In the middle of the night, Elara and Enzo return to the cliff where he previously threatened her. Elara theorizes her shadows only emerge when she genuinely believes death is imminent, as they manifested during the zealot’s attack 18 years prior but not during the encounter with Ariete, as the prophecy assured survival. She asks Enzo to attack her with lethal intent, refusing any safe word. During their fight, Elara discovers his full strength far exceeds training levels. She deploys illusions—bats and shifting grassland—but he overcomes them easily. Though Enzo pins her and unleashes his light, it lacks heat and does not burn her as Helion Light once did during her childhood attack, so her shadows remain dormant because she subconsciously knows he won’t kill her.

To provoke a genuine response, Elara insults his deceased mother, calling her a “Light-loving bitch” (116). Enraged, Enzo releases a powerful burst that knocks her off the cliff. As she plummets, paralyzed and unable to summon shadows, Enzo leaps after her, accepting they will die together. He calls her a dragon and yells at her to spread her wings. His selflessness finally unlocks her power. Massive shadows erupt, forming a winged lion that catches them both and soars over the ocean as Enzo adds fire to its breath.