Chapter 1: Nahri

Nahri savors a rare outing with Muntadhir and Zaynab to greet an Ayaanle sandship. Memories of Ghassan’s brutal reprisals for her past excursions underline her captivity. Abul Dawanik arrives with little cargo and admits the tax caravan is late, aggravating Muntadhir as Navasatem nears.

Zaynab sends Muntadhir to prayer with Abul Dawanik and spirits Nahri into the Geziri Quarter. Among markets and mosques, Nahri bargains for a Cairo book, clashing with Geziri customs, and learns Zaynab may be married off to a wealthy Malaccan noble to bolster Daevabad’s strained finances.

Drawn by a powerful tug of magic near the Citadel, Nahri enters a ruined complex despite Zaynab’s protests. Inside, animated murals and familiar Nahid power reveal the site as a former Nahid hospital. They discover three inhabitants: Razu Qaraqashi, Issa, and Elashia, whose silent bodies mark them as freed ifrit slaves hiding from persecution.

Razu recognizes Nahri through her vessel and reverently confirms her identity. The trio explains their isolation after the Afshin’s fall made people fear ifrit magic. Razu recounts offering herself to an ifrit centuries ago in a misguided quest, then being lost for two millennia before recovery in Daevabad.

Amid soma and stories, Razu describes the hospital’s vibrant past—quarantine wards, skilled care, and Nahid efficiency—rekindling Nahri’s longing for a true healing institution. As dusk falls, Zaynab urges departure. Nahri promises to return and help, while Razu offers her support should Nahri attempt to rebuild, hinting that the place itself favors her.