Insignia

Isla meets Oro and Azul on the Insignia to confront the crisis when Cleo arrives in a surge of seawater. Cleo immediately interrogates Isla about stopping a creature, and Isla admits she simply touched it. Cleo names the attackers “dreks,” signaling foreknowledge and shifting the conversation to strategy and aid.

Oro requests Moonling healers for the many wounded and asks about the Moonling oracle, whom Cleo has failed to wake. Pressed on allegiance, Cleo refuses to commit, claiming her army and ships are to protect Moonling interests and hinting the island might be allowed to fall. When Oro demands to know her side in a war with Nightshade, Cleo answers, “the winning one,” and departs on a crashing wave.

In the aftermath, Moonling healers arrive but cannot fully counter the drek wounds; they only slow the decay. Isla repeatedly portals to the Wildling newland to secure more healing elixir, which ultimately removes the marks. Despite saving many, forty-five die and dozens remain critical.

Later, as Isla and Oro walk to her room, they take stock: the oracle remains silent, Cleo may abandon Lightlark, and “dreks” become the working name for the threat. Oro’s worry and guilt over casualties surface, while Isla, bloodstained from aiding healers, offers comfort. Their quiet parting underscores rising stakes and fragile unity.