Ash drifts through a ruined street as Vahl steps out of a fight that cost more than he expected. Wounded but unbowed, he moves with purpose—less a marauder than a ledger come to life, tallying debts, measuring power, and deciding who or what still matters. Freedom is the point; every chain he forges or breaks serves that single word.

What follows is not spectacle but judgment. Faced with a choice that cuts closer than he’d like to admit, Vahl weighs mercy against utility, oath against opportunity, and writes a new line in his personal doctrine. In a world ruled by rank and rules, this chapter asks what freedom really costs—and who pays it.

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