13

Nomad is dragged at high speed behind a hovercycle, his baseline Investiture toughening his body while limited healing conserves his shrinking reserves. He endures burns and impacts, recalling the prisoners’ screams as dawn incinerated them. The cycles keep ahead of sunrise, implying the planet’s slow rotation and a society forced to live in perpetual pursuit of twilight.

After an hour of travel, the riders bring Nomad to a low, ramshackle floating city kept aloft by many struggling engines. He studies the gleaming planetary rings reflecting sunlight and deduces the city survives by constantly moving ahead of the sun, raising questions about fuel, food, and whether its power source could enable his next Skip.

Hauled up to the city’s edge, Nomad faces civilians and several ember-chested figures standing dormant. A tall man with glowing red eyes—apparently Invested—arrives; officers hurriedly unshackle Nomad at his order. The leader removes a glove and seizes Nomad’s face, but nothing happens, surprising onlookers who expected an effect.

Officers whisper a phrase—“Sess Nassith Tor”—which Auxiliary interprets as “One Who Escaped the Sun.” The crowd repeats it until the leader silences them. Sensing Nomad won’t fight back, the leader kicks and throws him, asserting dominance while avoiding triggering Nomad’s Torment.

As officers drag Nomad away, he hopes for a cell and rest. Instead, a fresh crisis erupts: the floating city begins to break apart, abruptly escalating the peril for everyone aboard and cutting short any chance for recovery or negotiation.