice cut through the rain from behind them.

"Hey."

The voice was sharp enough that it sliced straight through the tension.

"You two" the voice continued dryly, "enough messing around."

Raizen turned.

Mina stood near the stairs with a transparent umbrella in one hand. Rain tapped against it in steady rhythm. She wasn't completely dry, but compared to everyone else she looked almost comfortable, like she prepared for this.

Her expression was flat and not impressed.

Not impressed at all.

Atman and Kenzo both paused like two kids caught doing something stupid in public.

Kenzo lowered his hammer. Atman's hands dropped to his sides, and even had the nerve to smile.

Kenzo did too, just a little, like he forgot he was supposed to look serious or regretful.

Mina's eyes moved to the cracks in the platform. She stared at them for a long moment, then looked back at both of them.

"If you want to do that kind of stuff" Mina said, "take your nonsense outside of Ukai."

Atman opened his mouth like he wanted to argue.

Mina lifted one finger.

Atman immediately closed his mouth.

Kenzo cleared his throat once. "Well... It was controlled."

Mina stared at him with a raised brow, then at the cracks and back at him.

Kenzo's confidence faded. "Mostly."

Mina pointed with her umbrella at the platform. "That wood is older than you. Stop trying to destroy it."

Atman nodded quickly, still smiling. "Yes. I mean yes, ma'am!"

Mina's eyes flicked to Raizen and Saffi under their small umbrella, frozen.

Saffi's face lit up the moment Mina looked at her.

"Miss Mina!" She greeted, suddenly bright again. "Good day!"

Mina's expression didn't change, but her tone softened by half a degree. "Good day to you too, Saffi. And I told you before, it's Mina. If I hear "miss Mina" one more time, I'll start touching you with nettles"

Atman rubbed the back of his neck when he heard that threat. Almost as if he experienced the same treatment once. Kenzo looked away and scratched his head, not knowing what to do.

Mina turned toward the stairs and gestured toward Raizen and Saffi. But her tone was softer."You two, come with me!"

Saffi practically jumped with excitement, stepping forward slowly, careful not to slip. She still remembered when Mina took her to the greenhouse and showed her a few splendid plants.

Raizen followed quietly, still replaying the fight, the cracks and the way Mina ended it, all in his mind.

Atman shouted after them, cheerful again. "We'll be right behind you!"

Mina sighed. "Mind your own business!" Then she just started walking.

Saffi and Raizen went down the stairs and back towards the Academy, leaving the old platform behind. The sound of rain echoed a little under the wooden rooftops.

Raizen heard Atman and Kenzo behind them for a moment, then their voices faded away. He didn't know if they took another route or if Mina's presence made them finally behave.

"Is the platform going to be ok? That crack didn't look too pretty" Raizen asked Saffi

Before she could answer, Mina brushed it off, saying that it'll probably be fine, and everything will be taken care of in the next few days... Or hours.

Mina led them through a few halls, then stopped at a wide glass door framed by wood.

One of the Academy's greenhouses.

Even before Mina opened it, Raizen got hit by many scents at the same time. Wet soil. Leaves. Something sweet and fresh underneath.

Mina pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Warm air rolled out immediately, very comfortable compared to the rain outside.

Saffi entered behind Mina and stopped like she walked into a dream.

"Wow" Saffi whispered, as if she didn't visit the same plave yesterday

Rows of plants filled the space, but it wasn't chaotic. Everything looked planned, organized by height and shape. Ladders and small wooden walkways ran between sections. Glass panels above filtered light into a gentle glow, and water trickled down thin channels in the corners, slowly feeding the soil without flooding anything.

Mina turned toward Saffi.

"You, Saffi, can look around as much as you want" Mina said. "But don't touch anything."

Saffi's eyes widened in disbelief. "I won't. I swear."

Mina nodded once. "Good."

Saffi stepped forward slowly, not wanting to run. She moved slowly, hands behind her back, scanning everything with the intense focus she usually saved for machines and weird mechanisms.

Raizen stayed near Mina, watching Saffi's face more than the plants. She looked happy in a way Raizen didn't see often. Not excited like she was about inventions. Not nervous like she was in meetings. Just… Genuinely amazed.

Mina glanced at Raizen and gave him a small look that clearly meant "come here."

Then she winked.

Raizen blinked, thrown off by the casual gesture.

Mina turned and started walking deeper into the greenhouse, quiet, but faster.

Raizen followed.

They passed a bed of flowers that looked like pale bells, each one hanging downward like it was too heavy to hold itself up. When Mina walked by, the petals shifted slightly, opening a fraction wider as if they reacted to movement.

Above them, vines ran along wooden frames, draped with round fruits that looked like glass marbles. Light passed through them and made them glow softly, each fruit holding a different tint. Some were faint green, some golden, some almost clear.

Raizen didn't touch anything. He didn't even lean too close.

Mina led him up a narrow staircase to a second level. The walkway creaked lightly under their steps, but it felt sturdy. From here, Raizen saw more of the greenhouse's layout. Layers of plants, shelves stacked with pots, and a few small pools where water lilies floated on perfectly still surfaces.

On one shelf, thin leaves grew in spirals, like they were shaped to curl that way on purpose. The leaves were patterned with faint lines, almost like veins made of silver. When the warm air moved, the lines caught light for a second, then vanished again.

Raizen glanced down.

Saffi was still on the ground level, slowly circling a tall section of flowering plants. She leaned close, eyes wide, whispering to herself like she forgot anyone else existed.

Mina kept walking.

They reached the second floor's back side and climbed another set of stairs toward a third level. This part of the greenhouse felt quieter. The air was still warm, but less humid, and the light was softer.

Mina slowed her pace and spoke without looking back.

"Well... This should be safe enough to talk" she said.

Raizen's posture tightened slightly.

Safe to talk?

That meant Mina wanted to talk about something that wasn't meant to reach other ears.

Raizen followed her onto the third floor walkway. Shelves rose around them like walls, lined with plants that looked more delicate here. Small blossoms with thin petals, pale red and white, clustered in tight groups. Tiny leaves that looked like they were made of soft velvet.

The place felt peaceful.

Raizen actually started to relax.

Then a voice came from behind a shelf on their right, casual and far too confident.

"No" the voice said, amused. "You're not safe to talk here."

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