Gideon, still controlling Harrowhark's regenerating body, leaves the incapacitated Mercymorn behind instead of finishing her off. Gideon moves through the Mithraeum's smoke-filled corridors, finding dead Heralds and green slime everywhere, until Gideon reaches a kitchen area where Ianthe Tridentarius is standing on a counter, armed with her skeletal Lyctoral arm.

Ianthe first mistakes Gideon for Harrowhark, then realizes who is speaking through Harrowhark's body. Gideon threatens Ianthe over the way Ianthe treated Harrowhark, but the two pause long enough to exchange information: the Resurrection Beast fight failed, Mercymorn abandoned the fight, Harrowhark collapsed as expected, Augustine withdrew, and Ianthe surfaced rather than continue with only two Lyctors. When Gideon says Mercymorn stabbed Harrowhark, Ianthe is startled and troubled.

After Gideon helps Ianthe through the dead Heralds, buzzing draws them toward Augustine. Augustine has killed more Heralds and is frantic because Gideon the First has not resurfaced from fighting the Resurrection Beast. Augustine begins to scold who he thinks is Harrowhark, then sees Gideon's eyes in Harrowhark's face, reacts with horror and recognition, says John and Joy, and flees.

Ianthe leads Gideon to Ianthe's room and gives Gideon a letter Harrowhark had left for Gideon Nav. The envelope contains Gideon's old sunglasses and a short note in Harrowhark's hand: One flesh, one end. Gideon is furious and devastated, understanding that Harrowhark arranged her brain alteration rather than fully consume Gideon's soul and live as Gideon had wanted.

Gideon confronts Ianthe about her possessive fascination with Harrowhark. Ianthe argues that Harrowhark's choice to erase Gideon proves something about love and attachment, but Gideon counters that Harrowhark is in love with the corpse in the Locked Tomb, not Gideon or Ianthe. Gideon defines herself as Harrowhark's cavalier and sword, insisting that Gideon's devotion was never about being loved back.

Ianthe denies that Ianthe's attachment to Harrowhark is merely romantic or servile, framing it as a Lyctoral entanglement that could last centuries. Then Ianthe says they must go to Teacher, the Emperor, because he needs to know and can help restore Harrowhark to her body. Gideon resists, but Ianthe points out that Harrowhark's body is still threatened by the descending Resurrection Beast, so Gideon follows Ianthe toward God.