Approaching San Guillaume, Gabriel described a fortresslike monastery on a steep rise above the Dílaenn and Volta rivers, ringed by abandoned shanties. He and Rafa smelled stale blood; the gates bore wagon wheels hung with inverted, crucified monks in pale robes, crows feeding on the dead. Inside the bailey, bodies lay everywhere, many flayed or butchered, and some strung on inner walls; the air reeked of rot, soot, and spirits.

Saoirse spotted a pattern in the placement of corpses visible from the battlements. Gabriel recognized it as the flower and flail of Naél, Angel of Bliss, a signature of the Holy Inquisition, indicating an orchestrated massacre. Rafa stumbled through the dead, recognizing fellow monks including Alfonse and a young man named Jamal, and broke down in grief. Dior, seeing the slaughter, whispered that it was because of him, and Saoirse comforted him while Gabriel ordered the slayer to watch the others as he searched for survivors.

Gabriel found none living. In the library, every book, codex, and scroll had been thrown to the floor and burned, a desecration that struck him deeply. He searched other buildings and found only remnants of interrupted lives—half-eaten meals, an unfinished wreath—and confirmed the dead had lain a week. He and Rafa stood on the cliff wall above the rivers in silence, the devastation overwhelming.

Bellamy then began to play his lute, weaving not just a song but a spell that carried sorrow and consolation, moving everyone to tears and easing their anguish. He named it Sorrow and Solace, his sixth of seven masterworks sought by soothsingers of the Opus Grande, explaining he wandered to find the final, truthful song before returning to Empress Margot.

When Dior asked what they should do, Gabriel took charge: the stables were empty, but food and vodka remained. He asked Chloe and Dior to help Rafa cook to steady their minds. Chloe gently led Rafa away from the carnage; Bellamy descended from the wall; Saoirse rejoined Gabriel as Phoebe scouted beyond the gates. Gabriel told Saoirse and Bellamy they would begin burning the dead.