Nexus eruption during rescue; Bryce takes command despite weakness, confronts Vera, directs Marwick and Halvorn, begins rebuilding

Gregory rescues Bryce from North Tower. Bryce reveals Vera cannot kill him due to his magical nexus connection - severing it improperly would destroy the palace. Vera plans a public severing ceremony during execution.

Gregory confronts enemies.

Gregory reveals Bryce is alive to Abigail using the falcon token, learning of their betrothal and planning departure to Bridane

Gregory reveals Bryce is alive to Abigail using the falcon token, learning of their betrothal and planning departure to Bridane

Gregory wakes in a cabin tended by a mysterious woman. After banter, he asks for Abigail Thorn. Recognition dawns - he sees the woman from Bryce's fireside stories. When he shows the falcon token and tells her Bryce is alive, Abigail's carefully maintained composure cracks.

Gregory is ambushed on the Huster road by disguised soldiers. A garrison-issue crossbow bolt reveals the queen's agents are hunting him. He reflects on the political resistance Bryce will face - nobles invested in Fulton's succession who will brand Bryce an imposter rather than lose their fortunes.

Gregory and Bryce plan their next move at the Halvorn estate in Bridane. Bryce reveals his childhood friend Abigail Thorn, now a Ranger, as a potential ally beyond the queen's influence. He sends Gregory west to find her with a carved falcon token as proof.

Gregory reflects on Bryce's warning about trust, acknowledging that his journey with Bryce has created genuine cracks in his defensive walls. In Bridane, he discovers sealed wells, buckled streets exposing dead earth, and a child who draws thousand-year-old Halvorn symbols in her sleep after...