An explosion interrupts Oraya and Raihn in the human districts. When they run outside, they see the Moon Palace partly destroyed, wreathed in silver smoke and Nightfire, and Oraya immediately realizes Mische is inside. Raihn, terrified for Mische, agrees to take Oraya with him, and he flies her to the palace. During the flight, Oraya is shaken both by the physical closeness and by the scale of the devastation below, and she recognizes the attack as deliberate Nightborn magic, likely tied to the long-brewing conflict within the House of Night.

Raihn carries Oraya through the broken window of their tower apartment, where Nightfire has consumed the room. Inside, they find several Nightborn demons surrounding Mische's limp, bloodied body. Raihn orders Oraya back, then destroys the demons with Asteris and rushes to Mische. Oraya sees that Mische has been horribly disemboweled, but when Raihn lifts her, Mische whimpers, proving she is still alive.

The tower is unstable and the Nightfire is spreading too quickly for Raihn to carry both women at once. Oraya forces Raihn to take Mische down first and return for her, even though it leaves Oraya trapped alone in the collapsing, burning apartment. A blast throws Oraya into pain and near-total blindness. Remembering Vincent's training, Oraya steadies herself, takes stock of what remains of her senses, and discovers that she can feel the room and the Nightfire as raw energy around her.

When more demons enter, Oraya instinctively reaches for that power and unleashes it. She kills four demons with Nightfire, then collapses in agony from the effort. Raihn returns just in time, grabs her, and leaps out the window before the apartment finishes consuming her. While flying away, Raihn confirms what Oraya has done, leaving her nauseated and unable to explain it.

From the sky, Oraya sees Nightfire spreading through Sivrinaj and Vincent leading the House of Night's forces into battle with overwhelming power. Raihn remarks that Vincent has finally gotten the war he has long been preparing for. Looking over the ruined city, Oraya senses that this is not an isolated attack but the beginning of something larger and far more terrible.