Chapter 35

Chained and weakened, Dianna endures Cameron and Xavier’s taunts and flips the power dynamic by needling their buried tensions. As they bristle, two dreameaters manifest and siphon them unconscious, revealing Reggie’s rescue plan. Reggie uses Cameron’s access to open the cell and unlock Dianna’s chains, explaining that more Baku have come to put the palace to sleep.

They ride to the top floor, where signs of Samkiel’s unraveling are evident. Searching for the supposedly destroyed map, Dianna discovers a strip of photo‑booth pictures from a past outing with Samkiel. The memory stirs conflicted feelings; she burns the photos to ash, then finds the restored map beneath the book and pockets it.

Needing her ring, Dianna follows the pull of power to Samkiel’s bedroom. Four elite Baku, led by Garleglish, restrain the World Ender by feeding on his nightmares. Garleglish admits they follow power—now Dianna’s—and hints that Samkiel dreams of her.

Conflicted but resolute, Dianna sits beside Samkiel, soothes him as she once did, and confronts the cruelty of their divided natures. She gives him a brief, final kiss and whispers farewell, choosing betrayal over attachment to pursue her larger goal. As she pulls away, she spots her ring on the bedside table, poised to reclaim it and continue her escape under the Baku’s cover.