Harrow wakes thrashing in the false Canaan House, surrounded by urgent voices trying to keep her stable. When memory returns, Harrow realizes what she has forgotten: Gideon Nav. Overwhelmed by grief, Harrow breaks down, repeats vows of remembrance, and cries until physically exhausted.

After the others leave, Abigail Pent remains with Harrow. Harrow tests whether Abigail is real by asking about the Fifth House, and Abigail explains that Abigail is not a delusion but a revenant. Harrow confirms that Cytherea, disguised as Dulcinea Septimus, killed Abigail and that Harrow and Gideon later stabbed Cytherea through the breastbone.

Abigail questions Harrow about Lyctorhood, and Harrow explains that Harrow realized Gideon’s soul would be absorbed. To prevent that, Harrow removed Harrow’s ability to comprehend Gideon by disconnecting the part of Harrow’s brain that remembered Gideon, using an accomplice and a bone construct in Harrow’s skull. Abigail clarifies that this is not the main problem: Harrow is being haunted by an invasive, angry spirit and is losing control.

Harrow and Abigail piece together the nature of the false Canaan House. Harrow unconsciously made a bubble in the River, filled the gaps in Harrow’s altered memories with false replacements, and pulled in some ghosts as actors under enforced rules. Abigail compares it to a play that another director is now hijacking. Harrow confirms that Judith, Coronabeth, Camilla, Ianthe, and possibly Palamedes are not dead in the ordinary sense, which helps Abigail understand why some figures in the bubble were ghosts and others were faulty constructs.

Harrow tries to reach the River and Harrow’s real body but cannot; Harrow is trapped inside the bubble. Abigail explains that the bubble likely exists whenever Harrow is unconscious, though time has run strangely: Harrow says nine months have passed outside, while Abigail has experienced about eight weeks. Harrow realizes the crisis outside is immediate: Harrow’s body has been fatally stabbed and the Mithraeum is being overrun by thanergetic monsters.

The bubble itself begins to fail as a pink tentacle-like Herald breaches the window and releases plex slides. Magnus arrives to warn that the walls are being breached. Abigail tells Harrow that Harrow must leave the body to survive outside and instead defend the soul within, because if Harrow dies in the bubble, Harrow will be lost forever.