Chapter Sixteen: Sylvia

Namsa intercepts Sylvia outside the mountain, insisting she attend the Aada despite Sylvia’s anger over being ignored before the disastrous events at Galim’s Bend. Sylvia agrees only to observe, warning any strike on Omal would be suicidal given likely curfews and crackdowns by the rulers.

Inside the meeting, Sylvia mocks the plan and the Aada’s secrecy, noting they keep citing a “reason” to trust Queen Hanan yet refuse to share it. Tension spikes among Namsa, Lateef, Efra, and Maia, until Maia forces transparency and hands Sylvia a twine-bound packet taken early in the Jasad War.

Sylvia reads the document by Binyar Lazur, First General of Nizahl’s Southern Regiment. It claims Supreme Rawain, with Lukub’s sultana and Orban’s king, deployed armies before the Blood Summit messenger arrived, proving the massacre narrative was orchestrated and the “war” was truly a siege. Omal initially refused to ride against Jasad because of family ties to the Jasad throne.

The account raises unanswered questions—how the fortress fell and how nonmagical Rawain engineered the Summit’s destruction—while asserting Rawain is searching for something beyond mere domination. The testimony supports Sylvia’s long-held belief that her grandparents did not cause the Blood Summit.

As Sylvia finishes, she recognizes the signature: Binyar Lazur is Marek’s brother. The revelation ties the conspiracy to someone Sylvia knows through Marek, deepening the stakes and giving the Aada new leverage for persuading Omal and confronting Rawain’s broader design.