"Another one for you, Menya," said the man dragging Zu Mari toward captivity. "Very high potential, entirely untrained. Caught him trying to scavenge from the bodies."

Menya, a cold-eyed woman with tightly braided black hair and striking jade-colored eyes, nodded and dragged Zu to his feet. "Well done, Chend. Keep searching."

Chend gave a hand sign, then turned and left. Menya threaded a silver loop around Zu’s neck, over both wrists, and around his waist. Then fused the remaining thread into a ring which she connected to the heavy chain.

Zu smiled at her, still a bit dizzy and disoriented from the impact spells Chend had used to ‘capture’ him. “Good to meet you, Menya,” he said. “I am Zu M—“

Menya punched him in the mouth. “Do not address your betters, kevnis. Be silent.”

Zu swallowed, tasting blood, and forcefully reigned in his desire to snarl back. He had no protection now, no certainty that he could reset time at will. He could incinerate himself instantly if he wanted, but without the loop to put him back together it would be a true and ignoble end.

He forced down the desire to lash out. He would wait for his presence to wear her down. Just… wait.

Waiting was not something Zu Mari was used to doing. All his life, he’d fought and struggled, screaming against the injustice of his birth and inability to change his fate. Then, for a few glorious months, he’d had all the power and freedom to do as he wished and live to finally grow stronger.

Accepting a return to inaction and subservience went contrary to his very nature.

But this was only temporary. A means to an end. Even standing here was slowly eroding Menya’s evilness and would convince her to aid him in bringing peace to Serena’s world.

Be patient.

His lip throbbed where Menya had hit him. He could feel it swelling and hot, the taste of blood still in his mouth. His head still rang with phantom impacts, his soul echoed with traces of unfamiliar power.

He missed his loop cube. He missed Heart of Fire and Spirit of Twilight Death. He missed Death Shadow’s eternal loyalty, and Little Otter’s presence on his shoulder. He hoped they would be safe without him there to protect them.

But to save Serena, he’d struggle on alone for as long as it took.

“Help!” someone shouted. “Please, help, someone!”

No one reacted, except one of Zu’s fellow captives.

A young man with dark eyes raised his head with a look of devastation. “Kia, run!” he shouted hoarsely. “Remember your—aaaah…” The silver loop around the man's neck tightened suddenly, choking him off mid-word. Zu saw the woman at the front of the line flick her wrist, and the loop loosened just enough for the choking man to draw a shallow breath.

“Be silent,” Menya hissed. “Obedience is the first lesson you must learn if you are to survive.”

The young man’s dark eyes bored into Menya, as though he wanted to carve out her heart slowly, but he did not try to shout again.

Chend returned, dragging a struggling and whimpering girl, couldn’t be older than twelve. The angry man tensed and jerked at the chain, but the weight of his fellow captives held him back.

“Found this one hiding in a sealed basement. Minimal potential, not sure she’s worth it, but you did ask for everyone.”

Menya looked between the struggling Kia and the dark-eyed man who clearly cared so much for her wellbeing, then smiled cruelly. “I can find a use for her. Bring her.”

Zu nearly burst into motion right then and there, but the ache of absence in his soul reminded him that he’d left almost everything behind. No more second chances, and he’d died enough times to know sometimes reckless bravery ended up worthless against a truly stronger foe.

Every battle could be won. He just had to figure out how.

Kia was looped into the chain just behind Zu, and when she saw his look of compassion she buried her face in his stomach, sobbing.

“Keep her quiet,” snapped the woman at the front.

Chend departed again, his job done, searching out more victims. Zu held Kia close, muffling her voice with his body and helping her along. Though Menya gave him the occasional sneer, she didn’t try to hurt either of them. Zu supposed his efforts were worth something, then.

The line proceeded slowly in this manner for some time, moving through the streets with occasional stops as Chend or one of five or so other individuals brought prisoners to join the ever-lengthening chain.

Zu began feeling intensely thirsty, and wondered if prisoners would be allowed food and drink at any point. The line of captives had more than doubled by this time, putting him more to the middle than at the end. He worried that this meant his Protagonist Fragment would only impact the fellow prisoners rather than their captors, but if he tried to speak he’d not accomplish much.

By the time they left the ruined city, Zu was entirely tired of the whole ‘prisoner’ thing and very much regretted his impulsive decision to go undercover. A thousand times he held himself back from self-incineration by the reminder that there was no loop bubble here.

The loss of freedom stifled his soul. Like he was once again the helpless creature who’d had no recourse but to punch trees, reminding him of year after year of hopeless failure. For a moment he wondered if perhaps the months spent freely learning from his family library, and then roaming the world at his own pace in a manner of his own choosing, perhaps it had all been only a dream. A fantasy of a desperate man.

But he felt the phoenix burn within him, however faint and dimmed by his captors’ power. He felt the gentle touch of his familiars and his sword, four tiny points of light stretching away into another world. Directionless but present. One tugged back at him, stretching, searching. He thought it must be Heart of Fire and Spirit of Twilight Death. His familiars were younger, not strong enough to do so much.

He was not helpless. He would not remain helpless.

He was Zu Mari, future lord of the heavens, and he would endure until he could conquer.