In a deep, trench-like liminal realm, Bryce embraces Danika and confesses she won’t make the Ascent, preferring to remain where Danika’s spirit lingers. Danika reveals she is only a remaining spark, confronts Bryce’s despair, and presses her to live. They revisit past secrets about the Horn and tattoo, Bryce’s sacrifice for Danika’s soul, and the pack’s fate. Danika says the pack, including Connor, is holding the Reapers and cannot stay.

Danika invokes Bryce’s family and Hunt, insisting it is strength—not weakness—to return for love, and reveals that Bryce’s firstlight has healed Hunt. She urges one try, promising to be with Bryce. As Bryce’s timer nears its end, she chooses to attempt the Ascent despite fear. Meanwhile, in the observation room, Hypaxia asks if anything can help; the Autumn King declares Bryce’s artificial power makes ascent impossible; Jesiba grimly concurs; Declan finds no miracle as the countdown races toward zero.

At 0.003 seconds, Declan sees the telltale red line: Bryce is running. On the mental runway, Bryce sprints with Danika urging her on and uses every inch before leaping. She surges upward, clearing the deepest levels, as onlookers reel—Autumn King kneeling, Sabine weeping. The boost that propelled Bryce is Danika’s final gift; her spark fades into nothing.

As Bryce climbs, her power reflects those who aided her—mer, shifter, draki, human, angel, sprite, Fae—while the Prime of the wolves names the driving force: love. Back in Old Square, healed and wreathed in lightning, Hunt Athalar pounds Bryce’s chest and shocks her heart, demanding she return. Sabine whispers, “Through love, all is possible,” as Hunt fights to pull Bryce back to life.