Raizen and Hikari didn't move for a few seconds.
They stood beneath the central tree, necks tilted back, staring at the glass dome half-hidden by branches. The building sat inside the trunk like it was part of the tree. Above it all, the dome glimmered with rainwater and lamplight, like a giant eye that never blinked.
Hikari's voice stayed calm, but Raizen heard the decision behind it.
"…We have to climb that."
They circled the base first, moving along the edge of the empty plaza where shadows fell under thick roots. The city center felt abandoned. Everyone walked with the coffin somewhere else, leaving this place too quiet. Even the air felt still.
Hikari walked right next to Raizen, looking for good angles and sightlines. Her black dress looked too elegant to move quickly. The fabric caught on her ankles the moment she stepped over a root. She pulled it free with a small jerk, annoyed, and kept going.
