Before facing their foe, the combined forces of hero and allies gather within Rookery's town hall, working out their last preparations It is a strange gather as old foes meet in peace, nobles and commoners mingle and cursed and uncursed speak at length about what must be done. Finally, their plan is decided: the Midnight Murder will fly from Rookery and assault the hidden Cinder encampments while Umeko, Lilac, Anisa, Xander and Klaudia ascend to the castle and confront the betrayer of House Pieksvaldt and the mastermind behind so much suffering: Seneschal Kantemir. On their way, the heroes are joined by Lord Vandringar, mysteriously still present and together they storm the Lady Raveness's quarters where Seneschal Kantemir prepares to feed the friendly Khatta merchant, Carrow, to the castle's ruler. Lilac steps forward and accuses the Seneschal before the Lady, Umeko stepping up to present the artifacts of the Lord Rook as well as her spoken support. The Seneschal is first irritated, then quietly, but unworried, bemused as the Raveness accepts the arguments against him. With a clap of her rod against the stone floor, the Raveness declares Kantemir traitor, revoking his authority and powers – but the ex-Seneschal only laughs this off. Claiming he is the true power over the castle, that he shall never let the Raveness free of her suffering, nor does he feel guilt over his crimes, the betrayer attacks.

But, the betrayer does not fight with sword; the first of the cursed Midnight Murder opens his inner emptiness, consuming the Raveness and gathering pure oblivion unto himself. The monster the ex-Seneschal becomes towers above the room, a creature, much like Lilac and the Midnight Murder's bestial shape, but greater and made of pure nothingness. The void behemoth's void-tipped tentacles, rising where the Murder's beast wings would be, lash out and slay two of his honor guard which have turned on him before the battle can even begin in earnest. The power of the Orb of Void soon shows itself to be immense and would be overwhelming if not for the spirits who rally to the heroes, partially shielding them so they might fight back, though not without great risk. Even so, the void incarnation Kantemir has become proves enough to challenge all combatants simultaneously, marking, perhaps, the hardest battle of all their lives.

As the battle continues, Lilac remains in almost helpless human form, guarded by her once hunter as she beseeches the spirit of the Lord Rook to return via hymnal prayer. Umeko battles the void creature with all the measured ferocity she can muster, as does Ania and Klaudia, each in the own styles. While the heroes are able to reduce the void somewhat through blows, there seems to be no end to its power. Lilac's hymnal reaches only half-complete when her protector, Klaudia, has her wing sheered off by the impossible sharpness of the monster's lashing tentacles. Unable to bear seeing Klaudia fall, the bardess almost abandons the Lord Rook to heedlessly throw herself at the monster by taking her own bestial shape, but then Umeko is there to steady and protect her. Rallied, Lilac struggles to complete the hymn. Meanwhile, Vandringar, who had been guarding Carrow, abandons his charge to benefit his own position leaving Anisa to scramble to Carrow's defense. The doe manages to save the merchant, but at great cost to her own position and soon must withdraw to catch her breath. No sooner than the doe temporarily withdraws, Lilac finishes her hymn. The skull and sword hover within the shade of the Lord Rook who advances upon Kantemir, marking a welcome shift in the battle.

Wounded again and again, and with the Lord Rook's unshakable presence assaulting him, Kantemir falters – and none too soon. All are exhausted; Lilac's shape-shifted attack was met with ferocious counterattacks that nearly proved the bardess's unmaking. Umeko and Anisa were left little better, the Kiriga also having had to withdraw to catch her breath, though neither truly faltered. With the betrayer weakened, the Lord Rook is able to reach past the sea of emptiness and finally reunite with his long lost love, Margaret Pieksvaldt's grip upon the Orb of Void finally releasing at last. The battle is not over. however. Anisa and Vandringar engage in a battle of knowledge to claim the orb's power, it quickly becoming apparent the Cervani Lord's knowledge far outstripping Anisa's own. The orb's power seems to go out of control as the two struggle for supremacy over it, the room steadily consumed by ribbons of annihilating death. When it seems Vandringar is about to seize the artifact, Lilac lunges from the forest of void-strands to bite his hand, breaking his hold and allowing Anisa the time she needs to secure the orb. Seeing he has failed, Vandringar relents and soon the orb is at peace again. Lady Pieksvaldt thanks Lilac, telling her there yet remains a heir, to the East. And so ends the longest night. Rookery is free and the orb is secure, but not without loss – or change.

Change comes swiftly in the aftermath of Void's silence. Lilac's curse leaves her, but somehow not completely. Perhaps it is a blessing or a sign of favor from the departed Lady, but while her beast is gone and much of her supernatural features faded, her wings remain. Vandringar, ever the sport of a villain, congratulates Anisa on her victory even as Anisa herself winces over its cost; her leg seems to have transformed in her deal with the First Stone to bind the Orb of Void. Umeko does her best to guide Lilac through her curse's passing, holding her through the pain just as Xander tends to Anisa. Soon, Vandringar departs with the help of Vartans who had waited for his signal, the quartet of heroes descending the tower to the adulation of the townsfolk, guests and Gibson. Klaudia has survived, though her wing is gone. The magical tapestry now shows only three: Lilac as before, Klaudia Von Horne and the young face of the newest Lord Rook. Tired, the five and the others gathered share well-wishings, praise and information in the wake of their victory. Finally, Rookery is free.