After Ilva gives Helena one month to make Kaine loyal or kill him, Helena cannot sleep and begins solstice day already overwhelmed. Following the Ember Service and a hospital shift, Purnell gives Helena a note arranging time off for the celebrations at Solis Splendour, where Luc and Rhea expect her. Helena recognizes Ilva’s manipulation but goes anyway.

At Solis Splendour, Helena is unsettled by the warmth, food, music, and happiness, especially because Kaine’s suffering helped secure the Resistance’s recent supplies and successes. While fulfilling her habit of checking Titus Bayard, Helena realizes her improved understanding of resonance may reveal that she once damaged his mind by mishandling the energy currents in his brain. Titus reacts strongly to Helena’s touch, making Helena wonder whether Titus might be curable, though Helena decides not to raise Rhea’s hopes yet.

In a quieter alcove, Penny Fabien tells Helena that everyone is happy because they believe the war is nearly won. Penny explains that Falcon Matias has framed recent victories as proof that the Resistance passed a spiritual test by rejecting Helena’s necromancy proposal. Helena realizes her disgrace has been transformed into religious propaganda: Helena has become the doubter or tempter whose rejection supposedly brought Sol’s favor, making it unlikely anyone would believe Helena if she exposed Ilva and Crowther’s lies.

Penny pulls Helena back into the celebration, where Luc, Soren, and Lila draw Helena into family warmth and a solstice photograph. Luc notices Helena’s distress and speaks hopefully about the war ending and finally traveling with Helena to Etras. Unable to let Luc keep imagining a future built on lies, Helena tells Luc they should no longer think of each other as friends after the war and says the Helena he knew died six years ago. Luc refuses to let Helena go, but Helena begs him to do so and flees.

Outside, Helena wanders through the snow, consumed by despair and briefly tempted by death, before ending up at the Outpost tenement. Kaine arrives, having been alerted because he keeps watch on the place, and demands to know why Helena came unarmed and without Resistance business. Helena admits she came because she wanted to see Kaine and fears one day Kaine will not return. Helena asks Kaine not to die, and Kaine agrees, but then warns that Helena’s unplanned visits endanger Kaine’s cover. Helena promises she will only return for legitimate reasons, and after Kaine leaves, Helena remains alone, cold, and uncertain what to do.