Chapter 64 — Isla

Grim begins openly avoiding Isla at meals, recoiling as if her presence hurts, confirming to Isla that he has witnessed one of the implanted memories. Isla notices Grim favoring his right arm and wincing, deducing an injury he is hiding—likely from Cronan. When Cronan dismisses Isla from the galaxy room, Grim escorts her to the dungeons and brusquely asks how to treat his wound.

Pressed, Grim admits it is a cut that resisted Cronan’s remedies. Isla suspects a self-made skyre and asks to see it. Grim masks it with illusion and reveals a rough circle carving, its lines splitting and reforming as Cronan’s power tries to undo it and Grim’s shadows fight back. Isla realizes Grim replicated Cronan’s unique skyre to wield power here, and that Cronan is suppressing it to keep Grim compliant.

Without elixirs, Isla seeks Lark’s regenerative blood. Lark demands her feather in exchange. Torn between aiding Oro’s starstick hunt and saving Grim, Isla hesitates; Grim produces the charred feather from his pocket. When Lark grasps it, she partially restores her broken body, then yields a single drop of blood into Isla’s hand, warning them against other uses.

Grim portals Isla to his room. As Isla applies the drop to the skyre, Grim struggles with pain and proximity, reiterating he will not be softened and is only using her. Isla focuses on searing the mark fully so Cronan cannot undo it. When Grim demands her reason, Isla admits she loves him.

Grim’s expression hardens; he rejects the idea, claiming she loves a weaker, dead version of him. As the skyre stabilizes, he immediately portals Isla back to her cell. Lark’s mocking laughter follows, and Isla recognizes that while Grim’s independence from Cronan has been secured, their personal divide is deeper than ever.