Tanguy was torn between two conflicting attitudes.

Part of him loathed Remus. Wanted to see the first enemy they stumbled across on the front lines smash his brains into mush. The other couldn’t fathom how much of an idiot he was.

Everyday, Hadrian would talk to him about old philosophies. Things like the cycle of revenge, karmatic ideals, morality — all things that sounded like gibberish at first, but were slowly starting to make sense. Every night, his mind would replay leaving the clan; that bold anger that had driven him to confront Remus; both of their bouts and the twisted feelings he’d basked in afterwards.

When he fell asleep, after hours of twisting and turning, his nightmares were much the same. Only in vivid detail, with sinister twists that put knots into his stomach.

Instead of fighting Remus, his enemy would be some demonic apparition. Clawed, horned, and with a mouth leaking with Ichor. The blood wouldn’t stop pouring, until, somehow, Tanguy was drowning in it. The demon would disappear, their fighting stage would vanish. Everything would cease to be.

Save for that ocean of Ichor. His own personal realm of gold, but this was no treasure. The feeling of drowning would haunt him. And right before it became too overwhelming to bear, he would wake up in a flush. Or enter some other disturbed vision.

Together with Hadrian, the Flame Clansmen at the back, Remus, and some newcomer called Aziel, they marched along. Violet was in company too, though was clearly doing her best to look as inconspicuous as possible. Veida was off having a field day with all the Unbounded samples she could get when thousands were being slaughtered per day. Tanguy sincerely hoped she would come across some world-shattering discovery soon, like the Unbounded’s greatest weakness. That way, he wouldn’t have to bear the burden of hearing about how the fiends were getting closer to their bases everyday.

Somehow, he, Remus and Aziel all started walking apace.

“So this is Tanguy?” Aziel asked sceptically, completing the last shade in their contrasting hair trio. Black, ginger, and blond. Then Tanguy remembered that wasn’t completely true. He was shaved down to the tiniest fibres on his head. The whispers of a buzzcut were the most you could see.

“Yep,” Remus replied, always so succinct about the whole matter.

The pair felt like they were walking on eggshells whenever conversing, and based on the pursed line of his lips, Tanguy suspected Aziel felt much the same way.

“You probably haven’t heard the best things about me.”

“No.” Aziel's lips softened a little. “Though, you’re not what I imagined when Remus first described you.”

“That was a long time ago.” Remus cringed. “People change.”

Tanguy thoroughly hoped so. He didn’t know whether an apology was in order. He’d done so before, and this seemed like the occasion to repeat it, if there was any. Alas, at the same time, saying such again was something akin to . . . shameful?

Nevertheless, he felt inclined to speak. So Tanguy carefully worded himself. “Again, I regret going out to attack you like that. It was-”

“No need to apologise.” Remus told him, with a look that seemed to trespass into the icy core of his soul. It's in the past now, we can only focus on the future.”

Aziel nodded. “We’ve all done things we regret . . . but Remus’ right. We should take whatever lesson we can from them, and move forward.”

Tanguy couldn’t understand why his chest was growing so tight. “Thanks.”

They finally reached their destination — a large building run by the Scholar Sect, who Tanguy was certain were loaded, with how much business they had in the front lines alone. It was here that Hadrian would make the final arrangements for their new squadron.

Remus seemed to wait with bated breath, never once taking his eyes off the building. Well, save for a quick swerve of their surroundings, like he was looking for someone, though appeared content with checking once.

“It’ll all be accepted, right?” Violet asked.

Tanguy knew there was something different about the girl, and got the horrible feeling he wasn’t in on it. He couldn’t pinpoint why, but he was sure plenty of the others knew exactly what it was. She appeared perfectly normal, save for the flaming embers in her eyes, though he supposed early alterations were a thing, if not uncommon.

“There’s no reason for it not to be.” Aziel answered earnestly, stepping up and down on the balls of his feet. “Though this all sounds almost too good to be true.”

Tanguy could understand that excitement, even empathise with it. If not for the embarrassment that clouded his enjoyment. Working alongside a team with abilities exactly like his, blue-on-red fire, with Violet as a wildcard thrown into the mix, could make them a recogniseable threat on the battlefield. Something to be proud to be a part of.

He was told to leave the past in the past, but how could he? When those very same mistakes paved his future path. He could redirect where he was headed, obviously. Make tiny changes everyday to set himself on the right course. Yet it didn’t seem like enough. Tanguy didn’t want to be defined by one bout of furious anger, and yet couldn’t seem to ever shake those shackles off him.

He tried not to dawdle on those dark thoughts too much; how he felt like he’d jeopardised everything. When Hadrian returned with an infectious beam on his face, he could almost forget about his woes.

“We’re accepted!” The bear of a man laughed, the red locks of his hair swishing in the wind.

They all cheered in a clamorous uproar, and Tanguy felt himself be dragged away to gods’ knew where. Only when he found himself seated in a pub, did Tanguy begin to relax. He smiled, though it didn’t feel completely genuine. He smiled because they smiled, and thought of things completely irrelevant as he downed the first drink handed his way.

Platters of food began to overflood the table, and the party engorged themselves in an evening Tanguy couldn't help but found blissful. Blindsighted sporadically by visions of the past or not.

Remus was laughing merrily, so Tanguy felt bad to disturb him. “Remus, I know you said not to dwell on it, but I can’t. What can I do to make it up to you?”

“Tanguy-”

“I won’t take no for an answer. I’m serious. I won’t feel better until I know I’ve done everything in my power to make amends.”

The words rolled out of him like an unexpected spot of lightning. Yet it was somewhat cathartic, like he was letting go of a few strands of hate. Bundles still clutched to his proverbial fingers, of course, but it was a lesser weight.

Remus exhaled. “Honestly, you’re fine. I don’t begrudge you. Though, if there’s anything you can do-”

“Yes?”

“I want you to work your very best. I want you to contribute everything you have and more to make our squadron the best it can be. We're going to become a force to be reckoned with, I know it. You’re part of how we’re going to accomplish that. So I expect only the best from you.”

Tanguy was suddenly suspicious that Remus had activated his Mark. He was aware that passive motivation by being near an Ambition Clansmen was one of Tanish’s bestowed powers. It would probably explain why in all of Remus’ fights, his allies and opponents always seemed so amped-up.

Maybe it could also explain some of the riotous emotions in Tanguy himself, during their fight.

Though Tanguy sensed no energy emanating from the man. It was his words that had inspired him, and his words alone.

“I can do that.” Tanguy said, after a brief pause. “I promise.”

Remus smiled. “Good.”

It wasn’t long until Hadrian had eaten his fill, with more empty plates clattered around the Mercenary than Tanguy was willing to count. “So.” He finally spoke, after swallowing one last mouthful. “What are you guys interested in doing with this squad?”

“Kill Unbounded.” A trainee spoke up. A clamour of laughs followed shortly after.

“Yes, yes.” Hadrian smiled. “There’ll be plenty of time for that — but what else? I’m talkin’ specifics.”

“Money.” Remus replied. “A lot of money.”

More chuckles, though followed this time by many sympathetic murmurs.

“Not a bad goal, if a little materialistic. If money’s our aim, we’ll have to look out for commissioned tasks. Then complete as many as possible.”

“That’ll spread our notoriety too.”

“We could buy better equipment.”

“Then people might look out to us specifically for higher-paying jobs.”

More and more trainees shared their agreement. Already, a few eager clansmen had left to accept as many jobs from the notice board as possible. Hadrian took a seat closer to Tanguy and Remus, with something like fondness brightening up his eyes.

“I’m going to be doing everything in my power to help you two advance.” He shot a head over his shoulder. “That goes for the rest of you below Foot-Soldier. We’re going to try and allocate as many resources as possible to supplement your growth. Though if we want to get enough supplies for all of us, you’ll have to work hard. Very, very hard.”

Tanguy felt his heart race, his fists tighten. Tiny wisps of flame warmed his fingers. “Of course, Sir. If the Front Line hasn’t heard of us yet, they definitely will soon.”

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“I’ve got some ideas.” Remus spoke up. “Ways I’ve been training that might be helpful to the others.”

Hadrian raised both eyebrows. “Really? What kind of ideas?”

“When I was in the Shadow Clan’s cube-”

Tanguy shot Remus an odd look. What was this fumbling idiot doing inside one of the most confidential places on Decent? They would kill him if they knew he was spilling secrets about the inside. Then again, knowing the ginger fool, they probably had other reasons to go after his guts.

“-they had these kind of training chambers made out of Supreme Steel, and, this is a little ghastly, but decaying Unbounded.”

Hadrian didn’t look like he liked the sound of this, though he didn’t interrupt him.

“I was trying to find a similar environment to train in. That’s when I discovered the early portions of the Silver Cavities. I was only there for a few Durations in total, and-”

“It's risky. Too risky.” The Mercenary cut him off. “I’m amazed you're unscathed from the experience. Were you not attacked by Unbounded?”

“Yes, though I managed to fend them off. I know there are risks, but I was able to complete over a third of my Bank in little over a Passing.” When no-one said anything, he continued, “I’m not saying it's safe, or plausible for everyone, but I felt like it was worth sharing. There are probably some spots deep into the front lines that are a tad safer, and have similar effects. We could stake them out. Violet has certain abilities that could assist too.”

Before Tanguy could fully digest that, Hadrian spoke. “I’m definitely not sending a full squadron to the Silver Cavities. Not everyone has the benefits of your Mark Remus, remember that. They can’t withstand impossibly harsh routes of training and walk it off after a night’s sleep. I’ll consider what you recommended about recreating the same conditions. So that’s how the Shadow Clan train . . .”

Remus looked like he was only now realising what Hadrian had told him. Like he hadn’t before considered that throwing yourself into the equivalent of piranha-infested water wasn’t viable for everybody.

“Well,” Hadrian eventually continued. “You two best be off. We have commissions to complete.”

His beam was infectious. Tanguy felt something roar in his heart, or perhaps someplace deeper than that. Someplace like his soul.

Remus had started a fire in him, and Tanguy just had to fuel it.

----------------------------------------

As far as prisons go, the optimist in Koa thought it could have been a lot worse. Then again, that optimist was shot dead by a raging army of pessimists a few seconds later. Now his mind was dominated by cynical thoughts. The kind Koa half-suspected weren’t too far detached from that of a man, who never seems to leave the corner of a bar. Holding his beer as a clutch like Koa was his Bank.

With nothing to do, and the imminent threat of death getting a little stale, like expired liquor, Koa had nothing much to do. So he fell back on the one activity trainees could always rely on: training.

It was very similar to mediating, when you channelled your Infinity, crafting a Bank into a Vault bit by bit. Outside thoughts became vague sensations, acknowledged but always ignored. The crux of the universe was your Mould, and its fulfilment your only priority.

Naturally, it was a lot more pleasant than basking in despair. So Koa threw himself into it. Engaging over and over in inhaling and exhaling Infinity. Each wave of the divine resource cleansed him of feelings; of emotion. It wasn’t that he was joyful, he simply was. There was no emotion, no tangents of the mind.

Just him, his Bank, and the void.

So when he heard something approaching, his first instinct was to ignore it. He continued to exploit the Infinity around him. Little pieces of himself that had somehow become separated. It was like Koa was becoming whole. The entire thing was frankly soothing, and the abundance of Infinity would have made this a perfect place to train under other circumstances.

The footsteps continued. That was definitely what the noise was, he could now fully identify. Footsteps getting louder.

His eyelids snapped open, the image of his web cell as comforting as an ice bucket. One upturned over his head, with an outpour that never ceased.

Koa hardly paid attention to his surroundings. Save for meal times, which were three times a day, and consisted of basic foods that would keep him weak, but not dead. The rest of the time he shut out the world, and focused on his Mould.

Outside, through the tiny slits in the web somehow everywhere, the veil of night obscured everything. Each time too small to fit even his hand through. He heard the chirping of insects, which Koa may have taken comfort in as an abundant sound in the Wild. If not for the fact they could be manipulated at any second to flay him alive.

Someone was out there. His breath failed him, and Koa found it impossible to inhale with composure. Or at all.

Had the Pet-Keeper changed his mind? Did he send an executor to finish the job? He could just as easily arrive himself, Koa knew full well, though he would have laughed in his final moments if the universe was to be so cruel.

The door of his prison wasn’t a door at all. It was an area where the webbing was a little less dense. Formed of Supreme Steel not as concentrated. Koa was beginning to suspect this place was so effective to train in because of that exact webbing, when a figure slithered through.

He recognised the Arachnid Clanswoman instantly, or at least he thought he did. She looked . . . different. There was nothing he could pinpoint, but perhaps she was younger? A younger family member, such as a sister maybe?

At any rate, she passed through the weakened silk like it wasn’t there at all. Like a ghost flaunting its ability to phase through walls.

Koa didn’t scramble back. Didn’t yelp, or cry out, or do anything of the sort, despite the sweat dripping off him like he was soon to die of heat stroke. He simply stared at her, worried uttering the simplest word would hasten his demise. The aura of her wasn’t too different from his own at least. High Emblazed or weak Foot-Soldier at a stretch. If she was to attack him, weakened and disarmed as Koa was, he could put up a fight.

“Relax.” She raised her hand. Or the spidery tendril in the place of it, anyway. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“But-!”

“Lower your tone!” She hushed, and Koa found it pretty hypocritical she was talking so loud herself. “I’m not supposed to be here. If they find out that I am . . .”

“They’ll kill us both?”

She nodded. “I’m Octavia, that woman who beat you up before was my mother.”

That wasn’t a very nice way to put it, Koa couldn't help but think. Then again, their conflict had been pretty one-sided.

“What are you doing here then?” They talked in whispers, though Koa was still sceptical.

“You get the gist of what’s going on here?”

“That the Pet-Keeper’s killed your sect leader, and taken over? That there are mutant spider Unbounded parading about the place while you have to collect the dead for . . . did he call her Angel?”

“All correct. Strange name I know.”

“You should have seen what he called his last little pet before we finished it off.”

That brought back a swell of painful memories. Though Octavia looked astonished. “So that’s why he’s so eager to kill you? You murdered his last leashed freak?”

“Pretty much. And helped burn down his childhood home.”

Koa wasn’t eager or willing to go into too much detail. It would take too much explaining, and would require him to drop a few world-shattering revelations about Unbounded that may throw Octavia off. Then there was the prospect she was lying, and Koa’s death was closer than he thought.

“If he hates you so much, and it’ll give him so much delight in seeing you suffer, I want to steal that joy from him. Everybody is against the Pet-Keeper you know, but we have to play along or,” she put her fingers into quote signs, “face the consequences. Even my mother loathes him.”

Koa recalled the sorrow he had divined in the woman’s eyes at the end of their bout. “What can we do?” He raised his head, refusing to give in to despair. “Is this place on constant watch?”

“There are Unbounded around, though they’re stupid. Some are Projections, but my Vault is specialised for Disguise. Thief’s Witness. I can get through without them noticing.”

“And you’re certain? If you’re wrong-”

“If I’m wrong, we’d already be dead.”

Koa exhaled. Either he remained here, refused help from this woman, and tried to find an escape himself, through his own means, or he trusted her not to get them both killed. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Both options were risky, so, after a few seconds’ deliberation, he bit the bullet.

“Okay. What are some times I can sneak out relatively safely?”

“It’ll be easier to sneak out at night, but I’ve been watching. There are regular checks from blackmailed Arachnid Clansmen. They’ve been told to report if you go missing, or have their family killed.”

“Excellent. So it should be smooth sailing from here.”

She walked over to his ‘bed’. He used that word loosely, the pallet of silk hardly counting as one. “I’ve got an idea.” She told him, and before Koa could ask any follow-up questions, she began weaving something.

It was a doll. A doll created to perfectly match his body, and Koa found it eerie how one-to-one the mannequin was. It was the kind of mummified construct he would expect to find inside a pyramid. Octavia quickly threw it under his covers, which were, in a shocking revelation, made out of webbing.

“That’ll be more than enough to keep the sentinels happy.” Koa hoped Ocatvia was as right as she was confident, alas, those things didn’t tend to balance out. “Oh yeah, one more thing-”

She threw Koa against the side of the prison. Being semi-metallic as it was, she might as well have pushed him into concrete.

He spun, Mark blazing. But no brighter than his fury. “A bit early for a betrayal, don’t you think?”

She uppercut him at lightning speed. “Oh, no. I pleaded for the position to be your torturer. That’s why I can get here without raising too many eyebrows. I need a reason for visiting you. It's a good cover-up, though that does mean I’ll have to beat you up to keep appearances.”

“So no hard feelings?” Koa scoffed.

Based on the way she smiled, Ocatvia failed to pick-up on his sarcasm. “I knew you’d understand.”

A few minutes later, when Koa was sore all over, they sneaked out of the prison, covered under the obscuring veil of her webs. Apparently that technique even worked against other arachnids, for Octavia looked relatively calm, even as they passed by guards. If they could see them, they made no attempt to show it, yawning with exaggerated gestures that almost made Koa laugh.

“So what’s the Pet-Keeper’s big plan?” Koa finally asked, when they were out of earshot. “I assume he has bigger schemes in mind than staying cosy up in your castle.”

“I think he wants to take over other territories. We were just unfortunate to be the first he arrived at.”

“Why don’t you ask for help from other clans? Or send a messenger to the city proper? I don’t think Maris will be very happy with an Unbounded trying to take over her throne.”

“He’s cut off all our means of communication.” Octavia sounded like she was holding back a sigh with every other word. “Any outsiders are used as cattle to feed himself or his Unbounded, and the only beings powerful enough to use Perpetual Sight are dead, or incapacitated.”

“What about the Insect Clan’s leader, wouldn’t they-”

“You would think they would lend a hand, wouldn’t you? But nothing. It's safe to assume the Pet-Keeper has done something to stop them. Whatever it is, I doubt it’ll be pretty.”

“We should go there,” Koa said resolutely, realising they were walking around aimlessly. “If we can relieve pressure off the clan, maybe they'll help us. But I also need somewhere to train. I’m not strong enough yet to go up against the Pet-Keeper or his stronger minions — I probably won’t be for several Rebirths. Though, if I can squeeze in an advancement to Foot-Soldier, there’s a chance I can get through this alive.”

“There are some spots near the Insect Clan we could visit. Spots dense with Infinity. If you wanna visit the Insect Clan now, we could take a stop-”

Koa sensed the beams of Infinity she was talking about, and marched straight towards them. Ocatvia yelped sternly for him to wait, but Koa had made up his mind.

Territory Two, a nightmare made real — this was his crucible. Through the pressure, he would temper himself, or break like weak iron. Through the furnace of adversity, he would either rise up to the challenge, or burn to a crisp.

And then there was still his duel with Ash.

Koa kicked an innocent rock, cursed under his breath, and continued ever onwards