Chapter 49: Emory

At dawn the group heads for the Sunforge, with Gwenhael scouting overhead and Golden Helm escorts Ivayne and Vivyan guiding them through the hilly desert. They avoid patrols and beasts as Vivyan shares lore of first dragons and the Helm’s mission.

When a stony giant rises from the earth, Tol and Emory ready weapons and power, but Vivyan stays them, demonstrating the Helm’s creed of balance and that not all eldritch are hostile. Tol listens, intrigued, as they continue.

Over days, they compare myths to decipher their gods and magic. Emory warns that Clover’s Song of the Drowned Gods may foretell a trap. Romie counters that the Song—echoed by Aspen and Tol—names the Tides, Sculptress, and Forger as the path to mend dying worlds. Nisha sides with caution; Romie retorts that the book’s imprisoned beast parallels the Shadow, hinting Emory might be misled.

Haunted by her bond and rising pressure from unused magic, Emory tries to reach the Shadow by having Virgil knock her out, but the liminal space is gone—his magic feels blocked. Gwenhael confirms the pursuing Knight Commander has captured the Night Bringer. Emory regrets leaving him and wrestles with rescuing him, but chooses the mission and the door only she can open, fearing her pent-up power might erupt near a ley line.

That night, Emory dreams of carefree days with Romie and Baz before the sky darkens and everything disintegrates. In a star-strewn void, a familiar presence appears, and Emory recognizes it, signaling the return of a perilous, unresolved connection.