Gaius awoke with a start, the first thing he saw was a ring of sharpened wooden stakes, bound together to form a crude cage. It reminded him all too vividly of his earliest days as a slave-gladiator—captured, confined, stripped of any sense of control.

Memory eluded him at first; he recalled clinging to Kurai as they drifted downstream, half-submerged in the river's cold embrace, both of them barely conscious. His right hand—his remaining hand—now scrabbled against the rough floor, searching for leverage. A jagged spike of pain shot through him when he tried to use his left arm—only to remember it was gone.A ragged gasp escaped his lips. He turned, using his good arm for support, and caught sight of Kurai.

The samurai sat cross-legged at the rear of the cage, facing away, his breathing steady. Despite his calm, Gaius sensed the tension in every line of Kurai's body.

"You're awake," Kurai said, subdued. When he turned, Gaius's stomach twisted in horror.

"Your eyes, they—"

"Won't return," Kurai interrupted flatly. "As is the same with your arm."

A bitter grimace tugged at Gaius's features.

Kurai, blind now, couldn't see it. But the tightness in his voice betrayed the shared pang of loss.

Suddenly, a shout sounded from outside.

"Oy, Cap! They're both awake now!"

Peering through the slats of the cage, Gaius noticed at least ten men gathered around them, each armed—some with crude, vine-bound spears, others wielding steel blades or swords likely purchased from the System's shop.

A large man stepped forward, sword at his hip, a shield slung across his back, and a self-satisfied smirk plastered on his face. Despite his bravado, he kept a safe distance, as though sensing the lethal presence emanating from Kurai.

"Well, well," the man drawled. "Looks like you two have seen better days, eh? Mind telling me where you came from?" Gaius felt a flash of anger and was about to retort when Kurai's calm voice cut in. "We don't know."

A beat of silence followed. The man's grin tightened. "That's not very helpful. Tell me—at least what kind of creatures you saw.""We never saw any creatures," Kurai answered, face inscrutable. "We woke up in the river."

A muscle in the man's jaw ticked. "Listen here, you blind cripple," he spat, anger creeping into his tone, "you'll answer my questions, or I'll—""You're welcome to try," Kurai said, so quietly it made the hairs on Gaius's neck rise.

Though sightless, the previous samurai radiated a suffocating aura of cold menace.The man paused, eyes flicking between Kurai and Gaius before finally plastering on a mocking grin. "No need… yet. Let's see how you like roasting under this sun in your nice, cozy cage." He turned to leave, motioning at three of his followers. "You three, keep watch. Don't want anything happening to our new friends."

Harsh laughter rippled through the group as the large man moved off.

Only then did Gaius notice how the environment had changed: they were no longer in dense jungle.

Dry, cracked earth and hardy scrub brush ringed the clearing, with the jungle's edge looming in the distance. It looked as though they sat on the border between forest and desert.

Once the bulk of the men had dispersed, Gaius turned to Kurai with a wry smirk. "These stakes aren't much. We could break out whenever we want."

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Kurai's expression didn't shift. "Yes, we could. But we won't. Not yet."

Gaius frowned. "Why not?"

Kurai exhaled, lifting his hand running it across the branches of the cage. "Look at us. You've lost an arm, and I can't see. We might escape this cage, but surviving what lies beyond is another matter entirely. I can't fight an army of people or beasts if I can't see them. And you need time for your wounds to mend."

Gaius grimaced, staring down at his bandaged stump. "I doubt the aether is ever giving me that arm back. Seems it can close wounds, but it can't restore what's gone."

"Exactly," Kurai said, his tone bleak but composed. "Same for my eyes. Even the healing potions fix what they can, but regeneration has its limits."

"So we just wait?" Gaius asked, frustration coloring his voice.Kurai turned his head slightly, as though listening to the distant sounds of the camp.

"I'm working on something," he said quietly. "It might take time."Gaius said nothing, only braced himself against the hot sun as it rose higher, turning the cage into a stifling trap.

***

All through the day, Gaius felt the oppressive heat pressing down on him. The wooden cage seemed to absorb the sun's rays until the air inside shimmered. He watched beads of sweat form and drip down his bare arm, his eyes darting occasionally to Kurai. Despite the punishing sun, the mans expression was a study in concentration, as if he were engaged in some silent, internal struggle. Gaius couldn't see what exactly Kurai did, but he sensed a subtle pressure in the air—like the faint hum of a distant current swirling around him.

From beyond the cage, bursts of laughter rose in irregular intervals, a jarring contrast to their grim predicament. Dozens of people milled about—too many to count precisely. Gaius occasionally glimpsed the broad figure of Captain John, the man who'd confronted them earlier, but the so-called "Cap" had made no move to approach.

Not until dusk, at least.

When the sun sank lower, painting the sky in muted oranges and purples, Captain John finally strode toward them again.

His gait was casual, but his posture radiated impatience. He stopped a few paces short of the cage, hands resting on the hilt of a sword at his hip.

"How're we feeling, boys? Tired of the heat yet?" he mocked, eyes flicking between the two captives. Seeing neither sign of desperation nor begging on their faces, he scowled.

"It's time you told me where you came from, how big your group is, and how you both got so messed up." Silence stretched out. Gaius stared ahead, saying nothing, and Kurai maintained his impassive mask.

The lack of submission tugged at John's temper, prompting him to step forward.

Just then, Kurai spoke, voice cool and level. "We'll give you the answers you're after—if you provide us food and water first." John paused, surprise flickering across his features before it twisted into a smug half-grin.

"Ha! Finally coming around, eh? Figured the sun would break you eventually, you pale-skinned cripple. Fine. Spill it, and I'll see you fed.""Food and water first," Kurai repeated evenly.That set off another tense round of bargaining.

John demanded to hear what they knew before he handed over any resources; Kurai refused to yield, insisting on the supplies first.

As the back-and-forth wore on, John's outrage began to boil over. His fists clenched and unclenched around the bars of the cage. "Fine," he bit out at last. "You can rot in there. Let's see how you hold up through the night cold—and no rations, no water. In the morning, maybe I'll come back. Maybe."

He spun on his heel and stalked away, barking orders at a handful of guards to take the next shift.

Gaius let out a weary exhale, shifting his body to ease the pressure on his torn shoulder. "What was that all about?" he asked under his breath. "We could've played along—fed him lies or half-truths, at least gotten something to eat."

Kurai's blind gaze turned fractionally, as though he could still sense Gaius's position. "Time. I need the night and part of tomorrow to focus on… what I've been doing. If we gave him information now, it would just speed up his plans. This way, he's the one waiting on us."

Though he didn't fully understand, Gaius respected Kurai's confidence. Perhaps the former samurai's time in solitary reflection had allowed him to hatch some strategy. The notion was a small balm against the hunger pangs already gnawing at Gaius's empty stomach.

He was about to ask more when Kurai shifted closer, lowering his voice. "Use the downtime to focus on your aether. I can sense you've got only a trickle, but we'll work on that later."

A short chuckle escaped Gaius. "Sure, can't wait."

They fell into an uneasy silence, only the desert's cooling night air and distant laughter breaking the hush. As the shadows deepened, Gaius watched Kurai's face harden into that intense focus again, and despite his own doubts, he felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps the battered man truly had some plan brewing.