Timestamp: Immediately after Alex's clash with Gideon, while awaiting his registration results.

  Interlude: Where Hunters are sent to Die.

  The stone pillar cast a cool shadow over the courtyard, offering a brief reprieve from the sun’s glare. Alex leaned against it, his gaze distant as he tracked the next applicant stepping into the ring. His fingers tapped faintly against his leg, a quiet rhythm keeping his thoughts from drifting too far.

  A clerk approached Him, a teen barely older than his sister, the clerk’s excitement brought a smile to Alex’s features unbidden, reminding him of a home he had briefly forgotten.

  “You’ll receive your results within a few hours,” the clerk said. “You can wait here or leave an address for us to contact you.”

  “I’ll wait,” Alex replied.

  Alex stretched beneath the pillar, watching as the remaining applicants stumbled through their assessments. Some barely managed to hold their weapons steady. Others were dismissed outright. A few did fairly well, emboldened by Alex’s display. Although in their case, ‘fairly well’ meant that the injuries they received were slightly less than life-threatening. The clerks continued their work with mechanical efficiency, stamping documents and recording names. The scent of ink and parchment mingled with the faint metallic tang of blood from the growing injured.

  Alex sighed quietly, shaking his head. This is a waste of time for most of them. How unlucky.

  Footsteps crunched against the stone next to him. He didn’t turn to look, but he registered the shape and appearance of the person approaching—their presence lingering just above his immediate vicinity.

  “You looked like you’d rather be anywhere but here,” a voice said.

  Alex recognized her immediately—the woman with the halberd who had lasted longer than most. He glanced sideways to see Liora standing a few steps away, her arm completely healed and carrying her large weapon with a casual air. Blood still clung to her cracked armour, though the edges of the wound had been hastily patched with the healer’s magic. Her dark hair was pulled back tightly, strands sticking to her temple where sweat hadn’t yet dried. She scanned the surrounding applicants, her expression neutral, neither impressed nor intimidated, though a faint curiosity lingered in her eyes as they returned to Alex.

  “Probably true,” Alex replied with a calm exhale.

  Liora nodded once, then shifted her weight as if deciding something. Without a word, she took a step closer to the stone and settled next to him, lowering herself to sit cross-legged with her back to the stone. Her breathing was steady, though there was a lingering tension in her shoulders—like a bowstring wound too tight, waiting to snap.

  They sat in silence for a moment, both watching the courtyard as the next applicant—an older man with a large sword and shield—stepped forward. His stance was solid, but Alex could already tell his movements would be too slow. Gideon would handle him in seconds.

  Alex glanced at the clerks, who were still scribbling furiously on their parchments. “Hopefully this shouldn’t take more than another hour.”

  “Most likely.” She shifted slightly, stretching her legs out in front of her to relax her posture. “The Crown doesn’t like loose ends. They’ll want to finish the process before nightfall at the very least.”

  Alex hummed in agreement, letting his gaze drift to the next applicant—a wiry man with a pair of curved swords. The man moved quickly, striking with blurring arms, but Gideon intercepted every attack effortlessly, precise and unyielding.

  “You fought well,” she said after a moment, her tone matter-of-fact. “Didn’t expect someone to catch their weapon mid-fall like that.”

  Alex shrugged slightly. “It’s easier than it looks.”

  “Right.” Her lips curled faintly.

  “You from here?” she asked, her gaze still on the fight.

  “No.” Alex turned slightly to face her, before leaning back against the cool stone of the pillar. “You?”

  “No.” Her tone was calm, though there was a hint of something guarded in her expression.

  They lapsed into silence again, broken only by the distant sounds of the ongoing match. The applicant with the curved swords was already losing, and pretty badly, his movements growing weaker with each missed strike.

  Liora reached up to adjust the straps of her armour, her fingers brushing over the dried blood still crusted along the edges. She frowned slightly, wiping her hands on her breeches.

  “Hard to get a read on this place,” she muttered. “Feels like everyone’s either trying to prove something or hide something.”

  Alex nodded faintly. “Most places are like that.”

  “Maybe.” She tilted her head slightly, studying him. “You’ve been to a lot of places, then?”

  Clever. Alex met her gaze briefly before looking away. “Enough.”

  She didn’t press further, sensing the boundary in his tone.

  Instead, she glanced around the courtyard, taking in the towering stone walls and the gathered applicants still waiting their turn.

  “It’s different from where I’m from,” she said quietly. “Back home, tests like this are… quieter. Less public.”

  “Why?”

  Liora shrugged. “Guess it’s easier to keep things under control when fewer people are watching. Less chance of someone losing their head.”

  Alex hummed in agreement. “Seems like a sensible approach.”

  She leaned back slightly, resting her hands behind her on the stone. Her gaze drifted upward, toward the sky.

  “Not here, though,” she murmured. “Here, everything’s a spectacle.”

  A loud clang accompanied by a pained scream drew their attention as an applicant’s weapon was knocked from him, his arm hanging on to his shoulder by a thread of skin, muscle, and broken bone. The sound of the blade skidding across stone carried through the hall, cutting through the murmurs. The man dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. Gideon turned away, already signalling for the next in line.

  “Damn,” Alex exhaled softly. “They keep coming, don’t they?”

  Liora nodded. “Some will probably pass, most won’t make it,” she said. Liora muttered. "It’s rare for anyone to impress someone like him."

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  Alex kept his gaze forward. "You’ve seen it before?"

  "Heard of it a few times. Crown registration happens every few months. They cycle through different assessors, but Arlen? He’s different." She rested her elbows on her knees. "He’s one of those who enforces more than evaluates."

  "Enforces what?"

  "Order. Loyalty. Whatever the Crown decides matters most that day."

  Alex tilted his head slightly. "And you think he cares about hunters joining the ranks?"

  Liora’s lips curled into an amused yet derisive line. "I think he cares about knowing who’s who. They say he’s dealt with rogue Uniques. Mages, frontier beasts. Survived against the Houses, even.”

  She leaned forward slightly. “Agents like Arlen exist to enforce control. They show people what real power looks like and where it stops.“

  Another applicant entered the circle, his stance more confident than the previous ones. Alex watched, noting the way Gideon assessed him with a quick glance before moving forward. He remembered how Gideon’s passive regeneration had been almost instant, recalling lost blood and reknitting bone at near instantaneous speed. If that power extended to his entire body—even his heart or brain— then it was possible the man might be capable of surviving anything thrown his way, no matter the power difference.

  "Still, that seems like a messy system," Alex said after a pause.

  "It works. Mostly." Liora tapped her fingers against her thigh. "The Crown keeps the city safe and prosperous. Despite the location, it’s one of the richest cities in the region because of it. But hunters?" She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. "We’re expendable."

  "Conscripts for problems no one else wants to handle?" Alex offered.

  "Exactly. Monsters, cursed beings, rogue Uniques, mages, or clans too dangerous for regular soldiers. Hunters are called in when the risk is too high and the casualties don’t matter."

  Alex furrowed his brow, meeting her gaze and reciting what he had heard several applicants mutter in excitement before the test began. "But it’s lucrative. Lucrative enough to keep people signing up, even when they know they won’t last long, right."

  “If you live long enough, you’ll be rich in no time.” Liora turned her hopeful gaze away from Alex and back to the courtyard.

  They both fell silent as the current applicant landed a grazing hit on Gideon’s shoulder— more accidental than intentional, but still a feat none but Alex had managed to achieve. It barely made the man flinch. In one fluid motion, Gideon stepped inside the man’s guard and drove a fist into his midsection, sending him sprawling to the ground and vomiting blood. Strangely, Gideon seemed to hold approval in his gaze.

  Alex crossed his arms, turning back to Liora. "And the Houses? They hire hunters too?"

  Liora gave a short nod.

  "The Crown doesn’t like anyone undermining their control. Anyone can issue a request as long as they approve, but private hire is something of a taboo. Privately, yes. Officially, it’s frowned upon. Everything has to through the registry. "

  "But it happens anyway."

  "Of course. The Houses fund expeditions beyond Serra’s borders, looking for lost relics, and ancient knowledge. They need people capable of handling the dangers out there."

  "And the Crown doesn’t extend beyond the borders," Alex assumed.

  "They have enough to deal with inside the city walls." She glanced at him again. "Not everyone who goes beyond the frontier comes back. And those who do often bring back more problems than they solve."

  A heavy pause hung between them before Alex broke it. "Why become a hunter, then?"

  Liora’s gaze flicked back to the circle, where another applicant was taking his turn. "Because for some people, it’s the only way to have any freedom."

  "Freedom?"

  "From poverty. Uncertainty. The city. The Crown. Expectations." She leaned back, stretching her legs out in front of her. "Once you’re registered, you’re part of the system. But you can still choose your contracts. You can move freely from city to city. You can decide who you work for, and what risks you take."

  "And what happens if you cross the line?"

  "You disappear." Her tone was matter-of-fact, devoid of dramatics.

  Alex studied her for a moment. "You’re speaking from experience."

  Liora’s lips twitched into a sad smile. "I’ve seen it happen."

  Liora sighed. "Most of them won’t make it through the day. But a few will, and that’s all the Crown needs," she said. "Just a few strong enough to survive, obedient enough to follow orders, and expendable enough not to be missed."

  They both watched as another applicant—a young man in leather armour—approached nervously. His longsword trembled slightly in his grip. Gideon barely glanced at him before issuing the same command: "Draw."

  The fight ended before it began, and Alex could see Gideon’s disappointment even from a distance.

  "Poor bastard won’t last long," Liora muttered, shaking her head. "They send people like that to the Frontier first. It’s a death sentence."

  Alex glanced at her. "The Frontier? You mentioned there earlier."

  "You haven’t been?" she asked Alex, surprised.

  "Briefly. Barely.”

  Liora leaned back, her gaze drifting toward the horizon. "It’s worse than anything you’ll face in the city. The mana density out there is enough to kill someone who’s unclassed. Most civilians can’t even survive for long in some places. Too much magic in the air, warping everything it touches."

  She tapped a finger against her knee, breaking dried blood absentmindedly. “It’s lawless. Even the Crown won’t touch some of those regions. Nothing lasts long out there unless they’re backed by the Sanguine.”

  Alex listened, processing her words.

  “You’ve heard the stories,” she said, her voice low. “People disappearing. Whole teams sent there and never returning.“

  "The mana isn’t even the worst part," Liora continued. "There are monsters out there — things born from gods or whatever they left behind. And with the lack of laws there, everything is unpredictable… It’s dangerous. The only people who go out there are hunters or idiots."

  “The Houses are always out there,” Liora said, breaking the silence. “Always in competition, always looking for something—relics, old magic, things they can use to one-up the other Houses.” She hesitated, then said quietly, "Or remnants of the gods. Their creations. Things that don’t belong in this world."

  “And the Crown just lets them?”

  Liora suddenly stifled a laugh, as though the notion of stopping the houses was ludicrous. “What else can they do? Join them?” She laughed again.

  Alex said nothing, his expression unreadable. Instead, he asked, "You asked if I’ve been out there, I’m assuming you have?"

  "Once," she said. "Didn’t stay long."

  "Why?"

  Liora’s gaze grew distant. "Because not everything out there is meant to be found."

  Alex nodded slowly, his curiosity piquing. “I wouldn’t be so sure… there must be something out there worth the finding.”

  Before Liora could respond, a loud crash drew their attention again. The latest applicant was struggling to stand, coughing as blood dripped from his mouth. Gideon stood over him, impassive.

  “What brought you here?” she asked suddenly.

  Alex’s gaze drifted to the badge pinned to the cloak of one of the assessors—a symbol of acceptance, of entry into the ranks of hunters.

  “Opportunity,” he said simply.

  Liora nodded slowly. “Yeah. Me too.”

  The silence that followed wasn’t heavy. It held a quiet understanding, a shared comfortability suffusing the space between the two as if each breath they took filled what words might have left behind.

  The crowd murmured as others succeeded and failed, but the muted shift in the courtyard never eased. Several of the ones that remained shuffled uneasily, their gazes flickering between Gideon who stood in the centre of the courtyard, and Alex who remained rested in the pillar's shadow, observing the spectacle with Liora.

  Both watched the remaining applicants in silence. Some were nervous, their movements clumsy under Gideon’s scrutiny. Others were more composed, but few managed to last more than a few seconds against the enforcer. Gideon’s methods were brutal — broken bones, dislocated shoulders, and bloodied faces littered the courtyard by the time the registration drew to a close.

  Those around them both continued to murmur, whispers sweeping through the courtyard. Stolen glances from applicants between tests. They had never seen anyone hold their ground against Gideon for as long as he had.

  The assessment was over and Alex lowered his blade, but his grip didn’t loosen. He didn’t store it away. Their fight hadn’t ended, not really. Even as Alex walked away, he could feel the pressure of Gideon's attention still on him.

  I’m going to have to kill him, aren’t I? Alex could almost feel the inevitability of it.

  All eyes were on him. Every step through the courtyard felt more impactful than the last, though he hardly cared. The murmurs of the applicants blended into a dull hum in the back of his mind. You shouldn’t exist. The words lingered, even after Gideon had fallen silent.

  No shit, Sherlock, Alex thought with an internal scoff, though his outward appearance remained stoic and somber. They’ll eventually figure out I’m a rogue hero, I’m sure they counted the number of summoned… I might have to join one of the houses as a cover… Though the prospect of joining an unknown world-influencing oligarchy seemed like it would be something of a nuisance. So what if they found out who he was? If Gideon was the best this world had to offer, then things would be fine.

  He had no reason to exercise caution.

  But he’s not the best here, is he? Alex recalled the mention of Demigods, near-immortal beings who had been levelling for far longer than he had been alive. But if they were strong enough to pose any true threat, then they wouldn’t be stuck in a world bound to Jin and unable to free themselves from the clutches of a mere Qi-gathering disciple, regardless of whatever secrets the strange youth kept.

  What to do… Should I quietly experience everything this place has to offer, or tear through this world, carving my own path with nothing held back?

  Alex found himself leaning towards the latter.

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