Chapter Fifteen: Amari

Amari narrates the grueling climb through jungle mountains toward the prophesied site of Chândomblé, recalling dreams of escape with Binta and forcing down her fear of heights. Zélie insists the temple is real despite Tzain’s doubts, driving them upward.

On a ledge, Amari discovers a cracked skull. When Zélie touches it, a freezing wave and the sense of a lingering spirit surge through her. Higher up, they reach the devastated plateau strewn with rubble and skulls. Zélie’s ashê feels amplified; a golden vision flashes of Chândomblé’s former splendor, confirming the site’s sacred past and implied destruction.

The group finds a single intact, metal-walled temple carved with ancient runes. Inside, a statue of an elderly, crowned woman holds a horn. Drawn to it, Zélie channels ashê; the horn seems to respond, and a floor tile grinds open to reveal a spiral stair into darkness.

Tzain fashions a torch and leads them down. The hatch slams shut above, plunging them deeper. A hiss fills the air, the torch blows out, and a warm gust slows their bodies. Realizing it’s poison, Tzain collapses, and the darkness overtakes them.