Yrene collapses after spending five hours trying to force her healing magic through the dark barrier in Chaol’s spine. The darkness resists every assault, seems alive, and shows Yrene a vision of Morath: a black fortress amid barren mountains and an immense army spread below it. Yrene pulls away shaken, realizing the threat Chaol described may be real and that learning to fight this corruption could help her treat others in the coming war.

Chaol is exhausted and disappointed that the session produces no physical progress, but Chaol endures the agony without asking Yrene to stop. When Chaol tries to care for Yrene by ordering peppermint tea and helping Yrene drink, Yrene resists the intimacy because Yrene still sees Chaol through his service to Adarlan. Chaol recognizes that boundary and challenges it, revealing both Chaol’s command-hardened nature and Chaol’s instinct to care for others.

Yrene refuses Chaol’s invitation to eat with him and insists on returning to the Torre for the vigil. Before Yrene leaves, Chaol confirms their lesson for the next morning. Yrene keeps the appointment because Chaol’s endurance impresses Yrene, though Yrene also senses that the darkness showed Chaol painful memories and wonders whether Chaol endured the suffering because Chaol believes he deserves punishment.

From Chaol’s perspective, Chaol remembers flashes of horrors shown during the healing: a body on a bed, a collar, and a severed head. Nesryn returns before sundown with news that Sartaq may be sympathetic, but Chaol is too spent to focus. Because Chaol fears a Valg agent may be in Antica and may be hunting Yrene or reporting to Erawan, Chaol asks Nesryn to investigate despite hating the danger he is sending Nesryn into.

That night, Nesryn arms herself and slips into Antica. On the way out, Nesryn sees the Grand Empress wandering alone in grief, which reminds Nesryn of her own mother’s death. Nesryn searches the city and studies the Torre’s guarded walls, trying to determine how the attacker entered and where a Valg might hide.

Sartaq reveals that Sartaq followed Nesryn and joins Nesryn near the Torre. Nesryn admits that Nesryn hunted similar monsters in Rifthold and warns Sartaq about black rings and collars, explaining what Nesryn can about the Valg while withholding some secrets. Sartaq offers to have Sartaq’s spies watch for Nesryn’s family, says old ruk-rider stories may hold knowledge of similar horrors, and agrees to help Nesryn investigate possible canals or sewers beneath the Torre.