On Belian, Talasyn communes with the Light Sever for a third consecutive day. The Sever shows memories of Hanan Ivralis, including tender scenes from Talasyn’s infancy and Hanan’s final moments with her daughter. When the magic cuts off, Talasyn’s grief and longing drive her to reach into aetherspace, and she unexpectedly forms a controlled golden Lightweave dome.

Talasyn realizes that connection and love are the key to shaping her magic into a wall. She practices expanding, shrinking, and recasting the dome until exhausted, taking hope from the breakthrough and resolving not to be consumed by eclipse magic. Wanting to share the triumph with the only person who would understand, Talasyn writes her first letter to Alaric after only four days apart.

In Kesath, Alaric trains outside the Citadel, sustaining a shadow barrier against legionnaires for almost an hour before Nisene breaks through. After dismissing the soldiers, Alaric tells Sevraim that the legionnaires will remain in Kesath for evacuations while Alaric returns to Nenavar alone for the Moonless Dark. Alaric orders Sevraim to survive, counsel Gaheris away from further warmongering if Alaric dies, and protect Talasyn if she lives.

Alaric later confronts Gaheris about an exclusion list that denies evacuation aboard Kesathese ships to whole villages suspected of sympathizing with rebels. Gaheris refuses to help perceived enemies, leaving Alaric frustrated but more determined to stop the Voidfell. Alaric also notices the sick sariman in Gaheris’s hall and persuades Gaheris to entrust the creature to him, buying time before further experiments can kill it.

As Moonless Dark preparations intensify across Nenavar, Talasyn divides her time between strengthening her magic, helping ready Iantas, visiting family in Eskaya, and writing Alaric. One night, Surakwel accompanies Talasyn to the Sardovian encampment, where he reveals that Niamha is expected to marry someone else for political reasons. At the camp, Vela reports new alliances: Midzul will provide warships and aethermancers in exchange for future aether hearts, while Ornang will serve as a western staging point.

When Surakwel argues that Alaric will inevitably expand Kesath’s conquests, Talasyn defends Alaric’s motives as rooted in fear for his people, shocking both Surakwel and Vela. Talasyn realizes that her superiors still treat her as a tool rather than trusting her judgment, so she openly argues that killing Alaric after he helps save the Continent would make lasting peace impossible. Talasyn names Alaric’s survival as one of her conditions; Vela reluctantly agrees to see what can be done, while Surakwel remains unconvinced but pledges House Mantes’s forces to the Allfold.