Isla arrives on Lightlark through the portal, disoriented and nearly stepping off a cliff before the Nightshade ruler, Grimshaw, steadies her. Grim tells Isla to call him Grim and flirts with her, making Isla suspicious that he may be trying to distract her in the deadly political game of the Centennial. Isla reflects that this is the first Centennial to include Nightshade, whose curse-spinning power has made the realm deeply mistrusted.

Other rulers arrive one by one. Azul, the Skyling ruler, courteously greets Isla and admires one of her diamond rings, so Isla gives it to him to build favor. Cleo, the Moonling ruler, immediately insults Isla as a “pet,” but Isla refuses to react violently and instead answers with controlled politeness. Celeste, the new Starling ruler, arrives last; Isla greets her as if they are strangers, and Cleo cruelly reminds Celeste that the Starling curse means Celeste will not live to see another Centennial.

The rulers travel toward the Mainland castle, and Isla takes in Lightlark, the powerful island that appears from its storm only once every hundred years. Isla recalls the island’s divided history, the realms’ separate isles, and the Sunling king’s status as Lightlark’s ruler and last Origin. Because love can give a beloved access to someone’s powers, Isla knows the king is paranoid about anyone stealing his immense power; Isla also recognizes a parallel with her own inability to love safely because of the Wildling curse.

At the castle, crowds of Starlings, Moonlings, and Skylings watch the rulers arrive, while no Wildlings are present to support Isla. Grim notes that he has no admirers either, and Isla observes that Nightshades are met with even greater fear and hatred than Wildlings. Inside the gold-filled Sunling castle, attendants are assigned to the rulers. A frightened young Starling attendant leads Isla through increasingly enclosed halls to her chambers.

Isla’s room has been arranged with living greenery, including a blooming tree, ivy, and a balcony hanging over the sea. The attendant explains that the balcony is as sturdy as the king, reminding Isla that the king’s life and Lightlark’s stability are linked. The attendant also says the king has ordered the fires to remain constantly lit, then leaves before Isla can question the strange command.

Celeste soon comes to Isla’s room, and the two rulers joyfully embrace, revealing that they are already close friends and secret allies. Celeste confirms that no one suspects their connection, then warns Isla to hide the starstick because it is an ancient Starling relic and could expose their alliance. Isla recalls finding the starstick among her mother’s possessions and using it to travel secretly until she met Celeste. Their friendship began because both rulers need to break the curses: Celeste to survive past twenty-five and save the Starlings, and Isla because Wildlings are dwindling, weakening, and may not survive until the next Centennial.