The infirmary at the temple is not the quietest of places, but I don’t want to be left alone. I gave up my room after the first day back, surrendering it to people who needed more privacy than me, and moved upstairs. Besides, I got the corner bed with views of the greenery and sunshades outside. Can’t beat that.
I roll over, putting my back to the twenty beds in the room, most of them unoccupied, and stare out the window at my new home coming over the crest of the horizon, just below the sunshades. Hikari overtakes the sky, its surface a patchwork of blues and browns, lazy swirls of clouds racing over the landmasses and sea. In a few more days, I’ll take the shuttle with Rin, Shintaro, Kazuo, José, and anyone else who’s prepared to start their new life. Others will follow as they heal up. Soon, I’ll be there, looking up at Kurai.