Gilded Ashes-Chapter 265: Guess

Hikari’s gaze snapped to the upside-down girl like she recognized a stain on the floor.

"You..."

The word came out sharp. Not loud - but full of something unpleasant. Disgust, maybe. Or old irritation that never cooled down.

Enya blinked, still dangling by one ankle, still grinning like this was the funniest place in the world to have a conversation.

"Well, now!" She lifted both hands in surrender, palms up, swaying slightly. "No need to be so tense. Relax!"

Raizen’s heartbeat didn’t agree with her. He kept one hand anchored on a nearby branch, the other hovering near Hikari as if he could stop her from lunging, or stop her from slipping, or hopefully stop this situation from getting worse. The glass dome was still below them. The Echelon still debated in low, dense murmurs. The tightness in Raizen’s chest still hadn’t faded.

And Enya hung inches from his face like a random fruit that decided to talk.

"Enya" Raizen said carefully, "get down."

Enya pouted. "Bossy."

"Down." Raizen repeated, flat.

Then added, a bit softer. "Please...?"

For a half second she looked like she might argue just for fun.

Then she shrugged dramatically, waved her hand once, and the vine loosened. She dropped with a light thump on the branch beside them, balanced perfectly, then hopped down to a thicker branch like she had springs in her ankles. Another vine slid down like a handrail. She used it lazily, then stepped onto a stable section and brushed dust off her boyish shorts with exaggerated dignity.

Then she put her hands on her hips, chin up.

She looked like a kid pretending to be an adult and fully believing the performance.

Hikari didn’t move closer. If anything, she stiffened. Her eyes stayed locked on Enya like she expected the girl to grow thorns.

Enya noticed and grinned wider. "Ohhh. I remember you"

Hikari’s jaw tightened. "Of course you do."

"...Mean lady." Enya frowned.

Raizen’s eyes flicked between them. "You two know each other?"

Enya hummed. "Depends what you mean by know."

Hikari answered for her, voice clipped. "We tracked the dealer. The reason we came into Ukai in the first place. He was actually selling plant-based drugs. And guess what? He was getting his supply from someone who could grow... Very specific things."

Enya spread her arms innocently. "I’m flattered you noticed my craftsmanship."

Hikari’s look sharpened. "You were threatened."

Enya’s grin dimmed for a fraction of a second. Then it went away completely. Like she remembered something she really shouldn’t have. "They said they’d expel me" she muttered. "They said I’d never touch the greenhouses again. They said they’d tell everyone I was dangerous."

Her shoulders lifted, then dropped. "So. I made the stuff. Of course, I didn’t like it. I even made some plants only mimics, basically without effects, and I stopped when I could."

Hikari’s face didn’t soften. But something in her eyes shifted - not forgiveness, exactly. More like reluctant confirmation that the memory matched what she already knew.

Enya waved both hands again, forcing the tone back into mischief. "Anyway! That’s old. What matters is - why are you two acting like I just stabbed the sky?"

Raizen swallowed and forced himself to breathe.

His fingers still tingled from gripping the wet bark and the sharp edge. A few dried drops of blood were still on his palm, and his shoulders still held tension a bit. He didn’t like that Enya appeared in front of them at the worst possible moment. He didn’t like that her curiosity had no brakes.

But if she truly didn’t hear the Echelon conversation... That changed everything.

He exhaled slowly. "How long were you here?"

Enya pointed at herself. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

Enya rocked on her heels, considering. "I followed you guys quite a bit ago. I was watching the ceremony, when I saw two shadows go into the city center, and then I saw you start climbing like..."

Her eyes flicked to Hikari’s dress and she snorted. "Like that."

Hikari’s stare turned icy.

Enya laughed like it was an honest compliment. "I mean, wow. Brave! Climbing this trunk in a dress? Stupid, but brave. I could never."

Raizen pinched the bridge of his nose. "Enya..."

"Okay, okay." Enya lifted her hands. "I didn’t know it was you. And I really didn’t expect you two knew each other. I just saw movement where there shouldn’t be movement, and I got curious, that’s all!"

Hikari’s voice stayed low. "You were spying."

Enya leaned forward, offended. "I was observing. There’s a difference."

Raizen kept his tone controlled. "Did you see inside the dome?"

Enya rolled her eyes. "I’m not an eagle! There’s wet glass, branches, distance, and you were blocking half my view with your heads. All I saw was cloaks and a lot of hand waving."

Raizen held his breath. "Did you hear anything?"

Enya stared at him like he asked if she heard the roots growing. "Hear? From up here? With rain on leaves and marble echoing? Seriously..."

Raizen’s shoulders loosened for the first time since he turned around and saw her face. He didn’t realize how hard he held himself until the relief hit like weakness.

Hikari noticed it too. She shifted closer without thinking, shoulder brushing his again. A small protective reflex, maybe. Or maybe just guilt still pushing her nearer. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Enya’s eyes flicked between them, amused. "You’re welcome."

Raizen ignored that. "Did you see anything else weird, then? Anything unusual around the center?"

Enya brightened like she loved being useful. "Oh! Yeah. I saw a big black creature flying around earlier. Huge. Like..." She spread her arms wide, then widened them more. "Like a moving shadow with wings. But it disappeared before I could get a better look..."

Raizen lifted his brows, forcing mild surprise like an actor with no stage. "A creature?"

"Mmhm." Enya nodded. "It didn’t attack anyone. It just circled and disappeared."

Raizen nodded slowly, like he didn’t already have Elin’s dragon stamped into his memory. Hikari watched him for half a second longer than necessary, like she wondered what he wasn’t saying, then looked away.

Enya continued, waving toward the streets. "Other than that, the people still haven’t finished carrying that stupid coffin around."

Raizen’s eyes narrowed instantly. "Don’t call it stupid."

Enya blinked, then grinned. "Why? It’s ridiculous."

"It’s your Ruler" Raizen said, voice firmer now. "He died. He deserves your respect."

Enya’s expression didn’t soften. Instead she tilted her head and shrugged, casual and blunt like only a kid could be.

"Oh. That coffin?" She pointed toward the distant flow of white-clad crowd below. "It’s empty."

Hikari’s head snapped toward her. "What?"

Raizen froze. "Empty?"

Enya nodded like she explained the weather. "They buried him as soon as he died! Earlier this night."

Hikari stared, clearly thrown off.

Raizen thought for a second, but the pieces didn’t slide into place. Ukai’s joy. The white clothing. The branches and petals. The smiling tears. The crowd looping the city like a ritual meant to be seen.

It only made sense if Enya was the only one knowing this.

Raizen exhaled. "I see."

Enya looked pleased she won the argument. "Better this way, if you ask me."

Hikari’s mouth opened, then closed. She looked like she wanted to argue, but couldn’t find the right angle. She didn’t know the Ruler. She didn’t know Ukai’s traditions. And in the end, it wasn’t her place.

Raizen glanced down at the dome again.

They couldn’t stay here.

Enya stepped closer to Raizen, close enough to be annoying, and lowered her voice like she suddenly remembered danger existed. "So. We should get out of here before someone looks up and sees three dummies on a branch."

Raizen nodded once. "Agreed."

Hikari shifted, then looked down the way they came. Her dress clung slightly, enough to be really annoying. The lower hem looked stressed, like it fought her every time she lifted her leg. She leaned in toward Raizen’s ear, whispering so softly it almost didn’t reach him.

"My dress is almost ripped..." she admitted. "If I climb down fast, it’ll tear. I’ll have to go slower."

Raizen looked at the branches below, judged the distance, and sighed like a tired older brother who already knew he’d end up doing all the hard work.

"I- uhm... I’ll carry you down" he said quietly. "On my back."

Hikari blinked. Her cheeks colored faintly, and her eyes flicked away like she suddenly found the bark fascinating.

"You don’t have to" she murmured quietly.

Enya watched the whole thing with wide eyes, then made a face like she smelled something weird.

"My bad" Enya said, deadpan. "Sorry to interrupt your little moment, but you’ll either break your ankles or your necks around here."

Hikari’s eyes narrowed. "We’re not - "

Raizen cut it off before it became a bickering match on a tree. "Alright," he muttered. "Then what are you proposing, miss knows-it-all?"

Enya’s grin returned instantly. Worse than ever.

She lifted one hand.

Snapped her fingers.

"Guess."