Samkiel returns through a portal into a city burning from the attack of Nismera’s legion. Dianna immediately pins him to a wall with a blade at his throat, furious. When she detects the scent of a brothel on him, she kicks him through a stone wall. He pins her to stop her from attacking again. She reveals she killed one of Nismera’s commanders and seized half his fleet. When she tries to leave, Samkiel stops her, insisting he has not been unfaithful to her. Unable to explain fully, he asks for her help with something and, when she refuses, throws her over his shoulder and carries her through a portal. He clarifies he visited the brothel only to see an old friend who makes things—not to solicit sex.

The portal deposits Samkiel and Dianna in a ruined city at the Netherworld’s center, once a grand ceremonial hub before Nismera’s conquest. As they enter a half-collapsed building, Samkiel directs Dianna’s gaze to a massive 12-eyed insect creature beside a web-wrapped mummified body. He kills it with a thrown dagger. When Dianna turns to confront him about their unresolved issues, she finds him kneeling, holding a shimmering silver ring and asking if he is performing the Onunan marriage proposal correctly.