Chapter 78 — Isla

After the banquet, attendants sweep away Lark’s dust while ash settles beneath Cronan’s boots. Isla eats in silence, shaken by Lark’s twisted devotion to Cronan and fearing she may mirror that fate. Grim escorts Isla back to the dungeon, quietly offering a torn strip of his own shirt so she can wipe Lark’s blood from her shoulder.

The next afternoon, as Lark’s body reforms with unsettling sounds, Grim appears at Isla’s cell ahead of schedule. He reports overhearing Cronan and the other lords planning an early invasion and reveals Cronan knows Isla has been speaking with someone from her cell. Shrouding the corridor in shadows, Grim unlocks the shademade door and tells Isla to leave—and that he never wants to see her again.

Isla challenges his resignation. She insists their connection matters, reminding Grim that even if he does not remember, their love is real and worth rediscovering. She refuses to run alone, vowing to break out and fight together across lives. Grim calls her a fool, warning this is her only chance at survival, but Isla holds to her oath and belief that together they can defeat Cronan.

As their standoff peaks, a new swell of shadows parts. Cronan steps from the darkness, revealing he has caught them in the act, cutting short any escape and escalating the danger for both Isla and Grim.