Nona wakes in darkness as the megatruck leaves the tunnel and enters a strange grey void. Paul explains that they have created a protective bubble around the vehicle, while Pyrrha worries it is not enough. Crown tries to coax the unresponsive Judith back, Kiriona remains contemptuous, and no one initially notices Nona.

Nona, increasingly aware that her body is something separate from her self, takes the driver’s seat from Paul. Nona tells Paul that the protective outline will not work and demands that Paul remove it, warning that questions make Nona want to answer. Paul obeys, and the grey covering peels away to reveal the megatruck speeding across the surface of the River.

Nona drives by instinct, explaining that the water does not want to touch them. As the truck turns, everyone sees a massive stone tower rising from the River. The sight terrifies Nona’s deeper thoughts, causes severe pain in Nona’s chest and arm, and unsettles the others. Judith speaks in a strange, decayed voice, while Crown continues struggling to reach her.

Realizing that skidding over the surface will not work, Nona deliberately steers into a wave. The River swallows the truck, pressure crushes around it, the windshield begins cracking, and the passengers panic. Paul crawls to the accelerator and asks whether Nona can get them to the Ninth House.

Nona admits that she can, but exhaustion and despair make her hesitate. Nona thinks about dying as Nona rather than becoming something else, especially after losing Camilla and Palamedes to Paul and seeing Pyrrha broken. When Paul reminds Nona that Noodle is in the back, Nona’s resolve returns, and Nona drives the truck toward home.