Magnus is asleep in his tree, trying out the method of sleep Gu Xiang told him about, hanging upside down from a low-hanging branch; he's spread cushions purloined from an old stack of lawn chairs underneath for when he inevitably topples out. So far, he's hanging in there, though. His dreams are frenzied, skipping from topic to topic: scooping out rice at the Chase Space with Blitzen; watching Hearthstone rune magic up some fireworks on the roof; Gu Xiang nimbly stabbing a zombie in its eye; Alex laughing with chocolate ice cream smeared on his nose; Galahad, laughing, in a crown of flowers; Lan Wangji hugging him; Samirah in a wedding dress Magnus has never seen before; Shen Yuan petting Charmander; Loki imprisoned, screaming as acid splashes on his face; an image of Scar with Claudius's face superimposed on top; Magnus himself turning into a branch of Yggdrasil and chatting endlessly with Ragnelle. Some of the dreams feel realer than others.