Those who still had the strength gasped and began to weep again at Haki’s cruel words.

  “Those who choose to serve may remain still and those who wish to carry out one final act of defiance may step forward to face me in combat. Victory for the brave who defeats me means you would all be free from my machinations.” Another sick grin crawled across his face, his jagged teeth letting his dagger words pass unimpeded.

  No one dared move.

  Not even the Elite Knight clad in what was left of his golden plating.

  Zǎo had spotted him in the crowd and the Kudamen had taken extra care to bind his arms in thick vines. Arms which had been brutally broken after he fiercely resisted capture.

  “Oh? So, none of you will fight for your own sakes? If you are sincere in your choice, bow before me so that I may bless you, allowing you to fight for mine.”

  Everyone around Zǎo began lowering their heads until they touched the ground.

  In her moment of hesitation, Zǎo saw that the Elite Knight sat completely upright, making Haki’s eyes narrow slightly.

  “I… I vow to not only willingly bow before y-you, I will diligently serve as your blade but… may this lowly one make a request on behalf of all who kneel at your feet?” The knight pleaded through bloodied teeth.

  “Go ahead.”

  The knight weakly nodded in thanks.

  “Please spare those who serve you from unearned pain.” He begged and this made Haki’s face soften significantly. His grin replaced by a deep consideration and a look of empathy that made Zǎo gasp a little.

  Haki walked towards the knight, taking care not to step on any of the kneeling.

  He then looked down at him with eyes that radiated an aching warmth.

  “My one promise to all who choose to serve me is equal treatment, so long as you join and aid me on the march towards my destination, I will not lay a harmful finger on any of you or utter a venomous word.”

  Zǎo didn’t want to believe it.

  These were just honeyed words the great evil before them was using to lull them into a state of vulnerability.

  Her racing heart could not even bear to imagine what was in store for them now that they had been broken down to the point of choosing subservience.

  Ultimately, Zap knew that the decision the knight was about to make was the only real one besides what could only have been an excruciating death.

  The knight bowed, prompting Zǎo to do the same but this meant she could no longer see Haki’s face or what he was doing.

  The great evil let out what sounded like a pleased hum before making a motion that made Zǎo flinch just by hearing the sound although no pain came from it.

  “Mmm… I wonder what’ll happen if I use this...” He muttered to himself.

  The air then warmed a little and everyone who knelt, including Zǎo, let out a loud sigh as she felt a wave of relief unlike any she had experienced in her twenty or so years of living.

  The gashes across her legs, ones she’d gained from trekking through the forest, closed and her body filled with an energy that was both incredible and gentle.

  The air also filled with the scent of flowers, as if everyone was inside a lush garden.

  Many began to weep uncontrollably, adults and children alike, at this new and comforting feeling but they all kept their heads down.

  “Alright… now…” Haki continued to mutter to himself as he audibly made more motions, however, this time Zǎo didn’t flinch.

  She instead closed her eyes and accepted whatever was to come.

  She couldn’t resist in the face of the force that was Haki and if he promised that everyone would be alright as long as they listened, then she was willing to listen.

  A wave of cold then followed and it came with it a sea of white smoke that hurt a little to breathe. It was a dull burn that darkened ones a vision the longer one took it in.

  Zǎo curiously opened her eyes and watched as her hands grew a little thinner and as her dangling, silky black hair turned white.

  The smoke cleared and everyone’s vision cleared.

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  “You may sit to face me.”

  Everyone complied allowing all to see that they had all gotten thinner and had white hair.

  Zǎo quickly turned her gaze to Haki who returned to his spot in front of them all.

  “Now you are all Death Touched meaning, of all living things, you are now individual part of our vision. Closer to Death but that much more capable.”

  Everyone looked themselves over as Haki stepped towards the exit.

  “I will allow you a moment to rest. The past few days have been rough on all of you, after all. One of my aides will then come to assist you after you’ve had some time to catch your breaths. I will be in my chambers seeing how best to incorporate you into my plans but for now, that is all.”

  Haki turned and left alongside the Kudamen and giant creatures who now stood guard outside the doorway, leaving Zǎo and everyone in a grim silence.

  The binds around the Elite Knight’s arms were then undone by an unseen force, revealing that his arms had been healed as well.

  Mutters followed.

  Whispers asking what any were to do in this most bizarre of circumstances.

  Many flocked to the Elite Knight, who introduced himself as Radius, who tried his best to calm those close to panicking.

  “Everyone, we are in the heart of the lands of our captors, it would do you well not to voice out each and every concern. For now, our only thoughts should be those of survival and that means doing exactly as we are told. The… benevolent Haki said that he would allow us a moment to rest so I urge that you do just that. Lay down, close your tired eyes and, if he is a man of his word, nothing should happen to us. I… I will do my best to protect you all should he decide to change his mind.”

  “I as well!”

  “Me too!”

  “I know we have no choice but to believe him but better safe than sorry, right?”

  Several knights and soldiers rose as they spoke, a hundred in total, nowhere near large enough a number to resist but the sight comforted Zǎo’s aching heart a little.

  Their spirits weren’t broken yet.

  And maybe… there was a chance…

  “Alright, men. Stand guard around the common folk. Also, are there any Healers or Mending Sisters among us?” Radius asked and, at his word, several rose, including Zǎo who Radius immediately recognized.

  “All of you, come here. Our wounds seem to have been healed but just go over those you can and make sure they are all well.”

  Yes! Zǎo celebrated internally.

  This was what a leader was supposed to be like. A beacon of resilience, hope and unity.

  Not someone who ruled through fear and force.

  Zǎo made up her mind and vowed to resist until the bitter end while acting otherwise.

  For the sake of humanity.

  She joined the other healers in checking up on everyone and, in a turn she had yet to make sense of, all of them had been fully healed.

  Setting aside the unimaginable amount of Willpower required to heal almost five thousand people, she couldn’t understand why he healed those he wished to subjugate.

  Wouldn’t it be smarter to break not only their spirits but their bodies as well?

  Zǎo sat alongside the other healers as things settled and it wasn’t long after that a man, clad in armour that resembled the skin of the gigantic creatures that now stood outside, entered the dark chamber. He wore no helmet, revealing a weathered middle-aged face and a head of dark, curly hair that had a few whitened strands. His eyes were sharp, scanning the whole crowd before him as one would when herding animals

  What surprised Zǎo the most was just how human he appeared.

  What was such a man doing in this nightmarish place?

  “My name is Herald and I will relay your Lord’s wishes to you as well as ensure your needs are well known to him. Follow me.” He turned and led the crowd outside where their bodies were reacquainted with the city’s biting cold air.

  Far above were the ice walls and within their bounds were humongous buildings of stone which Herald led everyone through along streets that were as wide as entire city centres.

  Zǎo joined everyone in jumping with fear as a group of creatures crawled past them.

  They looked like beetles but were as big as elephants and had bodies that looked as hard as steel.

  Zǎo knew of them.

  The feared Moon Beatles of the Forest of Briars.

  Her stomach ached as she wondered just how many Haki had possibly domesticated as Herald led her group to what would be their new home.

  Build within one of the superstructures of the City of Death were countless wooden homes that were built along and atop each other in neat rows that lined the cubical space with most being along the walls and a stack being in the middle.

  “There are a thousand accommodations in this building, you are free to distribute them among yourselves but I will expect a list of every resident and their unit number before the week ends, is that understood?” Herald crossed his arms behind his back.

  “Yes… sir.” Radius answered.

  “This place is fitted with a mess hall that has what you need for two meals a day. You will be resupplied every week although some of you will be expected to work as farmers.”

  Everyone who understood nodded and hummed in acknowledgement.

  “And while some of you will be allowed to serve more domestic roles, a majority of you will be joining Lord Haki’s forces so that he may reshape this world in his vision.”

  The air grew heavy at Herald’s words.

  “That is all-“

  “Pardon me, sir Herald. May I ask how the selection for inscription will work and will some be able to choose other jobs instead?”

  “Selection will be by aptitude.”

  Radius clenched his jaw a little at Herald's answer.

  “Anything else?”

  “Are you human?” Zǎo, who stood close to the two men asked and Herald dragged his unfeeling gaze to her.

  “Yes.”

  His reply echoed endlessly in her mind.

  How could he be human if he didn’t shed at least a single tear for those who had been so cruelly captured?

  “Is that all?” He raised a brow and this time, no one spoke prompting him to nod before he turned to leave.

  Everyone watched him walk towards the largest building in the city—the seat of death.

  Radius shook himself free of his daze and turned to the homes his people had been given.

  “Let us visit the mess hall first, I’m sure many of you are well beyond hungry now.” Radius directed before leading everyone to the central stack of homes which also held with it a large hall which most certainly couldn’t hold five thousand people but Radius organized everyone in such a way that they could be fed even if they sat outside.

  Zǎo was among those who couldn’t get space inside and so she sat on the cold ground as a team of people cooked in the mess hall.

  Meals were then distributed by the soldiers from before who ensured that everyone got a wooden bowl of what appeared to be a simple vegetable stew.

  Zǎo joined everyone in eating and she let out a sigh as the tinniest amount of the tension she felt was released.

  The meal, much like his words, lulled her into believing that maybe…