In Sul Adair, Celene begins her account under Jean-François’s questioning. Jean-François tries to frame her as a failed Faithless zealot, but Celene insists the Esani were truly faithful and that the war is not over. When Celene fixes Jean-François with her gaze, Celene nearly compels him into the underground river, revealing that even imprisoned, muzzled, and weakened, Celene remains dangerously powerful.

Jean-François asks about Celene and Gabriel’s childhood, expecting Gabriel’s version of Raphael Castia as brutal and Auriél de León as saintly. Celene rejects this account, describing Auriél as prideful and emotionally neglectful, Raphael as flawed but kind to Celene, and Gabriel as their mother’s favored child. Celene argues that Gabriel’s greatest habit is lying, setting her testimony against his and warning Jean-François that Margot Chastain truly wants Celene’s knowledge of Dior, not Celene’s origins.

Celene resumes the tale at Cairnhaem, after Gabriel fell from the broken bridge. Celene admits that she deliberately took the chance to be rid of Gabriel, reasoning that Gabriel was wounded, dangerous, blinded by his own light, and increasingly ruled by thirst. Celene frames this not as betrayal but as repayment for Gabriel having abandoned Celene long before.

Before describing the fight, Celene recalls a childhood lesson from Raphael, who told Celene that the Castia name meant castle and that castles endure because they are made of stone. This memory explains Celene’s self-image at Cairnhaem: alone, hardened, and determined to withstand whatever came next.

Celene attacks Kiara Dyvok and Kane with a bloodblade, confident that Celene’s sanguimancy and ancien blood should let Celene overcome Kiara. Instead, Kiara proves impossibly strong. When Dior rises and tries to join the fight with a silversteel dagger, Celene’s momentary warning distracts Celene, allowing Kiara to seize Celene, batter Celene against the bridge, tear Celene’s arms from their sockets, smash Celene’s skull, and hurl Celene into the flaming barricade.

Burning and nearly destroyed, Celene uses the last of her power to break Celene’s body into countless mothlike fragments, though the fire consumes many of them. Celene escapes in pieces above the ruined bridge, leaving Dior seemingly bereft of protectors. When Jean-François challenges Celene’s usefulness after Celene’s separation from Dior, Celene hints that Dior was only almost alone and had one final hidden advantage.