Gabriel narrates the plunge from the cliff into the Volta, describing the impact as nearly fatal even for a paleblood. He briefly loses consciousness, then resurfaces in the freezing dark, spotting Dior drifting nearby and hauling Dior to the surface. He calls for Chloe but hears nothing and decides he cannot dive to search without risking Dior’s life, so he swims for the northern shore.

As Gabriel swims, he recalls the horrors at San Guillaume—the deaths of Saoirse, Bellamy, and Père Rafa, and Danton Voss’s slaughter—and clings to the fact that he still has his sword, Ashdrinker. Dior coughs weakly, and Gabriel urges Dior to hold on, noting Dior’s fear but also Dior’s steadiness under duress.

Reaching the shallows, Gabriel carries Dior onto the wooded bank. With Dior shirtless after the struggle on the cliff, Gabriel prepares to warm Dior with his greatcoat. In doing so, he notices extensive bandaging around Dior’s chest beneath Chloe’s throat bandage and realizes there is more than an old wound concealed there.

Cut to the present, where Jean-François, listening and recording, snaps his fingers and supplies the word “Breasts,” prompting Gabriel’s confirmation. Jean-François gleefully points out earlier clues—Chloe’s star omen, Dior’s refusal to undress, and Saoirse’s feminine endearment—mocking Gabriel for his obliviousness.

Back in the immediate aftermath on the riverbank, Gabriel reassesses Dior’s appearance and mannerisms, realizing he had been fooled by Dior’s swagger and presentation. Dior awakens, recognizes the exposure, and reacts with alarm as she covers her chest. In a brief exchange, Dior curses and Gabriel replies, both acknowledging the revelation with wry, mutual embarrassment.