Paedyn climbs higher up Plummet Mountain with Jax and Ace, exhausted, thirsty, and unsteady on the steep slope. Jax and Paedyn work well together, helping each other over difficult stretches, while Ace follows behind them and taunts them about being forced onto the same team. Paedyn recognizes that the king arranged the pairing deliberately to increase conflict.

Ace then pretends to warn Paedyn about danger, and she turns just in time to see a giant snake around her ankles. The snake is only an illusion, but the fright makes Paedyn lose her footing and nearly fall down the mountain. Jax uses his Blink ability to get behind her and save her before she tumbles away, while Ace coldly mocks the incident. Paedyn wants to attack Ace, but Jax stops her and reminds her that they cannot act on that rage yet.

As they keep climbing, Paedyn thanks Jax for saving her. Their conversation turns to Kai, and Jax reveals that Kai hates heights, though he hides it well. Jax explains that the king forced Kai to repeatedly climb the tallest trees in the Whispers until he seemed cured, and he remembers seeing Kai return from training bloodied, crying, and hacking at his bedposts with a sword. The story deepens Paedyn’s understanding of Kai’s trauma and the cruelty of the king’s methods.

The chapter’s danger escalates again when the mountain begins to tremble and Paedyn realizes a rockslide is coming. She, Jax, and Ace scramble to avoid the falling boulders on the steep mountainside, with Jax Blinking in and out of danger. During the chaos, a rock strikes Paedyn in the head, leaving her bleeding, dizzy, and likely concussed. Once the slide stops, Paedyn checks on Jax, learns that he is alive, and answers Ace’s smug reassurance with sharp contempt.