Chapter Thirty-One

Arriving at Nizahl’s Citadel, Essiya dines warily with Diya and notes the kingdom’s austere, predatory order. Restless, she’s escorted by Arin on a night walk through the grounds. Their conversation reveals Arin’s humane conscription-avoidance “nimwa” provisions and his commitment to her safety. Their bond deepens as they share vulnerable moments before the trial.

On the rainy approach to the arena, Arin outlines hidden security measures and insists Essiya focus solely on defeating Diya. Parting at the entrance, Essiya asks Arin to keep her cloak and impulsively embraces him, both acknowledging their attachment before the high-stakes contest.

Inside the vast arena, the Trial of Baira is announced: Champions drink an elixir inducing hallucinations while a real beast may emerge, and crossing the line forces a fight to the death. Essiya and Diya drink; sudden nausea hits, Diya collapses, and a magical barrier seals the pit. Realizing Soraya laced the elixir to smuggle magic past her cuffs, Essiya succumbs to the induced vision as chaos erupts outside.

In the dream, Essiya witnesses Niphran lucid in Bakir Tower as Soraya murders her, and learns Niphran’s madness came from years of poisoning by Hanim. She then sees the Mufsids erect a flawed fortress enchantment, Nizahl’s devastating breach, and Rawain’s invading host—confirming collusion before the siege. Soraya claims she’d been deceived by Hanim.

Further visions expose Jasad’s past atrocity: Niyar and Palia mined magic from their poorest subjects, including Soraya’s father. Essiya also sees Soraya’s failed assassination of a young Arin, which gave him his signature scar. When Soraya tries to flee the dream to fight Arin’s outside influence, Essiya asserts control, recognizing her cuffs trap magic inside her.

In Essiya’s recurring nightmare on the frozen lake, she rejects paralysis, rescues Niphran within the vision, and turns the space to her advantage. Back in her childhood room, Essiya confronts Soraya with grief and clarity, then unleashes her contained magic into Soraya, overwhelming her as the dream flares white—leaving the trial’s physical outcome poised on the brink.