Celene recounts the immediate aftermath of Connor's return. Phoebe recognizes the wolf as her stolen husband, and Connor rushes to her, answering the mystery of how Lilidh obtained the duskdancer blood that helped fuel Fabién's conquest. Gabriel sees Phoebe restored to her husband and silently understands that whatever bond had grown between Gabriel and Phoebe is severed.

Gabriel focuses on Dior, who is wounded but alive. Reyne says Connor helped and saved them, while Dior apologizes for hurting Gabriel. Gabriel reassures Dior, apologizes for his own failures, and Dior tells Gabriel that he kept his promise not to leave her. For one brief moment, Dior is safe, the prophecy seems complete, and hope appears possible.

Dior then points Gabriel toward the tomb's statues. Gabriel recognizes five anguished priestly figures, each bearing a sigil of one of the bloodlines, including Fabién's pale raven. By connecting the scene to scripture, Dior, Gabriel, Celene, and Phoebe realize that the Redeemer's dying words were not a promise to the faithful but a curse upon the five priests who murdered him, making them the first vampires.

In the prison-cell frame, Gabriel and Celene erupt into another argument over Celene's knowledge and betrayals until Jean-François forces them to continue. Gabriel admits that, overcome by rage at Celene and by the revelation that the Redeemer caused the world's damnation, Gabriel attacked Celene in the tomb. While Gabriel and Celene fought and Phoebe tried to separate them, Dior was left exposed.

Lilidh rises from the water, horribly burned but still alive because, as a vampire who had died without a heart, an anointed blade through the chest could not kill her. Connor turns first, but Lilidh reaches Dior and twists Dior's head, killing the Holy Grail. Connor attacks Lilidh and tears off Lilidh's head, destroying the Heartless, but Lilidh simultaneously rips out Connor's heart.

Lilidh collapses into ash, while Connor dies and reverts from wolf to man in Phoebe's arms. Reyne cradles Dior's broken body until Gabriel realizes what has happened and takes Dior, desperate for any hope of saving her. Celene knows no blood can restore Dior because death has already claimed her, and Gabriel's grief becomes total as Gabriel sings to Dior's corpse.