Chapter II

Summary

• The chapter is set in Letens, a city still wrestling with the impact of Catenan influence on its old world traditions, over fifteen years after joining the Hierarchy.
• The protagonist, variously referred to as "Vis" and "my boy", traverses the city and enters a seedy establishment where fights are organised.
• Septimus Ellanher, the woman in charge of said establishment, has a special fight planned for him - against a Sextus, a much higher-ranking adversary whose blow could be deadly.
• Up to this point, the protagonist has earned his place in these fights for his unconventional success and persistence. He has managed to win more than he loses, using the physical advantages he gained from his early theatre training.
• Knowing that he cannot back out from the planned fight, he haggles for a triple of his usual payment and starts strategizing for the upcoming battle.
• The protagonist preps for the match by completely stripping down to avoid the Sextus manipulating anything he wears through Will, the special power of the higher-ranking class.
• When they face off in the arena, the Sextus, to the crowd's approval, is revealed to be tall, athletic, and handsome. He removes his tinted glasses, marking his higher status, and hands it over to Ellanher.

• The character observes a man, edness, whose smile hardens upon seeing them.
• Idonia quickly moves away and Ellanher steps up to the stage, capturing the audience's attention.
• The chapter conveys a tense atmosphere, everyone in the amphitheatre is quiet and focused on Ellanher.
• The protagonist feels his/her heartbeat intensify as they prepare to face Sextus, alluding to some kind of confrontation or performance.
• No introductions or names will be used in this setting.
• When the tension is highest, Ellanher commands the event to "begin."