Hikari didn't stop walking until the crowd fell behind them.
Raizen followed without question, half pulled, half guided. The farther they got from the chaos, the more the noise dulled. Of course, the music didn't vanish, but it turned into a distant layer - like Ukai's sounds were somewhere behind a wall.
They reached the edge of the platform where street shops and quiet doorways lined the edge. Hikari finally let go of his sleeve and took a slow breath, shoulders rising and falling a few times. Her cheeks were faintly pink from the squeeze of bodies and the effort of cutting through them.
Raizen stood beside her, catching his own breath. The ceremony still sat in his chest like a stone. He kept glancing back toward the white cloth and petals, toward the coffin that kept circling.
Hikari followed his gaze for a second. She straightened her dress, and hit off any dust. She wore a simple black dress, with simple, yet elegant lining, and a subtle pattern near the edge.
