Chapter summaries The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk Carissa Broadbent

Chapter 27: Asar — The Heir Takes the Crown

⚠️ 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

After Mische is seized by a souleater, the protagonist, Asar, throws themself after her but hits the glass-like veil of the underworld. Unable to repeat the glyphs used earlier, Asar cracks the veil with their bare hands. The guardian of the underworld — a massive shark-like figure — warns that Mische is lost, but Asar refuses to accept this. Aware of the dangers of god-touched artifacts, Asar nevertheless takes the ancient mask that Mische had tossed aside and puts it on.

The mask causes excruciating pain and overwhelming pleasure. A voice within it claims Asar as a new heir. Asar suddenly can sense every soul, gate, and creature in the underworld. They demand the guardian retrieve Mische, and the guardian obeys after a final command from Asar as the king of the dead. The veil shatters, releasing trapped souls. The guardian battles the souleater, frees Mische, and is killed. Asar drags Mische to the surface.

After taking off the mask, Asar sees the gate is ruined and the dead are trying to escape. They pack the mask in cloth and flee with Mische back into the tunnels, vowing to repair the damage.

Key Events

  • A souleater takes Mische, and Asar is blocked by the veil.
  • Asar cracks the veil with their hands, but the guardian circles and warns them.
  • Asar dons the ancient mask, enduring severe pain and pleasure.
  • A voice in the mask names Asar the “new heir” to the underworld.
  • Asar commands the guardian to retrieve Mische from the souleater.
  • The shattered veil releases the dead, who scream in agony and relief.
  • The guardian kills the souleater, freeing Mische, but the souleater destroys the guardian.
  • Asar carries Mische to the tile floor and removes the mask.
  • The gate pool now swirls with oblivion and grasping hands.
  • Asar wraps the mask in cloth and packs it away, then flees with Mische.

Character Development

Asar: This chapter marks Asar’s transformation from a scholar of magical artifacts into a direct wielder of divine power. They knowingly break the taboo against touching god-touched items, prioritizing Mische’s life over personal safety. The mask grants them authority over the underworld but also threatens to overwrite their identity; they must tear the mask off their own flesh to reclaim their sense of self. The final vow to fix the gate shows both guilt and determination — Asar acknowledges the cost of their choice but refuses to abandon the consequences.

Mische: Though physically fading and barely able to stand, Mische maintains her sharp humor, teasing Asar even after her near-death experience. She is the one who initially threw the mask, a final act of defiance or aid. Her question, “We’ll fix it, right?” reveals her trust in Asar and her shared sense of responsibility for the shattered veil.

The Guardian: A relic of a former era, the guardian serves the underworld but obeys the mask’s heir. Its loyalty is to the crown, not to any individual. The guardian’s death is both a sacrifice and a consequence of being dragged into the present by force.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

  • The mask as identity and burden – The mask physically fuses to Asar’s face, burrowing into bone, and the voice inside speaks with piqued interest. It offers godlike perception and authority, but at the cost of personal selfhood. The act of tearing it off leaves wounds, showing the enduring cost of power.
  • Forbidden knowledge and its price – Asar explicitly recalls the warnings about god-touched items but ignores them anyway. The chapter contrasts studied caution with urgent action. The consequences are immediate: a broken gate, released dead, and a vanished guardian.
  • Veils, gates, and thresholds – The glass veil represents the boundary between life and death. Asar chooses to break it, not carefully open it. The shattered gate then becomes a wound that the dead can push through, symbolizing the irreversible nature of such a decision.
  • Kingship and its commands – Asar claims the title “king of the dead” and forces the underworld to obey. Yet the compulsion feels unnatural and the voice manipulative. The motif of sovereignty carries both strength and corruption.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 27 is the pivotal moment when Asar accepts the underworld’s crown. The narrative shifts from Asar as a careful scholar who studies artifacts from a distance to a character who bears one of the most dangerous objects in existence. The destruction of the veil undoes centuries of healing work, raising the stakes for the rest of the book. The chapter also deepens the bond between Asar and Mische, showing that Asar is willing to tear open the underworld itself to save a single person.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Asar decide to wear the mask, and what does this reveal about their character?
Asar chooses to wear the mask because Mische is about to be lost forever, and they have no other means to save her. This reveals that Asar values a friend’s life more than their own safety or the prohibition against god-touched items. It also shows that under pressure, Asar will take drastic, irreversible action.

2. How does the voice in the mask treat Asar, and what does it want?
The voice speaks with “piqued interest,” addresses Asar as a “new heir,” and later commands Asar to remind the guardian that one does not disobey the crown. It treats Asar as a vessel or a tool for reasserting control over the underworld. It wants obedience and the continuation of its authority.

3. What is the immediate cost of breaking the veil and reclaiming Mische?
The immediate costs include the shattering of the gate, the release of countless trapped souls into the living world, the death of the guardian, and the opening of a path for the dead to escape. Asar also sustains physical injury from tearing off the mask, and they note that the pool now swirls with “glittering oblivion” — a wound that must be fixed.

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