Chapter 15

Aris wakes on a small lake island after nearly drowning; Harlan Raker berates her for falling for an illusion but confirms demons cannot cross water. At dawn, he orders her to sketch nearby portions of the quest map, revealing the route toward the Prism Pass with its many waterfalls.

When it is time to leave, Raker swims off without help. Forced to adapt, Aris hacks bark into a makeshift float and painfully kicks across, reaching the far shore under Raker’s unimpressed gaze. He sets a punishing pace, ignoring her exhaustion and asserting a strict “listen, don’t speak” rule.

They camp on a river islet. Raker uses a flint to make fire and skewers a large fish with a swift stab. In the night, a rot-stinking demon screams and drives Aris into the torrent; battered, she claws back onto the strip of land while Raker pointedly does nothing, cementing his utilitarian indifference.

At daybreak, Raker wordlessly departs, and Aris scrambles to keep up, replacing bloodied bandages as they pass ruins and wildflower valleys. They reach the Prism Pass: bright grass, plunging waterfalls, and a palpable, ancient energy. Raker chooses a waterfall cave for shelter, then disappears, leaving Aris to tend her wounds.

Aris forages abundant mushrooms and berries, marvels at Starside’s plenty, and wanders into groves alive with floral insects and mischievous fae that tangle her hair. She spots a sleeping green dragon and backs off from claiming it. In a quiet glade, a green elk approaches and accepts her touch—until Raker arrives, kills it with a single strike, and hauls the carcass away. Aris protests; Raker’s reply, “Everything dies,” underscores his ruthless pragmatism and the growing rift between them.