Chapter 35 Summary – Oraya's Disappearance and Raihn's Concern
⚠️ 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
The chapter opens with Raihn observing Oraya from a distance. She has been sitting on a tower for nearly an hour, staring at the horizon. He wants to give her space but refuses to leave her unguarded. Eventually, his exposed skin burns and his eyes ache, forcing him to return to their rooms.
The next morning, Raihn repeatedly peers through the curtains at Lahor. In daylight, the city looks grotesque: corpses, debris, starving humans and demons taking advantage of the sun. Oraya is still outside. Mische wakes, her sleep-roughened voice asking what he is doing. Raihn gives a vague answer, but Mische quickly realizes Oraya is missing. Raihn explains they went sightseeing the previous night but Oraya wanted to be alone afterward.
Mische asks if Raihn believes Oraya might have escaped. She had the perfect chance: an unfamiliar city, daylight cover, no guards, and her new wings. Raihn recalls seeing Oraya smile genuinely for the first time in over a month and watching her fly, thinking he had never seen anything so beautiful. He imagines her fading into the distance and finding a wonderful new life. Despite that, his gut tells him something is wrong. He tells Mische he does not think Oraya fled, and they decide to go look for her.
Key Events
- Raihn watches Oraya on the tower through the night and returns alone to their rooms.
- At dawn, Mische wakes and notices Oraya's absence.
- Raihn reveals they spent part of the night sightseeing before Oraya requested solitude.
- Mische voices the possibility that Oraya deliberately escaped.
- Raihn mentally relives the moment Oraya smiled and flew, feeling a mix of hope and dread.
- He concludes Oraya did not flee and convinces Mische they need to search for her.
Character Development
- Raihn: His internal conflict deepens. He balances a desire to respect Oraya's autonomy with his instinct to protect her. The memory of her rare smile and her flight stirs unexpected tenderness. His refusal to believe she escaped shows growing emotional investment and a shift from treating her as an ally to caring for her as something more.
- Mische: She remains perceptive and blunt, immediately pinpointing the logical possibility of Oraya's betrayal. Her concern for Raihn's feelings is subtle; she does not press him but lets him arrive at his own conclusion.
- Oraya: Even offscreen, her character is developed through Raihn's eyes. Her need for solitude and her heartbreaking sobs from the previous night suggest internal turmoil, which Raihn interprets as distress rather than deceit.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Daylight vs. Night: The chapter contrasts the romanticized, moonlit view of Lahor with its harsh sunlit reality. Daylight exposes ugliness and danger, mirroring Raihn's shift from hope to worry about Oraya.
- Freedom and Captivity: Oraya's new wings symbolize potential freedom, yet her return is uncertain. Raihn's imagination of her flying away reflects his fear of losing her and his willingness to let her go if that is what she wants.
- Trust and Suspicion: Mische voices the logical suspicion of betrayal, but Raihn trusts his intuition over circumstantial evidence. This highlights the evolving trust between him and Oraya.
- Emotional Vulnerability: Raihn's recollection of Oraya's smile and flight underscores how she has affected him beyond political necessity. Her absence forces him to confront his own feelings.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens the emotional stakes between Raihn and Oraya. It shifts the narrative from political scheming to a personal crisis, emphasizing that the relationship between the two protagonists is no longer merely an alliance of convenience. Raihn's decision to act on his worry rather than assume the worst sets up a rescue or confrontation arc. The chapter also provides insight into Raihn's psychology, showing his capacity for tenderness and his fear of abandonment. It poignantly reveals that he would rather Oraya be safe and far away than captured and suffering.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Raihn allow Oraya to stay alone on the tower despite his concern? Raihn wants to respect her need for space, acknowledging that he owes it to her after their recent conflict. He stays as long as his body can endure the sunlight, then reluctantly returns to the room, convinced she will come back on her own.
2. What evidence does Mische present that Oraya might have escaped, and why does Raihn reject it? Mische notes Oraya had the perfect opportunity: an unfamiliar city, daylight, no guards, and her new wings. Raihn rejects the idea because he remembers the depth of her emotional breakdown the night before, which convinces him she was in genuine distress, not planning an escape. His intuition tells him something is wrong.
3. How does the description of Lahor in daylight serve the chapter's mood? The grim, sunlit view of corpses, scavengers, and demons contrasts with the romanticized night version. This shift mirrors Raihn's transition from a hopeful, almost sentimental recollection of Oraya's flight to a growing, urgent fear that she is in danger. The harsh daylight emphasizes vulnerability and decay, reinforcing the stakes of Oraya's absence.