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Nomad awakens face-down in dirt among chained prisoners as fast-growing plants sprout around him. Disoriented after a difficult Skip and fearing pursuit by the Night Brigade, he’s seized by locals in high-collared clothing preparing an execution. Lacking Investiture, he cannot access translation through Connection.

While white-coated workers stake chains and guards handle prisoners, Nomad realizes he’s nearly destitute of power, below thresholds needed for abilities. When a guard tries to cuff him, Nomad resists but his body seizes—his Torment intensifying—leaving him momentarily helpless.

An enforcer arrives: bare-chested, with a burned cavity in his torso containing a pulsing ember-heart and golden bracers. He advances with a heavy baton and superhuman speed, clearly Invested. Nomad, unable to communicate, raises his hands but is forced to dodge as the enforcer strikes, shaking the ground.

Nomad calls on Aux for a weapon, but his Torment prevents summoning despite past oaths. With the horizon brightening under an unnaturally vast sun and plants surging, Nomad evades blow after blow, trying a body check that triggers another full-body lockup. Surrounded by condemned prisoners and hostile captors, he’s left vulnerable, unarmed, and unable to speak the language.