As Dorian destroys the glass castle, Aelin falls through the collapsing towers and throws her remaining magic around herself. Seeing the shattered glass and debris surging toward Rifthold, Aelin pushes her wildfire outward to form a massive barrier at the city gates.

Aelin holds the wall of flame against wave after wave of glass, choosing to spend everything she has to protect the people and places of Rifthold and to honor Aelin's promise to Chaol. A violent wind drives against Aelin and keeps Aelin from falling to death, while dark blood rains through the debris and is swept away.

Aelin wakes on an untouched grassy hill and sees that the glass castle is gone, the stone castle remains, and a frozen wall of glass now stands where destruction would have reached the city. Dorian lies nearby alive, and Chaol is also breathing, bloody but apparently without worse wounds. Aelin realizes the pine-and-snow scent means Rowan's wind helped save them.

Though exhausted and shaken, Aelin walks toward the city instead of checking on Rowan, Aedion, or Lysandra as they gather behind Aelin. Aelin burns an archway through the glass wall and steps into the panicked streets, choosing the gallows as a platform because the city needs immediate control.

Aelin announces that the king is dead, Dorian lives, and Aelin Ashryver Galathynius is Queen of Terrasen. Because Dorian is in mourning, Aelin claims temporary authority over Rifthold, threatens looters and rebels, declares the empire over, and frees all slaves on pain of death for anyone who keeps or abuses them. After presenting Rowan, Aedion, and Lysandra as Aelin's court, Aelin returns to the stone castle and breaks down in tears.