Chapter Thirty-Three

Lore and Gabe reach the cavern of Nyxara’s tomb and find twenty intact skeletons of the Buried Watch where they fell, proving the tomb has been opened. Lore realizes her earlier call of all Mortem during the harbor disaster caused a lethal surge here, and that her mother Lilia is not among the dead—Lilia is simply gone.

Nyxara speaks in Lore’s mind, explaining that when Lore drew all Mortem, the tomb opened and the power rushed out. Nyxara directed the energy through dead matter to Lore to strengthen their connection, but the initial flood could not be tempered, killing the Watch who had guarded the goddess’s first death.

Gabe hangs back, fearful despite Hestraon’s power on him, while Nyxara urges Lore forward with the promise of knowledge needed to save Bastian and the rest. Lore chooses to enter the obsidian tomb alone as the door seals behind her, focusing on what must be done.

Inside, Lore finds Nyxara’s body not as a stone colossus but a living, moon-pale woman lying serene with undying lilies. The tomb hums, a place that once unwound other marked visitors, but Nyxara says it cannot take Her from Lore; they are uniquely alike—both seeking belonging—and only Lore can hold all of Her power.

Accepting that she must stop running, Lore places her hand on Nyxara’s brow. The contact drains Lore to the last drop, fusing their voices and deepening their bond, and something new blooms behind Lore’s eyes—an onset of vision or knowing that promises the truths and strength she needs for what comes next.