Celaena is trapped inside the Valg princes' darkness, standing between two blood-soaked beds from her worst memories. On one lies Nehemia's mutilated corpse; on the other lie Celaena's parents with their throats cut. The Valg circle Celaena and feed on her misery while the memories force Celaena to relive the deaths she blames herself for failing to prevent.

The vision shifts fully into the night Celaena woke between her parents' bodies. Nehemia's voice calls Celaena a coward, and Celaena accepts the accusation instead of fighting. As the Valg touch Celaena and cut away her braid, the darkness swallows Celaena more deeply.

Celaena falls through an endless abyss of guilt and memory. Celaena relives Chaol seeing what Celaena truly is, Nehemia's death, Celaena's cruel last words to Nehemia, the slaughter of Eyllwe slaves, and Celaena's rampage through Endovier. Each image confirms Celaena's belief that Celaena is unworthy and deserves punishment.

The darkness slows at Endovier, where Celaena is bound between posts and whipped. Nehemia appears whole and condemning, then Sam emerges with the whip as another figure Celaena failed to save. Celaena welcomes the pain and asks for more, while Sam, Nehemia, and a long line of the dead and wronged take turns punishing Celaena.

Celaena understands that Celaena did not leave the barrier expecting to defeat the Valg princes; Celaena stepped out because Celaena wanted destruction, as in Endovier. The Valg do not kill Celaena because Celaena's agony nourishes them, and Celaena believes no one can rescue Celaena from their darkness. At last, after an unknowable fall, Celaena and the Valg strike a frozen river at the bottom of Celaena's soul.