Chapter 86 (Capítulo 70) Summary & Analysis
⚠️ 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
Raihn’s wings fail him during the battle, and he crashes onto the rocks, breaking several bones. Temporarily blinded by pain, he sees a vision of Nessanyn, his mother, unchanged from two centuries ago. She asks him who wins if he fights Simon, echoing her old warnings. In the vision, Raihn realizes Nessanyn was not strong but terrified, trapped in her marriage, and he understands that survival requires a foolish kind of courage. He leaves the vision and wakes to find the sky still torn by combat, with blood falling like black rain. His body is shattered, his right wing useless, and his arm refuses to cooperate. Despite agonizing pain, Raihn forces himself upright, using his sword as a crutch. Simon appears nearby, wounded but still dangerous, his chest emitting an unnatural glow. Simon roars in rage and turns toward the door behind Raihn. Raihn resolves to make his stand here, drawing on mental strength to ready himself. When Simon charges with blazing magic, Raihn is prepared to meet him.
Key Events
- Raihn plummets after his wings fail, crashing and breaking his right side.
- He has a vision of his mother, Nessanyn, who asks repeatedly who wins if he fights Simon.
- Raihn reinterprets Nessanyn’s fear as a lesson in foolish courage.
- He wakes to an ongoing aerial massacre; blood rains onto the battlefield.
- Realizing his body is nearly broken, Raihn forces himself to stand using his sword.
- Simon is also wounded, but his chest-glow pulses brighter; he roars and lunges at Raihn.
- Raihn chooses to make his final stand, mentally commanding his trembling arms to raise the blade.
- As Simon attacks, Raihn is ready to fight, despite his injuries.
Character Development
- Raihn: This chapter strengthens his arc of endurance and redefinition of heroism. He transforms Nessanyn’s old warnings from a source of guilt into a driver of defiant action. His ability to override physical collapse with sheer will shows growth from a man haunted by fear into someone who embraces “stupid courage.”
- Simon: Though wounded, Simon’s animalistic rage and his glowing chest (likely tied to the cursed power) highlight his descent into something inhuman. He remains a deadly, single-minded threat.
- Nessanyn: Appearing only in a vision, she is reframed from a figure of strength to a survivor trapped by her own marriage. Her question “Who wins?” now carries the weight of Raihn’s choice to fight despite impossible odds.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Foolish Courage / Stupid Bravery: The chapter’s core motif. Raihn concludes that Nessanyn’s fear did not make her weak; rather, fighting on when all logic says to give up requires a particular, irrational bravery. This redefines strength.
- Broken Wings and Bodily Limits: Raihn’s broken wings and shattered body symbolize the cost of prolonged conflict. Yet he forces his body to obey, emphasizing the theme of mind over matter.
- Blood as Rain: The visual of combatants’ blood falling like black rain underscores the carnage and reinforces the atmosphere of a nightmare, which Raihn believes will haunt him for years.
- The Glowing Chest / Unnatural Magic: Simon’s glowing chest, described as beating like a heart, represents the parasitic or corrupting nature of the power he wields, setting up the final confrontation’s stakes.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 86 delivers an emotional and physical turning point for Raihn. By revisiting the memory of Nessanyn, Carissa Broadbend reframes his motivation: Raihn is no longer fighting to prove strength but to honor a flawed, human kind of courage. The chapter strips him of his supernatural advantages (wings, a whole body) and forces him to rely on raw determination, setting up the climactic battle. It also humanizes his backstory and makes his potential sacrifice more poignant. The vivid, nightmare-like imagery cements the stakes: if Raihn loses, Simon reaches the door behind him, implying a threat to others. This is the moment where words become action.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Raihn’s vision of Nessanyn change his understanding of strength?
Raihn once believed Nessanyn was stronger than him because she endured her marriage without fighting back. In the vision, he sees her fear and realizes that true strength is not about avoiding conflict but about continuing to fight even when every instinct says to quit. He adopts her question—“Who wins?”—as a challenge to persist.
2. What does the recurring “blood rain” imagery symbolize in this chapter?
The blood falling from the skyborne battle functions as a constant reminder of the war’s cost. It literally stains Raihn’s world red and black, foreshadowing the physical and psychological toll the final confrontation will exact. It suggests that no one, not even the victors, will escape unscathed.
3. Why does Raihn choose to stand and fight rather than let Simon pass?
Raihn decides he has “given enough” to fear and to Simon’s influence. The door behind him represents a line he refuses to let Simon cross. By making his stand, he reclaims agency after weeks of being manipulated. His choice is less about winning than about dying on his own terms—a stark act of defiance.