In the Most Desperate Hour

Tristyn Blackheart navigates the Underground to confront his sister Cienna about the fallout from recent events. He deflects her anger but admits Tessa saw Lilura and took it as yet another betrayal, imperiling the fragile trust he had built. Both acknowledge the stakes: Tessa has sided with Achaz, threatening the realm’s balance.

Auryon arrives in a swirl of smoke, confirming she used a vial—Scarlett’s contingency—to summon help. Cienna insists they wait to see who answers, confident Gia will safely collect any responders. As they prepare elixirs and take stock, Tristyn reflects that they have waited too long for the one who could free them—and now seem to have lost her.

Gia returns with two allies from another realm: Razik Greybane, a Legacy descended from a god, and Eliza, a Fae sworn to Scarlett’s Court. Skeptical but direct, they demand clarity. Tristyn warns Devram will not welcome them, yet their arrival signals the desperate hour Scarlett anticipated.

Pressed for the core threat, Tristyn reveals Scarlett’s cousin is a daughter of Temural and a daughter of Achaz—beginnings and endings combined. Razik recognizes the transgression against cosmic balance and states the grim consequence: such a being was never meant to exist. If the imbalance stands, not only Devram but all realms could fall into Chaos.