Vis races through the forest at dusk, depleted and desperate to make his rendezvous. He stops at a stream to drink and catch a fish, then hears a wounded alupi pup downstream. Despite intending to kill it for food, Vis relents, feeds it the fish, frees it from a fallen branch, and binds its wound, leaving the animal wrapped in his cloak before pushing on.

Reaching the cliffs as darkness deepens, Vis finally feels the locator’s pull toward a white anchoring monolith. He scrambles down to the beach, stashes his clothes, and plunges into the frigid Sea of Quus. Fighting exhaustion and cold, he swims for the anchoring point, then snaps the locator needle to break Ulciscor’s imbuing before attempting to deploy his stone grapple cuff.

Vis fumbles and drops the cuff, forcing a blind, breathless dive where he strikes the smooth Seawall and, by luck, recovers the bracelet. With the Transvect overhead, he clamps the cuff to his wrist and is violently hauled from the water, inhaling seawater and slamming into the carriage’s underside. He manages to reach the rear access platform, detaches the external cuff to ease the strain, and slips inside through the hatch.

Inside the Transvect, Vis retrieves his stashed clothing, dries and dresses, and discards wet, incriminating items through the hatch. He allows the hatch to seal and composes himself as the carriage returns to the Academy. When the doors open, Praeceptor Taedia casually asks if Feriun boarded; Vis deflects, and Taedia, unconcerned, escorts him back past the gates.

Vis returns to the dormitory without drawing attention. Eidhin notes his haggard state but asks no questions. Bruised, bitten, and aching, Vis slips into bed and falls into a deep, dreamless sleep, his covert return complete and his cover intact.