Chapter 12

The narrator and Utris descend into a sealed underground cavern beneath the Citadel to dispose of Rekk's body by feeding it to an anthe (a water-dwelling creature). As they complete this grim task, white-robed figures arrive to execute a prisoner by throwing him into the water—and the narrator realizes the prisoner is someone she cares about, prompting her to abandon Utris and rush to intervene.

The chapter opens with the narrator and Utris sealing a hole in the wall and descending into a dark stairway. As they pass beneath the Citadel's arches that silence the Creators, the narrator discovers she can hear supernatural voices—a revelation she keeps hidden, suspecting it marks her as different or dangerous. They emerge into a vast underground cavern containing an inky lake, ringed by stalactites and lined with ropes as warning bells. The white-stone pier is carved like a dragon's maw, with boats tethered to it—execution vessels scarred by the anthe's feeding. Utris explains that the creature responds to water movement and warns against eye contact, which constitutes a territorial challenge. The narrator decapitates Rekk's corpse to prevent haunting and helps Utris slip the body into the water. Moments later, white-robed figures emerge escorting a bound, bloodied prisoner toward the boats. The prisoner's reddish hair initially makes the narrator fear it's Pyrok, but she confirms it is not—yet she remains disturbed by his fate. As the prisoner is forced into a boat, he locks eyes with her and screams a warning. The narrator chooses to abandon her mission and Utris, choking him unconscious and leaving him gold and instructions. She descends back to the cove as bells jingle and the prisoner screams. A second boat appears with two figures—one with red hair whom she recognizes as related to the prisoner, and another in white robes working the oars. When that figure turns, the narrator sees it is Kaan, and her emotional response is visceral and shocking.