The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of rape and suicidal ideation. In addition, the source text describes enslavement and enslaved persons, using outdated terms that are only replicated in this guide in quotes from the source material.

A flashback from Raihn’s perspective depicts the final trial of the Kejari that took place at the end of the previous book. Oraya is at the mercy of Angelika, another contestant. Raihn meets Septimus’s stare in the stands and nods, sealing a deal: In exchange for Angelika sparing Oraya’s life, Raihn will ally with Septimus once he usurps Oraya’s father, Vincent, as the Nightborn King. A pleased Septimus subtly orders Angelika to yield her life to Oraya’s blade. When Raihn and Oraya face off in the final battle, Oraya hesitates, but Raihn helps her thrust a blade into his own heart, sacrificing himself so that she can win the Kejari. That choice also frees Raihn from fulfilling the terms of his alliance with Septimus after Oraya brings him back to life by making a deal with the goddess Nyaxia to make Raihn the winner of the Kejari, which allows Raihn to use his prize gift to carry out his plan to the throne.