Lidia Cervos, known as the Hind, kneels before the six Asteri in the Eternal Palace, outwardly obedient while privately fantasizing about killing her “undying masters.” The silver torque around her neck—made from rebel trophies—feels like a collar and leash, especially with Pollux, the Hammer, kneeling beside her in a possessive show of control.

The Asteri interrogate two summoned Fae kings about recent treason: Morven of Avallen disavows his dead son Cormac and vows to erase his name, while the Asteri mock Cormac’s attempt to burn them with himself. Rigelus then presses the Autumn King, Einar Danaan, who coldly condemns his son Ruhn as a traitor and blames Bryce for luring him into rebellion, effectively disowning them both. The Asteri warn both kings to keep silent about what they learned or face their wrath.

After dismissing the kings, Rigelus orders Lidia and Pollux to rise and asks about progress in the dungeons. Lidia reports that Hunt Athalar and Ruhn will take time to break and that she is still “assessing” Baxian. Rigelus grants her permission to continue, treating torture like routine work.

In the corridor, Pollux fixates on whether Bryce Quinlan truly went to Hel, but Lidia refuses to waste time confirming it, believing Bryce will return. Lidia notices how the palace has been scrubbed of evidence of the recent chaos and observes the new mech-suits stationed on Mount Hermon—an Asteri technological escalation that signals the rebellion’s worsening odds. She also notes that a thousand mystics in the catacombs are now tasked with locating Bryce, implying Bryce may have gone somewhere other than Hel.

Lidia and Pollux descend to the dungeon interrogation chamber where Hunt, Baxian, and Ruhn hang in gorsian shackles amid pooled blood. Hunt and Baxian’s wings have been severed, and Pollux begins a brutal “warm-up” beating, cracking his whip across Hunt’s raw back while Ruhn watches Lidia with loathing. Lidia tries to reach Ruhn mind-to-mind, briefly letting her mask slip, but Ruhn refuses her; when Pollux receives a report call about the search for Bryce and turns back to continue, Lidia steels herself and instructs Pollux to use barbed wire next.