Contents
No One
Overview
Isla attempts to trap Lark with a false heart and the cursed blade, but Cleo and Soren intervene. Though Lark is stabbed, the curse fails after Remlar’s murder, revealing Lark’s countertrap. Isla separates her allies to save them but is captured, stripped of power by reforged limiters, and threatened with her loved ones’ deaths.
Summary
Isla arrives on Sky Isle to hide Lightlark’s heart, but Lark ambushes her with binding vines, forcing Isla to drop a decoy orb. The decoy detonates with stored power, injuring Lark. Oro appears with Remlar’s cursed blade and drives it through Lark’s heart, seemingly immobilizing her.
Cleo emerges and hurls ice that strikes Oro, while Soren holds a blade to Isla’s throat. Grim’s shadows move to attack, but Cleo threatens Isla’s life. To prevent further deaths, Isla uses her power to scatter all combatants to separate locations, blocking Grim from portaling back by hardening their bond as Remlar taught her.
Lark reveals her countertrap: Remlar has been killed, breaking the curse’s binding. Despite the dagger through her heart, Lark heals and expels the blade, proving the immobilization null. With Isla isolated and held at knifepoint, Lark knocks her unconscious.
Isla awakens imprisoned in darkness. Lark taunts her about love and betrayal, then reveals Isla’s bracelets have been reforged into limiter cuffs chaining her to the floor and stripping her power. Powerless and bound, Isla can only rage as Lark departs, promising to mutilate Oro and Grim to coerce Isla’s compliance. Isla’s scream goes unheard.
Who Appears
- IslaProtagonist; sets a decoy trap for Lark, scatters allies to save them, then is captured and depowered by limiter cuffs.
- LarkAntagonist; springs a countertrap, reveals Remlar’s murder, survives the cursed blade, and imprisons Isla to force compliance.
- CleoMoonling ruler; allies with Lark, strikes Oro with ice, threatens Isla’s life to deter Grim.
- SorenTraitor; holds a blade to Isla’s throat, prevents escape, assists in her capture.
- OroSunling ruler; stabs Lark with Remlar’s cursed blade, then is injured by Cleo’s ice.
- GrimNightshade ruler; shields Isla with shadows, nearly attacks Cleo, blocked from portaling to Isla.
- RemlarCursed blade’s creator; murdered off-page, breaking the curse’s binding and dooming Isla’s plan.
- ZedAlly; his power-orb decoy triggers the initial blast; later tends Oro’s wound.
- CalderAlly; helps Zed stabilize Oro after Cleo’s ice strike.
- EnyaAlly; guards the injured Oro with flaming wings, ready to defend.