Chapter 74

The rune ritual to bind Raeve to the Book of Voyd ravages her body, bringing her to the brink of death before she recovers. In the moment of their relief, masked warriors emerge from invisibility and ambush them. The attackers are revealed to be servants of Sereme, who takes the narrator captive after threatening his niece Kyzari's life, revealing that the entire ordeal was orchestrated to trap him.

The active runes consume Raeve, causing her extreme physical agony as she convulses on the ground. Ahvi watches in distress, admitting his role in the activation. As the narrator watches, Raeve's appearance becomes grotesquely altered—her hands become skeletal, her face hollowed and emaciated, and blood pours from wounds including a stab injury. An icy wind manifests as a feminine apparition, shearing back her hood to expose her transformed state. Ahvi works frantically with the Book of Voyd while the narrator is forced to watch helplessly, restrained by warnings that interfering with the runes could cause harm. Raeve bleeds heavily and nearly dies, but manages to place her bloody hand on the book, declaring her will to live. A burst of glacial light erupts, and both Raeve and Ahvi collapse. The narrator finds Raeve's pulse vanishes, sending him into panic until her heartbeat gradually returns and her physical form begins to restore to normal. Just as relief sets in, over thirty masked warriors emerge from invisibility, surrounding them with weapons drawn. A pale-haired fae woman in a purple coat steps forward—Sereme—revealing she has orchestrated everything and now holds his niece Kyzari hostage, threatening to poison her unless he comes willingly. The narrator learns from a message that Raeve was hired to deliver him to Sereme and the Ath. Forced to comply to protect his niece and Raeve, he drinks a numbing potion that severs his connection to his magical flame, is shackled, and is knocked unconscious before being taken away.