Aedion wakes in Aelin’s apartment, injured but clearheaded, and finds Aelin asleep beside his bed. The sight of her alive overwhelms him, and their first conversation mixes tears, teasing, and relief. Aedion thanks Aelin for rescuing him and immediately bristles at the danger she took on alone, revealing both his protectiveness and the strength of their restored bond.

Aelin and Aedion spend the day telling each other the full truth of their lost decade. Aedion recounts what happened to him, while Aelin has already told him her own story. When Aelin asks whether Aedion is ashamed of what Aelin has done to survive, Aedion firmly says he never could be; his acceptance gives Aelin the reassurance she did not realize she needed, and they promise not to be separated again.

Three days after Aedion’s rescue, Aelin goes to the Pits, a brutal new underground fighting den that has replaced the destroyed Vaults. Aedion remains bedridden under rebel guard, so Aelin brings Chaol for backup, knowing Arobynn likely expects and wants Chaol there. The Pits are crowded with spectators and Valg guards, whose presence offers Chaol a chance to track them after their sewer nests vanished.

Arobynn arrives with Lysandra and explains that he wants Aelin to fight so the owners of the Pits will see the value of accepting him as an investor. His real purpose is also coercive: he wants to show off his assassins, intimidate the owners, and pressure Aelin over the unpaid debt she owes him. Aelin quietly thanks Lysandra for helping during Aedion’s rescue, while Lysandra anxiously asks whether Aedion is well.

Arobynn tells Aelin to choose one of the Valg guards as her opponent, making the fight both a test of the demons and a lure for Chaol. Chaol protests, but Aelin cuts him off to keep control of the situation. Masked and unarmed, Aelin enters the pit under the false name Ansel of Briarcliff and selects a grinning Valg commander to fight.