After Larran leaves, Kiela and Caz begin cataloging the spellbooks they smuggled out of the Great Library. Using Kiela's precious pencils and notebook, Caz writes down each volume's details while they assign topics and sub-designations. Working into the night, they prioritize practical, disguisable spells, narrowing their initial focus to fruit trees—hoping that restoring orchards might be impactful enough to dissuade Larran from sailing to Alyssium. They compile a list of candidate spells before sleeping among the books.

At dawn, Caz proposes starting with Ylindar's third variant for strengthening deciduous trees. They substitute pine sap for hard-to-find mola sap and gather ingredients—an acorn cap, pine cone, eggshell, leaves, and honey—then bury the bundle near a gnarled tree in the garden. With no easterly wind, Kiela blows on the pine cone instead. The spell goes awry: a needled cactus erupts from the ground, an unfamiliar succulent that Caz finds alarming because it isn't native and could attract attention.

Researching their mistakes, they learn that breath summons new life (likely how Caz himself was created), that plant-based binders are required instead of honey, and that Ylindar's messy handwriting misled them on pronunciation. They prepare a second attempt using pine sap, capture an actual easterly breeze in cloth, and walk to the pond to try the spell on an ancient, struggling willow tree. Kiela feels a deep emotional pull to restore it, recalling Larran's lullaby.

This time the spell succeeds spectacularly: the willow rejuvenates—branches soften, leaves burst forth, bark greens, and roots thicken. Kiela and Caz celebrate the proof that their magic works and is replicable. As Kiela touches the trunk in wonder, she thinks she hears a soft voice whisper "Beautiful," though she dismisses it as the wind—a hint of something more mysterious at work.