Immortal Dark Chapter 20: The Scales of Sovane
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Professor Andreyas opens the chapter by declaring he already knows which students will fail—and Kidan is on his list. Susenyos taunts her, but she resolves to prove him wrong. The first formal circle begins with a discussion on the Scales of Sovane, a myth about balance between ruthless wisdom and gentle humanity. Kidan argues that Sovane had to destroy his gentle heart to save his people. During the private test, when the professor asks whom she would choose to fall, she names Ramyn Ajtaf, calling her weak and futureless. This deeply wounds Kidan, who feels she has crushed something innocent. She passes the test, but Ramyn fails and leaves in tears. Seven students are dismissed overall. The professor announces the next practical test at the Acti Gala. Back home, Kidan taunts Susenyos with her success. He reacts violently, knocking her off her chair.
Key Events
- Susenyos tells Kidan the professor predicted she would fail.
- Students engage in a formal circle debate on the Scales of Sovane; three are dismissed.
- In her private test, Kidan names Ramyn as the one to fall, justifying it with their shared lack of future.
- Kidan passes but feels immense guilt; Ramyn fails and cries.
- Professor Andreyas reveals the Acti Gala as the setting for the practical test.
- Kidan returns home and provokes Susenyos, who responds by knocking her to the floor.
Character Development
- Kidan: Forced to make a ruthless choice, she experiences a resurgence of empathy and hope, which she thought she had buried. Her guilt over harming Ramyn reveals a crack in her hardened exterior.
- Ramyn: Portrayed as fragile and vulnerable; her failure deepens her isolation and reinforces Kidan's sense of responsibility.
- Professor Andreyas: Uses psychological manipulation to force students into difficult moral decisions, revealing the school's brutal pedagogy.
- Susenyos: His hostility toward Kidan escalates; he is shocked by her success and physically intimidates her.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Balance vs. Ruthlessness: The Scales of Sovane myth serves as a central symbol; Kidan's choice illustrates the cost of maintaining balance by sacrificing human connection.
- Sacrifice of Humanity: Kidan compares naming Ramyn to crushing a bird, linking this moment to her earlier trauma and the idea that blood always finds her hands.
- Psychological Testing: The formal circle is a device that strips students of pretense, forcing them to reveal their deepest fears and ambitions.
- Touch of Empathy: Ramyn's cold fingers and caring eyes awaken a "pocket of light" in Kidan, undermining her self-image as purely destructive.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks a turning point in Kidan's character arc: she achieves academic success but at a moral cost that haunts her. The test reveals the academy's ruthless philosophy and foreshadows the Acti Gala as a high-stakes social and practical challenge. Kidan's internal conflict—between her mission to find June and her growing empathy—becomes more explicit, setting the stage for future choices. The physical confrontation with Susenyos reinforces the danger she faces at home.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Kidan choose Ramyn as the one to fall?
Kidan deduces that Professor Andreyas paired them because their blank answers showed they both see no future. She believes the test is meant to mirror Sovane's dilemma, so she names Ramyn to prove she understands the necessity of sacrifice.
2. How does Kidan feel after naming Ramyn, and what does this reveal about her emotional state?
She feels "rotten" and compares the act to crushing an innocent bird. This reveals that her supposed hardness is a façade; Ramyn has awakened a buried sense of hope and empathy that makes the betrayal deeply painful.
3. What does the professor's test imply about the school's values?
The test rewards ruthlessness and the willingness to sacrifice others for one's own survival, aligning with the myth of Sovane. Success depends on abandoning moral hesitation, suggesting the academy prioritizes power over compassion.