Gideon holds Rune’s body after she stops breathing, overwhelmed by grief as Cressida approaches in a rage. Cressida immediately tries to punish him with lightning, gunfire, water magic, and a storm of flying knives, but every attack rebounds or breaks apart before reaching him. Gideon realizes Rune must have cast a final protective spell, leaving him shielded even after her death.

Because Cressida cannot harm Gideon, the balance of power suddenly shifts. Soldiers’ bullets also ricochet, forcing them to scatter, and the chaos gives Juniper and Harrow a chance to break free, seize guns, and fire back. As witches begin retreating and others hesitate, Gideon advances on Cressida, forces her down, and prepares to kill her himself, determined not to repeat the mercy his brother once showed her.

Before Gideon can finish Cressida, Seraphine arrives from the bridge with Antonio and Rune’s satchel. Behind them, Juniper, Harrow, and a growing number of witches form a defensive line, showing that Cressida’s followers are beginning to defect now that her resurrection plan has failed. Seraphine stops Gideon because she intends to use a spell from Rune’s book, despite Cressida’s belief that such an Arcana would corrupt her.

When Cressida tries to attack again, Antonio restrains her, and Seraphine reveals her true identity: she is Wisdom, the Ancient. Using Cressida’s blood, Wisdom draws seven spellmarks across Rune’s body, awakening an older, more primal magic. Gideon and Antonio pin Cressida in place while Wisdom declares that true power is divine judgment, not mortal rule.

Wisdom then drives Rune’s knife into Cressida’s heart. As Cressida dies, the spellmarks on Rune glow and Cressida’s life force is transferred into Rune. The magical pressure breaks only when Cressida falls still, and the chapter ends with Rune taking a sharp breath, restored to life.