Bryce passes the last of the monster pit’s beasts and reaches an iron barrier with a small door designed to keep the creatures contained. After she slips through and shuts it, the beasts immediately reanimate and slam into the bars, but the barrier holds. With the danger contained behind her, Bryce follows the pull of her glowing star deeper into the single, unbroken tunnel.

After what feels like hours of walking, dehydrated and exhausted, Bryce sits against the wall and unintentionally falls asleep. She wakes to find Nesta standing over her with a sword on her back. Nesta gives Bryce a canteen of water and reveals she learned Bryce escaped because “people who can talk to shadows” reported Bryce going through the grate.

Bryce assumes Nesta has come to return her to captivity, but Nesta says she was sent to escort Bryce back, implying allies with wings can get them out. Bryce refuses to go willingly, fearing the time lost will endanger Hunt and Ruhn, and tries to flee by erupting with light and sprinting away. Shadows slam Bryce to the ground and pin her; Bryce blasts them apart with repeated bursts of starlight, triggering falling debris and a violent cave-in that blocks the way back.

In the aftermath, Nesta pins Bryce with a blade to her throat and orders her to stop. Bryce’s magic is nearly spent, and Nesta acknowledges the cave-in has left them only one direction to travel. Bryce notes the star on her chest is pointing ahead and insists she must follow it, even without understanding why; along the way, Bryce also learns the place she was held is called the Hewn City.

Nesta decides that since they are trapped belowground, they might as well continue forward and see what is ahead. With Nesta accompanying her, Bryce leads them deeper into the dark tunnel, hoping the star’s pull will guide them to an exit and closer to what she needs to save her friends.