Asphyxia was still damaged in places.
Whole districts remained under repair.
Scaffolding lined several walls.
Fresh stonework had replaced old collapsed sections.
But the city itself—
The city was functioning.
Carts moved through the streets.
Soldiers patrolled.
Merchants shouted.
Workers hammered.
Mages repaired infrastructure.
It had not fallen apart.
That mattered more than anything.
Kai found himself smiling.
---
A commotion suddenly broke out ahead.
Several guards ran toward the road.
Nish appeared among them.
He stopped the moment he saw Kai's hovercraft.
Then looked at the machine itself.
His expression shifted.
Kai slowed to a stop.
"Nish."
Nish stared at the hovercraft.
Then at Kai.
Then back at the hovercraft.
"...Where did you get this?"
Kai shrugged.
"Long story."
Nish narrowed his eyes.
"I have time."
Kai smirked.
"Do you really?"
Nish finally stepped closer.
Up close, his surprise was obvious.
Not at Kai.
At the machine.
"I've never seen anything float this smoothly."
Kai looked pleased.
"Yeah, I helped fix it."
Nish crossed his arms.
"Really now?"
"I did."
Nish stared at him for another second.
Then shook his head.
"...I'll believe what you said."
"For now..."
He looked around.
Only then did something in his expression change.
His eyes flicked over Kai’s shoulders.