Jon Oaks is lying in Old Man’s Cave, recuperating. Ted the Bug introduces himself and asks how he’s faring. Jonathan says he’s doing badly and cries as he recounts the events of the battle on the night of the Harvest Moon. He is particularly upset by having seen Lucius with the Hooded One; Lucius is his hero, and the other survivors are saying Lucius is a traitor. Ted assures him that Lucius is loyal and would never betray the Valley people. He also tells Jonathan that he did the right thing by alerting the others to what he saw that night. This makes Jon feel better; Ted leaves and encourages him to get well soon so he can rejoin his regiment.

The group is close to the abandoned temple. Kingdok attacks, and they duck into the secret tunnel. Grandma has been here before, and she knows that they will begin to hallucinate as they descend. Kingdok destroys the entrance with his jaws, forcing them to run.

A battle breaks out between the Valley dwellers at Old Man’s Cave and Briar’s armies. The headmaster and another Ven-Yan monk watch as the mountain explodes, and they anticipate the apocalypse with a verse: “Great darkness falls across our generation.