Bryce finds herself at the bottom of an ocean-like abyss—the deepest point of the Drop—where Danika's soul-spark awaits her. Danika appears in her familiar form, and the two share an emotional reunion. Bryce initially declares she will not attempt the Ascent, choosing instead to remain in this place with what's left of Danika rather than return to a life she finds unbearably painful without her best friend. Danika challenges Bryce fiercely, calling her decision bullshit and insisting the friend she knew would never give up on everything for a remnant of the dead.

Through their conversation, Bryce confronts Danika about the Horn and the tattoo. Danika explains she concealed the truth to protect Bryce. Bryce tells Danika she killed Micah for what he did, and Danika confirms that she, Connor, and the rest of the Pack of Devils have been watching from the afterlife. Connor and the pack are currently holding off Reapers so Danika could reach the Gate, but time is running out. Danika gently reminds Bryce of Hunt Athalar and reveals that Bryce's firstlight healed him. She urges Bryce to acknowledge that love and connection—including her feelings for Hunt—are reasons worth living for, not weaknesses.

Meanwhile, in the Comitium, the Eleusian system counts down Bryce's final seconds of life. The Autumn King, Declan, Hypaxia, Jesiba, and others watch helplessly, convinced Bryce cannot make the Ascent without a true Anchor and with only artificially sourced power. The Autumn King states that no one in history who exceeded their natural level through artificial means has ever survived. The timer races toward zero as Bryce has not yet begun her Ascent.

At the very last fraction of a second—0.003 on the clock—Bryce begins running down the mental runway with Danika sprinting beside her. Drawing on everything she has, Bryce launches herself upward just as the runway ends. Danika's soul-force gives Bryce an initial boost, then fades permanently from existence. Despite the Autumn King's disbelief, Bryce rises through the levels, her power carrying traces of every species that contributed firstlight through the Gates. The ancient Prime of the wolves identifies the force propelling her as love—loyalty beyond death.

On the screen showing the Old Square, Hunt Athalar, healed and wreathed in lightning, is performing chest compressions on Bryce's dead body, sending jolts of his lightning into her to restart her heart. He demands she come back and say to his face what she confessed when he was nearly dead. Sabine whispers the answer to the Autumn King's incredulous question: "Through love, all is possible."