At the lake, Cassian, Azriel, and Eris confront the shadowy figure standing on the water and realize it is Koschei. Koschei mocks how much effort he spent luring them and confirms the encounter was a trap. Cassian tries to bargain for Eris’s release while hoping Koschei has not sensed the Made dagger Eris carries.

Azriel suddenly senses danger and tells Cassian to run, but Cassian is magically frozen in place before he can move. Azriel grabs Eris and flies upward with the dagger to keep it away from Koschei. Koschei then calls Briallyn out from hiding, revealing that Cassian has been left helpless for her. Wearing the Crown, Briallyn reaches Cassian, claims she needs him, and orders Koschei to winnow them away. They vanish before Azriel can stop it.

On Ramiel, Nesta remains at the narrow pass, exhausted, wounded, and nearly overburdened by her shield and bloody sword. She keeps fighting because Gwyn and Emerie are still climbing behind her toward the summit. Nesta reflects that if she dies here, it will be in defense of the friends who helped save her, and she steadies herself by embracing her identity as a Valkyrie.

Bellius finally steps forward as the last opponent. He taunts Nesta, insults Emerie and Gwyn, and explains that the pass is the place where Enalius once made his final stand. Nesta holds her ground in silence until light flares from the summit, signaling that Gwyn and Emerie have touched the sacred stone and been magically taken away. When Nesta tells Bellius he has lost, Bellius admits he never cared about winning and only wanted this violence, then attacks her as snow begins to fall over the mountain.