Chapter 23

Summary

• The chapter is set in an alternate world where Ectran boats are fishing closely to the Broken Shore, suggesting a migration rather than an invasion. The narrative involves the migration of sabbers from their ancestral lands due to a mysterious enemy.
• The chapter revolves around the characters Evar and Livira. Evar is a character that appears to be constantly searching for something or someone. His character is slightly closed off and he mainly interacts with only three people.
• A young, ink-stained girl named Livira unexpectedly appears from a black pool and starts interacting with Evar. They seem to find a common ground in their quests for something they can’t quite name.
• They are both from a library but different sections. Evar has been trapped in his for years or even centuries.
• The girl is looking for a book, "Reflections on Solitude" by Arqnaxis Lox.
• Evar saw the 'assistant', an unnamed character who appears to have multiple versions or duplicates. 'Assistant' seems to be an AI or robot created by a common maker, as she has 'white enamel shoulders'.
• After a brief run-in with one of the assistants, Evar finds a book at the edge of a pool, which turns out to be the very book Livira has been looking for. This leads to questions about the nature of the library, with Evar suggesting that there could be more than one library.
• There's a moment of introspection where Evar reveals his pursuit of a woman who he doesn't remember the name of. However, the woman is not his girlfriend as Livira playfully suggests.
• The chapter ends on a cliffhanger, as a grey hand from the pool drags Livira back.