In the novel, Caligorya is described as a dream state, a separate dimension, or the realm of the gods. For Zevander, who slips into Caligorya whenever Loyce tortures him, it is a space of safety and self-preservation: “Caligorya had been his refuge from General Loyce. A means to escape her abuse” (682). However, while Caligorya protects Zevander from the horrors of his present, it also symbolizes the lasting impact of the past and its causal relationship to the future.

When Zevander first enters Caligorya, Alastor describes it as “a place in the deepest part of the mind where healers sometimes sent those who’[ve] been gravely injured. The Shadow Realm. A place of quiet without pain, but also darkness” (60-61). The idea of sending “gravely injured” people suggests healing or at least stasis, but Alastor hints at a more sinister purpose to Caligorya by noting its “darkness.” That darkness is both the fact that Caligorya shows Zevander the truth about Alastor’s past and also the danger that what Caligorya tempts Zevander with can have permanent consequences in the real world. Seeing Alastor turn from an idealistic young man trying to empower spindlings like him into a demonic entity bent on amassing corrupting power offers a warning to Zevander about a future he needs to avoid. However, Zevander also kickstarts the future that he lives out: What initially appear to be fantastical visions of a dark-haired girl turn out to be events of a potential future that Zevander brings to pass by physically interacting with Caligorya’s Maevyth.