Rix came to with a groan. He opened his eyes to discover himself still on the mess hall floor. Scarface was looming over him, along with several other guards.

"Get up, dreg," he said, delivering his instruction with a kick to the stomach. His voice was missing its usual dark mirth.

Rix dragged himself to his feet. Like the last time the tether had been used on him, the ache in his head was almost indescribable, hot and sharp and trembling all at once. But he felt something else this time too, a caustic throbbing in his meridians. Likely the aftermath of the tattoo.

Scarface sized him up. "I thought I'd made myself clear about what I'd do to you if you died under my watch."

"Trying my best not to let you down, sir," Rix said, though his voice came out weak and halting.

As Rix took in the scene, he saw that roughly half the prisoners were now gone, including Han and Luna. The guards appeared to be moving through the throng, waking prisoners a few at a time. Now that the melee had died down, it was clear that the room around them was completely trashed. What furniture hadn't been broken was upended, and there were food and trays scattered everywhere.

"And people wonder why we call you lot animals," said Scarface, following his gaze. "We house you, we feed you, and this is how you repay us. But don't you worry. We'll get to the bottom of this. And we have a rule here that the animals always clean up after themselves."

The man grabbed Rix by the collar and shoved him toward the exit hall. "For now, though, you need to return to your cell. Full lockdown is in effect until we can sort this mess out."

Rix didn't see the point in arguing. In truth, at that moment, a little rest sounded very appealing.

***

Lockdown, as it turned out, lasted more than just the night. The prisoners were kept in their cells for over thirty-six hours while the authorities tried to get a handle on what had happened. They survived that time on a single meal delivered to their door and no other contact with the outside world.

The confinement was a blessing in disguise, as the ramifications of the tattoo and tether together were a brutal combination. Huan hadn't been lying about the aftermath of using the flesh array. It wasn't until early afternoon that he started to feel vaguely human again.

Once he was adequately recovered, he forced himself to work on the only thing he could: the Breath Bridge. It was rare not to feel pulled in a million directions by all the possible vectors for improvement, so he did his best to take advantage of it.

The work was dull — hours of sitting still, eyes closed, mind turned inward — but what got him through was Breaker's promises. The man had said that once Rix could summon the bridge almost instantly and hold it for minutes at a time, he would be ready to progress to growing his qi pool. And so, Rix clung to that thought, pushing himself through repetition after repetition. By the time he finally collapsed into bed, he'd substantially improved both the speed of the visualisation and his ability to hold it.

***

The next morning, all the prisoners were gathered in the yard. They were made to stand in rows facing the stone steps, where a full complement of guards stood flanking a man Rix didn't recognise. He was dressed more elaborately than any of the other prison staff, his wide-sleeved black robes ornamented with gold trim and a red sash. From various parts of his body, embroidered talismans hung, and he carried himself with an air of authority that even Scarface couldn't match.

"The Warden," whispered Huan, who was standing next to Rix. "Him being here means we're in some shit."

The Warden stepped forward. "Inmates. The events of two days ago are unacceptable. They represent a gross breach of Spiritlock's operational protocols and a considerable drain on its resources. Manpower was diverted. Schedules were disrupted. Damage was incurred." He swept his gaze over the assembled prisoners, his expression one of mild distaste, as if looking at a faulty cog in a machine. "This institution operates on a principle of productivity. You are here to provide mana, to contribute to the city, or, failing that, to serve as examples. You are not here to indulge in petty squabbles."

He paused, letting the silence hang. "As per Spiritlock Regulation 7, Subsection B, 'Disruptive Incidents,' the offending parties are responsible for remediation. Several key instigators will be subject to solitary confinement to recoup these losses." The man raised a finger. "However, given the large scale of this infraction and the sheer scope of the damages, all prisoners in Unit One are considered secondary accessories in this case."

A few dark looks were cast among the prisoners at that, but nobody voiced their anger.

"Lockdown will continue, commencing immediately. All privileges — including free time, training yard access, arena duels, and Fractured Realm dives — are suspended for you all. You will, instead, dedicate your time to restoring the mess hall to its previous state. Furthermore, to compensate for lost productivity and damages, all prisoners will be assigned to daily heartstone production until such time as I deem the disruption adequately addressed and restitution made. Consider this a practical lesson in the cost of your...exuberance. You are dismissed to your duties."

"Well, shit," said Rix as the man left.

"Told you," replied Huan.

Nobody looked pleased at the news.

As they were moved to the mess hall to begin cleaning, they ran into Wing and Luna, and Rix learned a little more about the aftermath. One member of each faction had died in the brawl, and several more were injured. The Warden had apparently pulled the leaders of all the gangs into interrogation, including Wing.

"Everybody knows about our beef at this point," she said, referring to the Iron Hand. "The Warden basically told me that if it doesn't cool off, things are going to get a lot worse."

"So, even though the Iron Hand attacked us, the entire block gets punished?" Rix asks.

Wing shrugged. "Welcome to Spiritlock, where nothing is fair and they solve all their problems with a hammer. Honestly, I think they want the occasional incident like this. It gives them an excuse to flex a little. Put us in our place."

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"Wouldn't surprise me," Rix replied.

He glanced around the room. A few Iron Hand were milling on the other side, shooting furtive looks their way, but he couldn't see Han or Yuri anywhere. "Judging by what the Warden said, it sounds like Han might be getting a little extra encouragement. You think that'll convince him to ease up?"

Wing shot him a humourless smile. "Han winds up in solitary at least a few times a year. Doesn't seem to haunt him the way it does most others. I suspect we'll get a break, but nothing more."

Apparently, that was too much to hope for. It painted a grim picture. Block wide punishments, with the threat of more, not to mention further deaths.

That night, Rix found his mind wandering back to the moment when he'd caught Yuri sneaking up on Luna. She could have easily joined the list of the dead that day. That thought bothered him even more than he thought it would.

***

The next week was painful. Even though he was a high enough rank to theoretically avoid the worst of the heartstone technique, that was assuming it was only done once a week. Pumping them out day after day took a special kind of toll, it turned out. By day five, the cumulative build-up left his entire body feeling raw and brittle.

Beyond the physical pain, he also found it deeply frustrating to have to be so sedentary. There were fades to kill and a style to master. It was the longest he'd gone without really doing something since he'd arrived. He knew from their small interactions in cleaning up the mess that Luna was suffering even worse than he was.

The only solace he could take was that his Breath Bridge improved exponentially over that time. With focused effort, the technique grew into one that he could conjure almost instantly. He hoped Breaker would be impressed.

When they were finally allowed to return to their normal duties, things remained quiet for a few days around the Farm. Han and Yuri were still missing, and that seemed to quell the Iron Hand's appetite for more violence, at least for now.

It gave Rix time to think.

***

"Breaker, I have a question," said Rix.

It was their first day back in the realm, and they were just wrapping up the cultivation part of their dive. Breaker had initially been incensed at their disappearance, but once they made him understand it was beyond their control, he seemed somewhat mollified.

"How unusual," the man replied drily. Rix didn't entirely blame him for his sass. Over their time together so far, Rix and Luna had absolutely bombarded Breaker with questions. Somehow, he'd still managed to avoid telling them anything of substance, but it wasn't for lack of trying.

Rix hesitated, trying to find the right words. "When you found us, you alluded to certain…physical limitations stemming from your condition. What I was wondering is, how far-reaching are those? Would you actually be able to kill a man if required?"

Breaker's expression grew stonier the more Rix spoke. The exact nature of his situation was a thorny topic, apparently.

"Why is this a concern of yours?" he asked coldly.

"Han, the man who you saw hunting me in here? Well, he's not backing down. In fact, things are getting worse."

Breaker's frown deepened. "I thought I told you to sort that out."

Rix sighed. "I know. But it's not that easy. He's a monster. There's just no way I can beat him at my current power level. And nothing I do will make him stop. So, I thought maybe you could…take care of it." Those last words came out in a rush.

Rix hated having to ask this question. The people on his list were his. He wanted to be the one to drive the blade home, to feel the rush of satisfaction as their lives bled away before him. That thought had sustained him through many hard years. But he needed to face up to the truth. The current situation had escalated beyond his control. If there were other options, they needed to be considered. Justice served by another's hand may feel inadequate to him, but it would be justice nonetheless.

Breaker chewed this over, his face an inscrutable mask. Eventually, he bowed his head and let out a sigh of his own. "Would that I could, Zao Rixian. Would that I could. In my prime, any who walk this realm would be crushed like insects before my boot." His brow furrowed as he glanced down at his hand, as though seeing it for the first time. "But in my current state, it is I who am the insect."

He walked over to the wall and picked up a small piece of rubble about the size of a gold coin, tossing it up gently a few times. "Even giving my form enough physicality to handle something as small as this drains me. I could throw this at you with some small measure of force, but it would not be enough to cause any true damage. I'm afraid I can do little to help directly with your hunter."

Rix slumped a little. Perhaps it had been too much to hope. "What about what you did with Yutaro? The day we met?"

"My aura," Breaker replied. "That I could deploy again, though like my physical form it is greatly diminished. Were I fully myself, I could make a thousand such as he catatonic with a thought. As it stands now, I can provide a distraction, but little more."

"Isn't your aura what you use on the fades?" Rix asked. "It seems to work well on them."

"Low-level fades such as these are base creatures. They operate on instinct alone and thus are easily intimidated. People are more complicated. They have will and intellect to bring to bear. In a confrontation with your adversary, I may provide some small aid, as I did before, but you will need to be the one to deal with him."

Rix let out a slow breath. "Well, I guess that brings me to my next question. How long do you think it will be before I can open my first gate?"

Some of the annoyance bled from Breaker's expression. "I was wondering how long before you asked me that."

"I understand I'm probably getting ahead of myself," Rix said, "but it's the only thing I can think of that might tip the scales."

Breaker began pacing. "Ordinarily, I would not entertain such notions for you yet, but desperate times call for desperate measures." The man considered him. "From where you're at now, a talented student might open their first gate in about two months, were they suitably dedicated."

Two months. That didn't seem so bad. "Let's assume that I am," Rix said.

Breaker nodded. "Tell me about your opponent. How does he fight? What are his strengths?"

Rix let out a bitter laugh. "It might be quicker to list his weaknesses. Which is to say, he has none. He's basically invulnerable. I've seen him take powerful techniques on the chest without even a hint of pain."

Breaker gave a knowing nod. "We call such fighters Bulwarks where I'm from. Difficult opponents, particularly for one who fights the way you do." He thought for a moment. "Despite your experience feeding your Wind Gate, I think we should focus on opening your Mountain Gate first."

"That's the one that governs strength?" Rix asked.

"And durability," Breaker added. "But we're mainly interested in the strength. Adding some force to your blows is the surest way to topple an immovable object."

That made sense to Rix. He hated how powerless he'd felt against Han in the brawl.

"I'm happy to follow your guidance," he said. "How do I start preparing?"

"There are three steps ahead of you," Breaker replied. "The first is to master the Breath Bridge. You are already most of the way there, but there is work still to be done. Once that is to standard, I will teach you how to use it to begin growing your qi supply. You will need at least double what you have to open your gate. Third, you must learn the cycling technique required for the gate itself, and then master it under a variety of conditions."

The man locked eyes with Rix. "It will not be easy to do this in the time I've suggested. Many students take four or six or even twelve months to open their first gate. It is only the truly exemplary who can accelerate that."

"I'm not sure about exemplary, but I'm willing to work as hard as I must," Rix replied.

Breaker nodded. "Then let us hope that is enough."

***

With a better understanding of the timeline for opening his first gate, his plan began to crystallise. The next morning, Rix tracked Wing down in the mess at breakfast. It was the day Han was due to be released, and the tension in the air was palpable.

"A word?" he said to his leader.

With Tolson's blessing, she followed him into a storage room behind the kitchen where they could have a little privacy.

"So, he's out today," Rix said.

Wing gave a heavy nod. "We'll be ready. They won't find us napping in the mess again."

"That's not why I wanted to talk to you." He sighed. "We can't keep going like this. The situation has gotten out of control. More people are going to die. And even if we manage to hold our own, we're going to wind up back in our cells again shitting out bleeding heartstones until our Paths are ruined. That's no way to live. We need to do something."

A range of emotions played across Wing's face. Despite her tough front, it was clear that this situation was taking a toll on her. "Not sure what we can do, unless you feel like handing yourself over to Han."

Rix smiled. "What if I do?"

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