I always thought it would take me weeks—maybe months—before the Fatui trusted me enough to leave the walls of Snezhnaya.
Turns out, all I had to do was sit silently at a table, glare at people, and mutter three words with enough menace.
Next thing I knew, I was on an airship flying over the jungles of Sumeru.
The mission was vague. "Suppress unrest in the outskirts of Avidya Forest. Enforce Fatui interests. Show presence."
Show presence. Right. Basically, remind the locals who's boss. Or at least… who they should be afraid of.
I stood at the bow of the ship, wind tearing at the red cape, arms crossed like a brooding war god. Everyone on board avoided eye contact. Even the crew.
Good. Less talking meant less chances to screw up.
"Lord Capitano," a voice said beside me.
I glanced down—literally down—at the figure who had appeared at my side.
Female. Slender. In black-and-blue Fatui gear with silver trim. Mask off. Eyes sharp and gray like a thunderstorm.
"I'm Agent Vira. Assigned to coordinate field operations on this mission."
Translation: babysitter. Maybe even spy.
I gave her a nod. Capitano-style.
She kept her voice neutral. "Our intelligence suggests resistance cells have taken root near the abandoned research outposts. They've been striking Fatui caravans. Swift, coordinated. Unusual for scattered rebels."
"Locals?" I asked.
She hesitated. "That… and former Akademiya scholars. Ones who disappeared after the Archon shift."
I didn't reply. Mostly because I had nothing useful to say. But it worked. Capitano doesn't do small talk.
We landed hours later. Dense trees. Humid air. A tension in the atmosphere that clung to your skin like sweat.
The outpost was already partially abandoned. Broken equipment. Scorch marks. A faint scent of metal and ozone.
The second we arrived, the soldiers stiffened like statues. Some saluted. Others just watched me with wide eyes, like I was a storm wearing armor.
"Report," I said—gravel-voiced, clipped.
One of the scouts stepped forward. "We found tracks an hour ago. Five hostiles. Moved north, toward the river bend. They know we're close."
I nodded. "We move."
We swept through the jungle like a ghost army. I didn't need to know tactics. I just needed to look like I did. The soldiers filled the gaps.
But something felt off.
The forest was too quiet. No birds. No movement. Just that same pressure in the air I'd felt back in the Citadel.
Then it hit me.
The shadows around me twitched—not normally. They pulled.
"Ambush!" I barked.
The first arrow struck a tree an inch from my head. The second never made it—because I raised my hand and let the darkness out.
Just a little.
Shadows exploded outward like a shockwave. They weren't elemental. Not Anemo, not Cryo. Just… force. Dense and cold and wrong.
Three figures were hurled from the treetops, landing hard. Others retreated instantly—vanishing into the brush like smoke.
I stepped forward, and the soldiers followed like dogs at a leash.
Agent Vira watched me—expression unreadable, but her hand hovered near her weapon.
I knelt beside one of the rebels. She was young—maybe my age. Eyes wide with pain and defiance. Her lips moved.
"You're not him."
I froze.
"What did you say?"
Her voice shook. "You're… not him. Capitano. You feel different."
I stared down at her. My heart thundered.
The soldiers didn't hear it. Or if they did, they said nothing.
I stood. Vira stepped closer. "Orders?"
I looked out into the jungle.
Something deeper was happening here. These weren't just rebels. They knew something. Maybe about the Fatui. Maybe… about me.
"Secure the perimeter," I said. "And bring her."
"Yes, my lord."
As they moved, I glanced at the tree line.
For just a second, I saw it.
A figure. Tall. Wearing a cracked silver mask. Watching.
And then it was gone.