Chapter Forty-Seven: Inan

As dusk falls, Inan searches the forest for Zélie, struggling with searing pain from his suppressed magic and the weight of his father’s doctrine. Haunted by Zélie’s memories of the Raid, he questions the monarchy’s justifications for eradicating magic and his role in perpetuating that violence.

Zélie emerges, her presence calming Inan’s magic. She agrees to work with him to rescue Tzain and Amari and reveals she carries the sunstone to power new animations. Pressed by guilt and shame, Inan admits he hates his magic and himself, exposing his inner conflict.

Zélie identifies Inan’s treasured sênet pawn as majacite, a weapon against maji, revealing that his father effectively armed him with an object of hatred. Confronted with this truth, Inan recalls his father’s coldness after the Raid and recognizes how deeply he has internalized the king’s disdain.

Inan discards the pawn, symbolically breaking with his father’s creed. He asks for a chance to prove himself, promising to infiltrate the camp and retrieve Tzain. When Zélie asks about the scroll, Inan commits that it will be theirs and that he will not stand in the way of restoring magic.

They seal an uneasy alliance with a handshake, agreeing to move forward together: Zélie will animate with the sunstone, and Inan will leverage his position to reclaim their captured allies and support their larger mission.