Twenty-Five

Rickar and the research group encounter Night Drinkers attempting to surrender at their door, presenting a translator and a severed head as a peace offering. Dafyd becomes fascinated by the translator and leads Rickar and Jessyn through the facility to find the librarian, an alien creature who can speak through the device. In a parallel scene, Jellit—standing guard for another group of survivors—is shocked to discover Jessyn, Rickar, and Dafyd arriving at their location, revealing that multiple human groups have survived separately in the Carryx prison.

Rickar reflects on his exile and the division his group experienced after the Carryx's arrival. While considering a walk with Else and Synnia, he notices Dafyd emerging and proposes getting paint for their door as a signal to other survivors. As the group jokes, they hear scratching at the door and prepare for attack with knives and poison bulbs. When Dafyd opens the door, they find a dozen Night Drinkers in a submissive posture, with an ambassador offering a translator and a severed head as a peace gesture, attempting to surrender. The translator announces "No more war. No more fighting." Dafyd questions the ambassador about surrender and the Night Drinkers' circumstances, but they flee. Excited by the translator, Dafyd rushes through the cathedral and deeper into the facility, following a broad hallway past various alien species. He finds a large bear-like creature with multiple eyes and successfully uses the translator to communicate with it, asking if it has seen creatures resembling humans. In a separate location, Jellit stands night watch over another group of human survivors including Allstin, Dennia, and Kell. He hears footsteps and a human voice calling out, and is astonished to find Jessyn, Rickar, and Dafyd arriving at his group's location, revealing the existence of another surviving human community.