By morning, Freya and Bjorn are still trapped on the island, soaked, freezing, and unable to break Harald’s wards. Freya cannot affect the runes with her touch-bound magic, and Bjorn’s axe can pass through the barrier but cannot damage the spell itself. When Freya shouts for help in desperation, Ylva arrives with Ragnar and other warriors, all aiming arrows at the trapped pair.

Ylva assumes Freya and Bjorn are Harald’s willing allies and refuses to listen, even after Freya warns that Harald plans to attack Skaland. To stop Ylva from leaving, Freya reveals that Snorri is dead and that Harald is a child of Loki who has been impersonating Saga. Ylva, shattered by the news, says Skaland’s fleet has already been destroyed and that rumors blame Freya’s powers for the disaster; she also reveals that Leif is in Grindill, likely Harald’s next target.

Freya proposes proving the truth by sharing her memory of everything that happened on the island. Despite Ragnar’s objections, Ylva agrees and watches the memory, including Harald’s deception and Snorri’s death. Convinced, Ylva publicly acknowledges that Harald is a shapeshifter and says his nature must be exposed. She tells Bjorn that she cannot forgive him for killing Snorri, but because Snorri died protecting Bjorn, she will spare Bjorn if he dedicates his life to avenging his father.

Ylva partially unravels the wards and asks to pull Bjorn and Freya across one at a time. Freya distrusts her and insists Bjorn go first. The moment Bjorn is out, Ragnar strikes him from behind, and Ylva has him bound. Ylva admits she never intended to free Freya, declaring Freya too dangerous to live because of her power and deciding instead to trade Bjorn for Leif.

Bjorn, gagged and dragged away, silently begs Freya not to call on Hel, and Freya obeys even as Ylva abandons her to die of exposure and starvation. Alone, freezing, and convinced she will not survive the night, Freya grieves for Bjorn and the ruin Harald has caused. At twilight, Saga’s burned ghost appears, comforts Freya, and tells her that Hel’s curse can free her because Freya is no longer wholly mortal.

After Saga vanishes, Freya studies the twisted mark in her palm and chooses desperate action over passive death. She calls on Hel’s power, arms herself, and curses herself to walk the path to Helheim. In response, the ground begins to shake, signaling that Freya has triggered a dangerous new transformation or escape.