The broken Wyrdstone collar frees Dorian from the Valg prince’s control, and Dorian speaks to Aelin in his own voice. The king immediately attacks with darkness, forcing Aelin to shield them with fire while Dorian, weakened and bleeding, leans on her. Aelin feels herself nearing burnout, but she offers Dorian her hand and a vow toward a better future.

When Aelin and Dorian join hands, their magic merges into something vast and radiant. The king claims Dorian as his own and strikes them with his darkness, but their combined power cannot be contained. They move through visions of past, present, and something beyond mortal understanding before erupting against the king’s force.

Elsewhere, Rowan, Aedion, and Lorcan struggle out of the blocked sewers after soldiers cut off their escape. Rowan hastily heals his injured leg, then shifts into his hawk form and flies through the hole Aedion and Lorcan opened. From the castle gardens, Rowan sees brilliant light bursting from the upper spires and realizes Aelin is alive.

On the glass bridge, Aelin and Dorian use their joined power to dismantle the king’s spells and burn away the darkness he commands. Dorian’s magic proves immense, and together they snap the final tether binding the king’s power. The king collapses, and Aelin releases Dorian’s hand, leaving both of them shaken and drained.

Dorian stares at his father, the man who enslaved and broke him. The king’s demeanor changes: he calls Dorian “my boy,” then turns to Aelin and asks whether she has come to save him at last. The question suggests that the darkness around the king may not be the whole truth of who he is.