Lysara and her companions travel to Eldrin's Rest, a once-thriving city now reduced to smoldering ruins. Survivors speak of a shadowed beast that swept through, devouring both magic and life itself. Lysara realizes that the crown's destruction may have unleashed something far worse than she imagined.
That night, the group is attacked by creatures with eyes of burning gold—servants of an unseen force. They barely escape, but Riven is wounded, and the thief begins experiencing strange visions. He insists he saw the crown—whole—upon a dark throne deep underground.
Lysara seeks shelter with Lord Daemar, a noble loyal to her family. However, she quickly learns that he is negotiating with the warlords seeking to claim the throne. To them, she is a queen without a crown—powerless. Betrayed, Lysara is forced to fight her way out, further cementing that she is now truly alone.
Vaelin finally confesses what he knows: the Crown of Aelthar was never meant to be worn—it was a prison. The shards are fragments of a lock, and reforging them might release something ancient rather than restore the kingdom. Lysara struggles with doubt—should she stop seeking the shards, or is it the only way to reclaim her rule?
As Lysara questions her path, Sir Garran's past catches up to him. His former commander arrives, accusing him of treason once more. Forced into a duel, Garran wins—but the truth is still unclear. Was he truly betrayed, or is he hiding something from Lysara?
The next shard is hidden deep beneath an abandoned temple, but the vault is not empty. Inside, they find a knight clad in blackened armor, still alive despite the centuries. He warns Lysara: "The crown was shattered for a reason. Turn back before you doom us all."
Ignoring the warning, Lysara claims the second shard, and the entire temple begins to collapse. In the chaos, Vaelin is nearly lost—but Lysara chooses to save him, losing valuable time to escape. As they emerge, she feels the shard's power whispering to her, promising strength, promising control.
Returning to the surface, Lysara is ambushed by a deadly assassin, one sent by the warlords seeking to end her claim to the throne. She barely survives, but the attack forces her to realize: she is no longer just a queen seeking power—she is a target, and the enemy is growing bolder.
As the group rests for the night, the ground shakes violently, and in the distance, black wings spread over the sky. The thing that was bound by the crown is waking. Lysara now knows: if she fails, the world itself will suffer.
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