When the barrier around Mistward falls, the Valg darkness does not advance because Narrok and the creatures are focused on feeding from Aelin. Outside the fortress, Gavriel and Lorcan restrain Rowan, whose wind and ice cannot pierce the blackness. Rowan senses through their bond that Aelin is still alive, even while the darkness tempts him with Lyria’s voice.

Gavriel and Lorcan urge Rowan to abandon Aelin and help the others inside, but Rowan refuses. A surge of power shakes the earth, and a golden light flashes within the darkness. Rowan realizes Aelin’s previous burnouts were tied to fear and self-denial, and that the Valg’s power may fail if their victim embraces those fears instead.

Aelin erupts from the darkness in flame, marked and transformed, and burns two Valg creatures to cinders by forcing fire through them. Rowan runs to her as Narrok and the remaining Valg prince gather their darkness for a final attack. Aelin is nearly spent, so Rowan cuts his palm and crosses the ward-stones to reach her.

Aelin understands that Rowan is offering his power because they are carranam. She cuts her own palm over the scar from Nehemia’s grave, joins blood and magic with Rowan, and accepts him as he claims her by her true name, Aelin Galathynius. Together they stand against the descending wave of darkness.

Rowan’s vast power flows into Aelin, and Aelin channels it into fire, light, warmth, and dawn-bright force. The combined magic shatters the black wave and prevents Narrok and the Valg prince from rebuilding it. Aelin pours light into Narrok and the prince until their black blood burns.

Before Narrok dies, Aelin receives a sudden vision of the future and briefly thinks Narrok’s human eyes return with gratitude. Then Aelin incinerates both Narrok and the remaining Valg prince. When the flames recede, only four steaming Wyrdstone collars remain in the grass.