Evar descends from the mountain into a grand city alive with lights, carriages, and crowds. He marvels at flames, clothing, and scents he has only read about, and ponders whether this is the same city that stands outside the library in Livira’s time. The scale and anonymity make him feel equal among strangers, though the thought that all these people are long dead saddens him.

Wandering deeper, Evar imagines familiar faces among strangers—his siblings, Clovis, even a glimpse like Livira—and wonders if the pools brought him here to find the unknown author-lover who haunts his memory. The city’s tense quarters and shuttered windows hint at siege and imminent consequence.

He drifts to the walls and stands among soldiers armed with chemical projectile weapons. Their strange accents signal long passage of time. Through the night he listens to their boasts, worries, and idle talk, feeling threads of connection to the city much like the Exchange’s interwoven roots.

At dawn, fires bloom on the mountain’s northern slope. Officers dispatch squads into the city, but Evar recognizes the arson as a diversion. Almost on cue, the main sabber army surges across the killing ground with ladders and mixed weapons. Knowing their brutality and seeing the defenders wrong-footed, Evar refuses to witness another slaughter and walks away.