Chapter Thirty-Two: The Scroll of Oblivion and the Painter’s Task
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Complete Chapter Summary
Days after her confrontation with Elang, Vierra remains isolated in her room, eating candies and brooding over his deception. Missing her family sharply—imagining winter in Gangsun, her mother’s scarf, and her siblings—she finally decides to stop holding back her visions. Believing that mastering her Sight will help her find and free her father, she sits at her desk, relaxes into a trance, and paints.
The vision begins with water and a face that isn’t her father’s: a small-mouthed woman with long ears and sunken eyes. As her brush continues, the figure turns monstrous—eight arms, serrated teeth, writhing eel-like hair. Vierra recognizes Queen Haidi, transformed. Horrified, she rushes to Elang’s chambers, demanding they overthrow Nazayun that night.
Elang studies the painting and warns they cannot warn Haidi without risking exposure of Vierra’s Sight. He then reveals a secret: the Scroll of Oblivion, an ancient parchment woven from eversnow bark and tears of sorrow, that can make anything painted on it vanish from existence. This scroll is the weapon of the Eight and a Half Immortals, and Elang’s role was to find a mortal—the Painter—to wield it. Vierra realizes the scroll has been hidden on her all along: a black thread woven into her red string.
Elang unravels the thread into a full scroll. Vierra tests it by painting a teacup and touching the real cup, which disappears into the parchment. Elang explains that for living subjects, the Painter must capture the subject in its final moment before Oblivion—and must physically touch them. Vierra insists she needs to see the real Nazayun to paint him with true spirit. Elang agrees to take her to Jinsang after the Luminous Hour, when the Dragon King will receive the pearls. He also reveals that his cousin Seryu’ginan will take the throne, and that painting Nazayun will free Haidi and possibly Vierra’s father. Vierra leaves without looking back, determined.
Key Events
- Vierra deliberately enters a vision and paints Queen Haidi turning into a monstrous eight‑armed creature.
- She barges into Elang’s chambers, demanding immediate action.
- Elang explains the Scroll of Oblivion: a divine artifact that erases anything painted on it.
- Vierra learns the scroll has been concealed as a thread in her red string since early in the story.
- She successfully tests the scroll by vanishing a teacup.
- Elang details the rules: the Painter must touch the subject, and living targets require capturing their “final moment.”
- Vierra insists on seeing Nazayun in person; they plan a trip to Jinsang after the Luminous Hour.
- Elang confirms that Seryu’ginan will succeed Nazayun as king.
Character Development
- Vierra shifts from avoidance to proactive determination. She stops suppressing her visions, practices entering a trance, and demonstrates growing agency by demanding to see the Dragon King. Her emotional growth is evident as she navigates anger toward Elang while cooperating for a greater goal.
- Elang reveals layers of his past: his role among the Eight and a Half Immortals, his friendship with his cousin Seryu, and his long‑buried hope for a better ruler. His cautious demeanor around Vierra shows regret over his earlier deception.
- Queen Haidi appears only in vision, but her monstrous transformation underscores the punishment she faces for helping Vierra and Elang.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Prophecy and Control: Vierra learns that visions are a tool she can actively direct, not a passive curse.
- Art as Power: The entire chapter frames painting as a conduit for magic—the Painter’s skill literally determines life and death.
- Hidden Truths: The Scroll of Oblivion is disguised as a simple thread, echoing Elang’s hidden identity and the secrets woven into the story.
- Sacrifice and Consequence: Vanishing a teacup is easy; vanishing a living being—especially the Dragon King—carries immense moral weight.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the story’s pivot point. The Scroll of Oblivion is introduced as the only weapon that can defeat Nazayun, and Vierra is confirmed as the Painter—the mortal chosen to wield it. The planning for the Jinsang mission sets the stage for the climax. Vierra’s vision of Haidi raises the stakes, showing that Nazayun’s retaliation has already begun. Elang’s revelations also deepen the world‑building, clarifying the Eight and a Half Immortals’ purpose and the dragon realm’s political future.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Vierra initially resist using her Sight, and what changes her mind?
She fears seeing something terrible about her father. Her mother’s advice—“let them bring you home faster”—and her longing to save Baba push her to practice willingly.
2. What is the “rule of the Scroll” regarding living subjects?
The Painter must paint the subject in its exact final moment before Oblivion, and must physically touch the subject for the vanishing to take hold. The painting must be perfectly true to life.
3. Why does Elang agree to take Vierra to see Nazayun, despite the risk?
She argues convincingly that she needs to see the real Dragon King—not a projection—to capture his spirit and paint him accurately. Elang recognizes the logic and trusts her judgment.