Henry takes an unnerved Harlow to a rose garden at her family home. Despite Harlow’s growing dread and her insistence that she avoids this part of the garden, Henry forces her to approach a marble monument, as if to force her to speak the truth. The monument is a headstone for Aidia, shocking Harlow out of the dissociation that has shielded her from the truth: Aidia died six months ago. Henry, seeing her genuine trauma, realizes she was not trying to manipulate him. Harlow actually believed Aidia was still alive.

The traumatic memory returns to Harlow in full. She recounts the brutal abuse she and Aidia suffered from their father since they were little girls, Harrick even forcing them to beat each other on threat of burning them to death with holy fire. Aidia covered Harlow’s back with stars to hide the scars she had given her sister herself. Aidia volunteered to marry the violent Rafe to protect Harlow. On the day of Aidia’s death, Rafe had used his compulsion magic to force the sisters to beat each other. He then made them stand on a balcony railing and ordered one to push the other.