Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• The "Mad Moon" phenomenon occurs, turning the sky and world crimson, causing fear and transformation in people and the environment.
• Shade travels to the Summer of 1821 using the Time Transfer Station, arriving in Vesta City during a rainstorm, where he meets Helena Carter.

Character Developments

• Flora and Charlotte discuss their feelings about Shade, with Flora believing he needs to be tied down and Charlotte seeing him as someone who might float away.
• Shade decides to find Helena Carter again, changing his initial plan to find Anthony Winslet in the Winter of 1819.

Significant Themes

• The power and danger of the moon, represented by the "Mad Moon" event.
• The consequences of meddling with time, as Shade travels to the past again.
• The complex emotions and relationships between characters, such as Flora and Charlotte's feelings for Shade and Shade's connection with Helena.

Character Interactions

• Flora and Charlotte discuss their feelings about Shade, revealing their concerns and perspectives.
• Shade interacts with Bennett, the Masked Man, arranging his time travel and discussing the rules of the Time Transfer Station.
• Shade meets Helena Carter again in the past, expressing his apology for disturbing her but showing no regret in his actions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shade and the Black-Haired Lady (Mrs. Helena Carter) visit 8 Vanilla Garden Alley in 1821 to find Anthony Winslet, who had disappeared thirty years earlier.
• They meet the landlady, who reveals that Winslet had gone to consult a folklore scholar at the Kasonlik Forestry Academy about time travel and forest curses.
• Shade and Mrs. Carter find Professor Yuke Wood at the academy, who confirms Winslet's visit and provides a map to a location in Vesta Woodland where elderly people were abandoned in ancient times.

Character Developments

• Shade: Shows his investigative skills and knowledge of future events, indicating he's been to the location in the woods before.
• Mrs. Carter: Demonstrates her patience and understanding as she accompanies Shade without questioning his motives.
• Professor Yuke Wood: Reveals his expertise in local folklore and his willingness to help, despite not having all the answers.

Significant Themes

• Time travel and its consequences: Winslet's attempt to return to the Time Transfer Station highlights the complexities and regrets associated with time travel.
• The passage of time: The dilapidated state of the alley and the changes in the landlady emphasize the impact of time on people and places.
• The power of memory and knowledge: Shade's familiarity with future events and Professor Wood's extensive knowledge of local folklore drive the plot forward.

Character Interactions

• Shade and Mrs. Carter: Their close proximity under the umbrella and her taking his hand suggest a growing trust and intimacy between them.
• Shade and Professor Wood: Their conversation reveals a shared understanding and respect, implying they have met before, despite the timeline.
• The landlady and Shade/Mrs. Carter: The landlady's evasiveness and eventual cooperation mirror her future interactions with Shade, highlighting the cyclical nature of their encounters.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shade visits Professor Wood to discuss the World Tree and Creekwood Town's history.
• Shade asks about reversing a tree's growth, hinting at Helena's situation.
• Professor Wood refuses to help, advising Shade to let go and accept natural laws.
• Shade learns about obtaining tree seeds and replanting, symbolizing hope for the future.
• Shade asks about the Water symbol of the World Tree, and Professor Wood suggests it might be changing or in transition.

Character Developments

• Shade: Shows determination and persistence in finding a solution for Helena, but also respects natural laws and the passage of time.
• Professor Wood: Reveals his wisdom and experience, offering guidance but not interference in Shade's quest.
• Helena: Realizes Shade's intentions regarding her situation and feels angry and confused, but ultimately promises not to contact Professor Wood again.

Significant Themes

• Acceptance of natural laws and the passage of time.
• The impermanence of symbols and their evolution over time.
• The pursuit of knowledge and understanding of history.
• The consequences of interfering with the natural order.

Character Interactions

• Shade and Professor Wood: Engage in a thoughtful discussion about folklore, history, and nature, with the professor offering guidance and Shade seeking answers.
• Shade and Helena: Share a tense moment as Helena learns about Shade's plans for her and expresses her anger, but ultimately promises to keep her distance from Professor Wood.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shade and Helena Carter, a Thirteenth Ring Sorceress, meet under an umbrella in the rain.
• Shade reveals his plan to find the tree that Helena's corpse turned into, with Danist, and burn it.
• Helena agrees to help Shade and Danist in the future, swearing to the Moon.
• Helena reveals she can travel through time again and plans to go to 1854 with Shade.
• They go to Yuke Wood, where they find a clearing with thousands of "corpses" hanging from a giant tree.
• Helena experiences pain and weakness near the tree, and they retreat to discuss.

Character Developments

• Shade: Shows determination in his plan and willingness to involve Helena in the future.
• Helena Carter: Reveals her ability to travel through time again and agrees to help Shade and Danist.

Significant Themes

• Time manipulation and its consequences.
• The inevitability of death and the desire to defy it.
• The power of alliances and cooperation.

Character Interactions

• Shade and Helena: They have a serious conversation under the umbrella, leading to Helena's agreement to help Shade in the future. They then travel to Yuke Wood together, where Helena experiences discomfort near the tree.
• Helena and the "corpses": Helena recognizes the people hanging from the tree as Time Curse Users like herself, and understands that the tree is absorbing their Time Curse.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shade and Helena discover a giant tree that absorbs the Time Curse, similar to the one Adele mentioned.
• Helena realizes that Time Curse Users' curse power is absorbed by the tree, preventing it from accumulating beneath the Earth.
• Shade finds Anthony Winslet among the hanging corpses, but decides not to save him immediately to avoid disrupting the tree or causing paradoxes.
• Helena communicates with the tree and persuades it to keep Anthony Winslet in a state of suspended animation until 1854.

Character Developments

• Helena gains insights into her future destiny as a Curse-Eroded Great Tree, absorbing Time Curse power.
• Shade shows concern for Helena's safety and well-being, prioritizing her over rescuing Anthony Winslet immediately.
• Anthony Winslet is revealed to be in a state of suspended animation, with his curse still present.

Significant Themes

• The cycle of life and death, and the interconnectedness of time and fate.
• The consequences of time travel and the Time Curse.
• The necessity of sacrifice for the greater good.

Character Interactions

• Shade and Helena grow closer, sharing a passionate kiss in the rain.
• Helena communicates with the Curse-Eroded Great Tree, feeling a connection with it.
• Shade and Helena work together to find a solution for Anthony Winslet's predicament, prioritizing safety and avoiding paradoxes.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shade discovers a Spirit Rune identical to his in the Moon Spellcaster's Core, which leads to a new Spirit Rune, Blasphemy [Decline], and enhances his [Life] Miracle Rune.
• Shade communicates with a giant tree, revealing it to be the "Curse-Eroded Great Tree" that can absorb Time Curses and feed Paradox Worms.
• The tree promises to help Shade find Anthony Winslet in 1854, but Winslet will still have the Time Curse.
• The tree shares its memories with Shade, revealing that it is the Ancestor of the Bennett family and that the Masked Man in the Time Transfer Station is the next 'Curse-Eroded Great Tree.'

Character Developments

• Shade learns more about the Curse-Eroded Great Tree and the Bennett family's role in its cultivation.
• The Sorceress (Helena Carter) shares her knowledge about the tree and the Bennett family with Shade, revealing her connection to the tree's past.

Significant Themes

• The cycle of life and death, and the reincarnation of the Curse-Eroded Great Tree every three hundred years.
• The burden and sacrifice of the Bennett family in serving an Ancient One and cultivating Paradox Worms.
• The power dynamics between the Bennett family, the Ancient One, and the Time Transfer Station.

Character Interactions

• Shade and the Sorceress communicate and share information about the Curse-Eroded Great Tree and the Bennett family.
• Shade learns about the Sorceress's past and her connection to the tree's memories.
• The Sorceress shares her knowledge and resources with Shade to help him in his quest.

Chapter Summary: Miss Olanord’s Countermeasures

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shade bids farewell to the Black-Haired Lady in the past. They embrace and promise that they will meet again, though Shade leaves troubled by the regrets caused by time travel.
• At the Time Transfer Station, Thomas Bennett confirms that Shade may keep the Invitation Letter. Shade refuses to discuss his meeting with Anthony Winslet, considering it a private matter.
• Returning to the present, Shade reflects on what he has learned: he found Flora’s uncle and discovered the identity of the Masked Man, but these answers have created even more worries. He plans to consult Galina, Sivie, Luvia, Dorothy, and possibly Miss Danist.
• While traveling across the rooftops in the form of a silver cat, Shade witnesses a fissure opening in the sky above the Three Moons. A gigantic Blood Moon appears through the rift, bathing the world in crimson light.
• Shade realizes that this is likely an ancient manifestation of the Mad Moon shining into the present through a Time Rift, rather than the Moon’s Calamity fully occurring in the current era.
• On the Radiance Messenger at Yulun Lake, Miss Olanord identifies the event as the Second Stage of the Mad Moon’s descent. She orders the ship to submerge underwater, explaining that the Third Stage would turn the moon into a gigantic mass of blood-red flesh.
• Miss Olanord begins organizing a countermeasure. She plans to combine the powers of the Three Moons to simulate the Primal Moon and overwrite the Mad Moon’s influence.
• She asks Danist Gustav to assist, summons the contemporary Great Witch of the Moon, and instructs the others to contact her through the Council.
• Shade’s return becomes uncertain because the Mad Moon may destabilize the Teleportation Gate. Vanessa is ordered to remain on shore and inform him of the crisis when he returns.

Character Developments

• Shade becomes more emotionally burdened after his journey through time. Although he gains important answers, he recognizes that knowledge of the past can bring pain rather than resolution. His farewell with the Black-Haired Lady deepens his sense of loss and unresolved attachment.
• Thomas Bennett remains detached and enigmatic, treating Shade’s experience as one of many stories connected to the Time Transfer Station. He nevertheless allows Shade to retain the Invitation Letter.
• Miss Olanord demonstrates her expertise and authority. She immediately understands the nature of the Mad Moon, takes command of the group, and devises a practical plan to contain it.
• Danist Gustav unexpectedly regains access to her complete Thirteenth Destiny Ring under the Blood Moon. She is not only restored to her former strength but feels temporarily more powerful than before.
• Luvia, Dorothy, Galina, Sivie, and the others become part of an emergency response team under Miss Olanord’s direction, showing their willingness to cooperate during a supernatural catastrophe.
• Shade’s mysterious companion, “she,” continues to guide and ground him, interrupting his trance when the Blood Moon begins affecting his perception.

Significant Themes

• The cost of uncovering the past: Shade’s journey confirms that time travel can provide answers while simultaneously creating regret, emotional pain, and further uncertainty.
• The danger of forbidden knowledge and cosmic forces: The Mad Moon represents an ancient, incomprehensible power capable of affecting reality across time.
• Preparation versus helplessness: The characters cannot immediately close the Time Rift, but Miss Olanord’s response emphasizes containment, adaptation, and coordinated action.
• Power and vulnerability: The Blood Moon strengthens Red Moon witches and Ring Arcanists while placing Moon-related abilities at risk, showing that supernatural forces can both empower and endanger their users.
• The instability of time and reality: The rift allows an ancient calamity to intrude into the present, blurring the boundaries between past and present.

Important Character Interactions

• Shade and the Black-Haired Lady share a tender farewell, acknowledging that they belong to different eras while promising to meet again.
• Shade and Bennett exchange guarded remarks about Shade’s journey, with Bennett teasing him and Shade refusing to reveal personal details.
• Shade mentally considers seeking advice from Luvia, Dorothy, Galina, and Sivie about his unresolved problems.
• Shade’s unseen companion restores him from his trance-like reaction to the Blood Moon.
• Miss Olanord takes command of Danist, Sivie, Ilisa, Vanessa, and the others, assigning each a role in responding to the crisis.
• Miss Olanord warns everyone not to use Moon-related spells, runes, or potions, while recognizing that Danist’s Red Moon powers have been temporarily enhanced.
• Cassandra asks whether the Church should be contacted, but Miss Olanord rejects the idea, believing no one in the current era understands the Mad Moon well enough to help.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Mad Moon incident begins, causing a blood-red night sky and dangerous conditions.
• Emilia lends her Elven Royal Authority to Miss Olanord and Miss Danist to counter the Mad Moon.
• The Church forms a golden spherical shield to protect Vesta City.
• Shade, Luvia, and the Witches take refuge in the Radiance Messenger, monitoring the situation.
• Miss Olanord and Miss Danist combine their moonbeam powers to create a two-colored moon, attempting to repel the Mad Moon.

Character Developments

• Emilia: Shows bravery and understanding as she lends her authority to help counter the Mad Moon, despite the danger.
• Miss Olanord: Demonstrates her power and wisdom by guiding Miss Danist to create a two-colored moon.
• Miss Danist: Shows growth in her moonbeam mastery but struggles with the Mad Moon's influence.
• Shade: Feels the effects of the Mad Moon on his body, accelerating his heartbeat and Spirit absorption.

Significant Themes

• Power and Responsibility: Characters use their abilities to protect others, understanding the weight of their powers.
• Unity and Cooperation: Miss Olanord and Miss Danist work together to create a combined moonbeam attack.
• Adaptation and Growth: Characters adapt to new situations and challenges, showcasing their growth and development.

Character Interactions

• Emilia and Miss Olanord: Emilia trusts Miss Olanord enough to lend her the Elven Royal Authority.
• Miss Olanord and Miss Danist: They work together to create a two-colored moon, showcasing their teamwork and mutual respect.
• Shade and the Witches: Shade and the Witches monitor the situation together, showing unity and concern for each other's safety.

Chapter Summary: The Unexpected Moon

Key Plot Points and Events

• The witches, sorceress, and their Destiny Rings are drawn into a strange Two-Colored Moon, which rises toward the Time Rift and collides with the Blood Moon.
• The Blood Moon—revealed as the terrifying “Mad Moon”—overpowers the Two-Colored Moon, swallowing half of it and shattering the rest. Shade, in his Moonlight Dragon form, catches the falling witches, Miss Olanord and Danist Gustav.
• The two women explain that the Mad Moon is far more dangerous than expected and that they must combine their moonlight with Shade’s Silver Moon. Shade uses the Night Curtain Seal to shield them while they prepare another attack.
• Their combined yellow, red, and silver moonlight forms a massive Two-Colored Moon. Shade drives it toward the Time Rift, creating an explosion of white light that weakens the Blood Moon’s influence over the city.
• Shade absorbs the Mad Moon’s power, causing his dragon form to grow enormously and strengthening his Destiny Rings, Blasphemy—Red Moon and Enlightenment—Flesh. However, the accumulating spiritual influence also threatens to drive him mad.
• The witches prepare one final attack, but the Mad Moon suddenly transforms into a mass of flesh covered in eyes. It fires a concentrated red beam that overwhelms Shade’s silver moonlight, injures him, and forces him out of his dragon form.
• Shade and the two women fall from the sky. Danist tries to reach him, but Shade is caught by a mysterious woman: Helena Carter, the Moon Spellcaster and apparently Miss Olanord’s former student.

Character Developments

• Shade demonstrates immense endurance and growing power. His ability to absorb moonlight lets him resist the Mad Moon for an extended period, but the same power exposes him to its corrupting mental influence.
• Miss Olanord remains strategic and determined despite exhaustion. She recognizes both the danger of the Mad Moon and the risk that Shade may succumb to madness, yet chooses to make one last attempt.
• Danist Gustav works closely with Olanord, combining their moonlight through the Elven Royal Authority. She shows concern for Shade and attempts to save him when he falls.
• Helena Carter is introduced as a powerful and emotionally significant figure. Her tender reaction to Shade and her reunion with Olanord suggest a complicated history between teacher and student.
• The people observing from the city and the Radiance Messenger witness the battle’s immense scale, emphasizing how vulnerable ordinary people are to the supernatural conflict.

Significant Themes

• Power and corruption: Shade’s strength comes directly from the Mad Moon, but absorbing its power also threatens his sanity.
• Unity and cooperation: The witches’ combined moonlight and Shade’s Silver Moon are necessary to resist the Mad Moon, showing that no single character can overcome it alone.
• The limits of preparation: Olanord’s original plan depended on the Council’s Great Witch of the Moon, but the Mad Moon appears sooner and proves far stronger than expected.
• Transformation and monstrosity: The Blood Moon changes from a celestial body into a flesh-covered entity with countless eyes, blurring the boundary between cosmic phenomenon and living horror.
• Reunion and unresolved history: Helena’s appearance introduces emotional tension, particularly through Olanord’s tearful reaction to seeing her former student again.

Character Interactions

• Shade communicates directly with Olanord and Danist through his dragon-form mind-reading ability and follows their instructions to protect them with the Night Curtain Seal.
• Olanord and Danist coordinate their magic by clasping hands and combining their moonlight through the Elven Royal Authority.
• The two women repeatedly rely on Shade to carry and empower their attacks, while Shade depends on them to direct the moonlight against the Mad Moon.
• Danist attempts to catch the injured Shade during their fall, but Helena reaches him first.
• Olanord confronts Helena after the rescue, recognizing her as a Thirteenth-Ring sorcerer and former student. Helena’s gentle care for Shade and Olanord’s tears indicate deep personal history and unresolved emotion.

Chapter Summary: “Moon Divine Art”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shade awakens in the past beside the Black-Haired Sorceress, who reveals that she used the Time Transfer Station to bring her projection into the 1854 era. She had previously misled him about the projection-summoning ritual so he would not forbid her from using the station.
• Shade reunites with Danist Gustav’s former teacher, Helena Carter, who recognizes Danist and confirms that both she and Danist inherited the librarian’s position and the crucial Thirteenth Ring Miracle Technique.
• Blaine Olanord confirms that Helena possesses the same Core Ling Rune as Shade—Silver Moon—making her essential to their plan. Shade is asked to defend the group while Blaine, Danist, and Helena prepare their ultimate attack.
• Empowered by the Blood Moon, Shade transforms into an enormous Giant. His Red Moon and Flesh-related abilities are greatly amplified, eventually increasing his size to nearly eight hundred meters.
• Shade shields the three women within a sphere of darkness while confronting the monstrous Flesh Moon emerging from the Time Rift. Its destructive crimson rays no longer harm him; instead, they are absorbed into his body and make him grow stronger.
• The three women combine the powers of the Yellow Moon, Red Moon, and Silver Moon, using their Thirteenth Ring abilities and the legacy of Saint Byron.
• Their combined moonlight manifests a vast, sacred female figure behind Shade, symbolizing the restored or unified power of the Moon.
• They unleash Saint Byron’s supreme Thaumaturgy: Divine Art—Moon Goddess’s Forgiveness.
• The silver attack purifies the Blood Moon, suppresses its bloody radiance, and begins closing the Time Rift. However, the Flesh Moon makes one final effort and forces half of its body into the current spacetime, leaving the conflict unresolved.

Character Developments

• Shade demonstrates extraordinary growth and resilience. Under the Blood Moon’s influence, he becomes a gigantic living shield and successfully absorbs attacks that previously transformed matter into Flesh.
• His red eyes and growing mental instability reveal the Blood Moon’s dangerous influence, but he retains enough control to protect the others and participate in the final attack.
• The Black-Haired Lady shows her cleverness and manipulative affection by admitting that she deceived Shade about the summoning method to ensure access to the Time Transfer Station.
• Danist is emotionally overwhelmed by seeing her former teacher again, while also proving that she has inherited the librarian’s techniques and can contribute to the ultimate spell.
• Helena Carter is introduced as Danist’s former teacher and a powerful Silver Moon user. Her presence establishes a direct link between the past and the present generation of librarians.
• Blaine Olanord takes command of the operation, coordinating the three Moon powers and leading the attack as the central Witch.
• Observers throughout the region—including Moon worshippers, Moon Elves, scholars, and Arcanists—are awestruck by the manifestation of the Moon Goddess-like figure and respond with prayer or stunned silence.

Significant Themes

• Unity and restoration: The three divided Moon powers are temporarily reunited through the cooperation of different generations and traditions.
• The past influencing the present: Shade’s ability to bring Helena from the past demonstrates how history and inherited knowledge are essential to saving the current era.
• Sacrifice and protection: Shade places himself between the others and the Flesh Moon, accepting the physical and mental dangers of the Blood Moon to buy them time.
• Divine power versus corruption: The holy silver moonlight represents purification and order, directly opposing the Flesh Moon’s madness, mutation, and blood-soaked influence.
• Inheritance and continuity: The librarian’s position, the Thirteenth Ring technique, and Saint Byron’s supreme Thaumaturgy pass from one generation to another, allowing the ancient power to survive.
• Unresolved cosmic danger: Although the Moon Goddess’s Forgiveness begins cleansing the Blood Moon and closing the Rift, the Flesh Moon’s partial emergence suggests that the threat is not yet defeated.

Character Interactions

• Shade and the Black-Haired Lady share an intimate yet teasing reunion, with her confession revealing both familiarity and manipulation.
• Helena and Danist reconnect after decades, creating an emotional master-disciple reunion beneath the apocalyptic Blood Moon.
• Blaine respectfully addresses Helena and verifies the preservation of the librarian tradition before involving her in the battle.
• Blaine, Danist, and Helena form a three-person casting formation, their bodies aligned beneath the Yellow, Red, and Silver Moons.
• Shade physically supports and protects the three women, holding them in his palm as they combine their powers.
• The wider cast watches the event through magical observation, reacting with wonder, confusion, religious reverence, and renewed recognition of Shade’s increasingly outrageous abilities.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shade, empowered by the Witches' Thirteenth Ring Miracle Techniques, crushes the Blood Moon, absorbing its power.
• The Time Rift closes after the Blood Moon's destruction.
• Shade falls towards the Vesta Woodland, landing in a forest near Yulun Lake.
• The Witches find Shade and Mrs. Carter in a hot spring formed by the remnants of the Mad Moon.
• Luvia and Dorothy decide to spend the night with Shade to help him recover.

Character Developments

• Shade: Absorbs the power of the Blood Moon, experiences its influence on his behavior, and needs time to recover.
• Luvia: Takes charge of the situation, ensures Shade's well-being, and maintains the secrecy of their arrangement.
• Dorothy: Supports Luvia's decision, ready to assist in helping Shade recover.

Significant Themes

• The power and influence of the Blood Moon, representing flesh and reproduction.
• The importance of unity and cooperation among the Witches in facing challenges.
• The need for privacy and discretion in personal matters.

Character Interactions

• Shade and the Witches: The Witches work together to help Shade after he absorbs the Blood Moon's power.
• Luvia and Dorothy: They support each other in their decision to help Shade recover.
• Shade and the Black-Haired Sorceress (Mrs. Carter): They fall into the hot spring together after Shade's fall.

Chapter Summary: Different Early Winter Mornings

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Witches discover Shade recovering in a hot spring with Luvia, who is treating him behind magically concealed silver curtains. The illusion hides both their forms and all sound.
• Megan, Vanessa, Galina, and the others accept the situation without much concern, especially since the Witches have apparently arranged turns using the spring’s healing properties.
• Galina asks the Elf Girl for permission to establish a permanent camp in the forest. The Elf agrees, provided the Witches do not damage the woodland, which belongs to the Luku Birds.
• Angelina is pulled away from the hot spring and sent to notify Dorothy, though she remains unaware of what truly occurred. Because of the lingering effects of Astounding Wisdom, she is expected to dream again about Shade and the mysterious giant connected to him.
• A pink perfume bottle remains in the snow near the spring, implying that Iluna is praying and that the previous night’s supernatural events are still unfolding.
• In Tobesk, Old John receives an unusual intelligence report from the Guiding Light Hermitage concerning “Moon’s Calamity” and the “Mad Moon.” Photographs show the Blood Moon and a gigantic luminous figure appearing before it.
• The report causes Old John to suspect that Shade—the God Summoner—may have manifested power resembling that of a divine “God-Favored One.” He wonders whether the Ancient God of the Silver Moon still exists in the Sixth Epoch.
• Old John considers contacting the Detective but ultimately burns the letter, choosing only to invite him to visit the antique shop.
• The next morning, the maids arrive at the hot spring with clothing, towels, and supplies. Shade confirms that he and Luvia are awake and asks them to leave the items outside.
• Little Mia tries to leap toward the curtains but is apparently thrown back by Shade through some use of Time Reversal. The maids quietly notice that the pink perfume bottle is full again.

2. Character Developments

• Shade: Continues to recover from the previous night’s events and remains connected to extraordinary divine or temporal powers. His casual interaction with the maids, including apparently reversing Mia’s movement, reinforces his mysterious abilities.
• Luvia: Acts as Shade’s healer and remains closely involved with him, suggesting both intimacy and trust in their unusual relationship.
• Angelina: Is increasingly affected by the revelation that Shade is actually Su Lun. Her dreams and visions may soon reveal further truths about his identity and destiny.
• Galina: Takes a practical leadership role, organizing a permanent camp and negotiating responsible use of the forest with the Elf Girl.
• Old John: Moves from curiosity to genuine alarm after examining the intelligence report. He begins to question established beliefs about gods, divine manifestations, and the nature of Shade’s powers.
• The Elf Girl: Establishes boundaries while allowing the Witches to use the forest, showing responsibility toward the Luku Birds and her temporary home.
• The maids: Their coordinated arrival and restrained amusement demonstrate their familiarity with Shade’s complicated personal life and their loyalty to him.

3. Significant Themes

• The return or survival of the divine: The photographs and report raise the possibility that an Ancient God still exists, challenging the accepted history of the current age.
• Hidden identities and revelations: Shade’s identity as Su Lun continues to reshape Angelina’s dreams and the way others interpret his actions.
• The overlap of intimacy and supernatural power: The hot spring scene combines healing, romance, secrecy, and magical concealment, reflecting how personal relationships are inseparable from the chapter’s larger mysteries.
• Human responses to the extraordinary: While the Witches and maids treat the strange events with familiarity and humor, Old John reacts with scholarly shock, emphasizing how differently characters understand supernatural phenomena.
• Nature and responsible occupation: Galina’s agreement to avoid damaging the forest highlights respect for the woodland’s inhabitants and the tension between exploration and preservation.
• Contrasting lives: The chapter moves between the magical events in Vesta Woodland and the ordinary struggles of Tobesk’s workers, poor newspaper sellers, and city residents enduring winter.

4. Character Interactions

• Galina and the Elf Girl: Galina requests permission to use the forest, and the Elf grants it under strict conditions.
• Galina and Angelina: Galina deliberately drags Angelina away from the hot spring and assigns her a practical task to prevent her from staring at the concealed scene.
• Old John and the Hermitage: The secret intelligence exchange gives him evidence that the Blood Moon event may have involved divine power beyond conventional explanations.
• Old John and the absent Detective: Although he wants answers from the Detective, he avoids sending a direct message and instead leaves a cautious invitation.
• Shade and the maids: Shade speaks to Tifa through the curtains, maintaining polite familiarity while preserving the secrecy of the hot spring.
• Shade and Little Mia: Mia’s attempted entrance ends with Shade apparently reversing or repelling her movement, creating a humorous moment witnessed by the maids.
• The maids and the perfume bottle: Their knowing glances suggest they understand more about the previous night’s events than they openly discuss.

“Moon Sanctuary” — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After recovering from the previous night’s encounter with the Mad Moon, Shade becomes significantly stronger. He absorbs part of the Mad Moon’s essence, improving his control over the Red Moon’s power, strengthening his Enlightenment-Flesh Spirit Rune, and enhancing the thaumaturgy Body of Courage. His Red Moon abilities now approach the level of a Core Ling Rune and are becoming instinctive.
• Shade returns to breakfast after spending the night in the miraculous hot spring with Luvia and Dorothy. The two women avoid breakfast to escape the others’ teasing. Lady Helena Carter, who had also been involved in the previous night’s events, departed during the night because remaining in another era was dangerous for a Thirteenth Ring Warlock.
• The Blood Moon’s appearance is treated publicly as an unusual astronomical event rather than a major supernatural incident. The Witches’ Council is the only organization investigating it, while Shade refuses to explain the details of his role.
• The silver hot spring created by the Blood Moon fragments is revealed to possess powerful properties: curse removal, disease healing, self-purification, spiritual recovery, preservation of youth, and possibly enhanced fertility. Its effects fade quickly once the water leaves the spring, and the fused Moon fragments make the spring impossible to relocate.
• The Witches decide to establish a permanent base around the spring. Sivie names the area “Moon Sanctuary,” and the group considers building a small site dedicated to Moon worship.
• Cassandra warns Shade that the hot spring may promote reproduction, causing an awkward and humorous reaction among the assembled Witches. Tifa privately begins imagining possible future consequences involving Shade and the women around him.
• Shade learns that both the Great Witch of Time and the Great Witch of the Moon visited the ship while he was away. The Moon-ranked Witch is described as highly combative and interested in meeting Shade. The Speaker also reports that the mysterious entity sealed in the Black Mausoleum is not the Doomsday Rift but may be an Unknown-level Relic.
• Shade briefs the Witches on his investigation of 1821, particularly the Curse-Eroded Great Tree that was “fishing” for thousands of people and its connection to the Bennett Family. He deliberately withholds information about Professor Yuke Wood and parts of his private conversation with the black-haired Sorceress.
• The chapter ends with the Witches debating their next move. Miss Danist argues that the Bennett Family must be eliminated before the Final Battle and asks Shade whether they should target the Bennett Family or the Paradox Worm first.

Character Developments

• Shade grows stronger and gains much finer control over Red Moon power. His abilities are moving beyond ordinary Spirit Rune limitations and becoming part of his natural instincts.
• Dorothy and Luvia are embarrassed by the attention surrounding their night with Shade and avoid breakfast.
• Helena Carter demonstrates caution and responsibility by leaving the unstable era after her intervention is complete.
• The Witches’ Council treats the hot spring as both a strategic resource and a potential long-term headquarters.
• Cassandra acts as the group’s practical elder, raising the uncomfortable but important issue of the spring’s reproductive effects.
• Flora becomes more focused on the Bennett Family’s manipulation and the identity of the Masked Man, though she remains relatively unconcerned about her missing uncle, Anthony Winslet.
• Moon, the second-ranked Great Witch, is established as a dangerous and battle-oriented figure who may challenge or test Shade.

Significant Themes

• Power and transformation: Shade’s recovery illustrates how surviving contact with dangerous supernatural forces can lead to permanent growth.
• The Moon’s influence: The Red and Blood Moons continue to shape events, granting both miraculous benefits and potentially dangerous consequences.
• Sanctuary versus danger: The hot spring offers healing and protection, but its supernatural nature makes it a valuable and potentially contested resource.
• Secrecy and political maneuvering: Shade and the Witches carefully control what information becomes public, while hidden factions and organizations pursue their own investigations.
• Consequences of supernatural power: The fertility warning emphasizes that miraculous powers can produce unexpected personal consequences, not merely combat advantages.
• Preparation for conflict: Despite the temporary calm, the characters are increasingly focused on the approaching Final Battle and the need to eliminate threats beforehand.

Character Interactions

• Shade exchanges teasing and embarrassed banter with the Witches over his night in the hot spring and his past attempts to hide romantic entanglements.
• Sivie, Bella, Megan, and the other Witches debate the ownership, location, and naming of the hot spring, with the Red-haired Duchess joking that it should be moved to Shade’s home.
• Cassandra’s warning about fertility abruptly silences the room and creates tension, while Tifa privately reacts to the implications.
• The Witches discuss the absence of the Great Witches and Moon’s desire to meet Shade, teasing him about narrowly avoiding another powerful encounter.
• Shade shares his investigation findings with Flora and the others, leading Miss Danist to press him for a decision about whether to confront the Bennett Family or the Paradox Worm first.

Chapter Summary: “Margaret’s Invitation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Church and Academy preparations for the coming war have reached the minimum level needed to begin, and the recurring Doomsday Rift and Mad Moon make delay increasingly dangerous.
• Grace and Helen investigate Albert Bennett’s past through his altered memories. They discover that:
  • Albert was separated from his twin sister, Ashley Bethany, in an accident.
  • He later entered the Time Transfer Station, where Thomas Bennett recognized his talent and sent him more than a decade into the future.
  • The Masked Man’s contract was not intended to create a Paradox Worm, but to bind Albert permanently to the Bennett Family.
• The sisters suspect Thomas Bennett sought an unrelated heir with talent for time because he did not want his daughters to inherit the Time Transfer Station.
• Margaret’s dead half-sister, Bethany, asks Margaret to save Albert and even offers her soul in exchange. Margaret refuses payment but agrees to seek help.
• Margaret asks Shade whether Albert can be rescued. She explains both the political advantages—proving her value to her father and weakening rumors surrounding her family—and her genuine emotional desire to save her tragic twin brother.
• Shade agrees to help, though he warns that success is uncertain. Margaret then invites him to visit her in Wilundell after the Battle of Vesta Woodland. Shade accepts the invitation in principle, and their exchange becomes intimate when he kisses her forehead.
• Shade decides to deal with the Bennett Family before the final battle, since postponing the matter could leave no time to save Albert.
• The group plans to lure Thomas Bennett out of the city and attack him collectively, beginning with a long-range shot from the Illustrious Miss. They avoid involving the Church and Academy to prevent alerting Bennett.
• Shade plans to borrow the Sword of Light from Moon Bay, though its effectiveness is uncertain because Bennett’s powers involve time and trees rather than obvious darkness or evil.

Character Developments

• Margaret moves beyond political calculation and honestly expresses both her ambition and compassion. Her willingness to save Albert shows that she values family despite competing for succession.
• Shade demonstrates trust and sympathy toward Margaret, agreeing to help even though the rescue offers no strategic benefit. His decision to prioritize the Bennett matter reflects his sense of responsibility.
• Grace and Helen show their investigative skill and experience by reconstructing Albert’s memories despite powerful alterations.
• Bethany becomes increasingly desperate to protect her brother and begins relying on Margaret, despite not fully understanding their relationship.
• Thomas Bennett appears more suspicious and manipulative. His possible plan to create a talented outsider as heir suggests that his family’s “mission” involves long-term schemes and hidden motives.

Significant Themes

• Family versus political interest: Margaret’s request is motivated by both succession politics and genuine affection, showing that personal and strategic concerns can coexist.
• The value of compassion: Saving Albert has no impact on the war, yet Shade agrees because Albert’s suffering matters independently of larger strategic goals.
• Inheritance and manipulation: The Bennett Family’s mission is revealed to involve controlling succession, memory, identity, and time itself.
• Moral uncertainty: The characters debate whether the Bennetts understand the harm caused by the Time Transfer Station, complicating the question of who is truly evil.
• Trust and emotional intimacy: Margaret’s invitation and Shade’s response deepen their personal bond, while Bethany’s dependence on Margaret creates another fragile relationship built on trust.

Important Character Interactions

• Shade questions Helen about whether Thomas truly loved his children, recalling that Thomas sacrificed three of them to Desire.
• Margaret asks Shade directly for help, initially treating his question as a political test before giving her sincere answer.
• Shade reassures Margaret by promising to try to save Albert, and their forehead kiss confirms growing affection.
• Margaret emphasizes that her invitation to Wilundell is personal and independent of Shade’s assistance, reinforcing the sincerity of their relationship.
• Shade, Luvia, Bella, and the Witches coordinate a dangerous plan to isolate and attack Thomas Bennett before the final war.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Church suddenly surrounds the Accordion Hotel, threatening the Witch Council's secret base on the Third Floor.
• Witches and Ring Arcanists rush to the hotel to maintain the Illusion and protect their secrets.
• The Church searches the hotel, finding nothing suspicious due to the Illusion, but takes Flora and her assistants for further questioning.
• The hotel is sealed, and a reconnaissance team enters to search for clues.
• A Nature Church Sorceress, Maria Ingram, inspects the Third Floor, reaching the room with the Teleportation Gate.
• Maria discovers the semi-permanent Teleportation Gate and suspects Flora's involvement with the Witch Council.
• Maria reveals that the Church's action targets the Bennett, Fisher, and Koch families, searching for a major problem among them.
• Sister Devlin confirms that one of these families has accepted the Tree's Blessing and has a mission to promote Paradox Worms' birth.

Character Developments

• Shade: Shows concern for the Witch Council's secret and is willing to help protect it.
• Maria Ingram: Demonstrates her intelligence and perceptiveness, suspecting Flora's involvement with the Witch Council.
• Sister Devlin: Maintains her composure and secrecy, revealing only necessary information to Maria.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy and deception: The Witch Council's reliance on Illusions to hide their activities.
• Trust and betrayal: Maria's suspicion of Sister Devlin's loyalty to the Church.
• The threat of the Ancient One and Paradox Worms: The Church's determination to uncover the truth behind the families targeted.

Character Interactions

• Shade and Sister Devlin: Shade trusts Sister Devlin to handle the situation with Maria.
• Maria and Sister Devlin: Maria and Sister Devlin maintain their friendship while navigating their loyalties and secrets.
• The Church and the Witch Council: The Church's investigation threatens the Witch Council's secret base, leading to tense interactions between the two factions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Nightmare Witch questions Sister Devlin about her relationship with the God Summoner, revealing that most Chosen Ones have ties with her.
• The Accordion Hotel is abandoned due to its unreliability, but the Academy acknowledges it as a secret base of Saint Byron's, allowing it to be kept.
• The Church raids the Bennett, Fisher, and Koch families, and interrogates Flora and others about their stay in the city.
• Emilia, Shade, and Daniste visit the Academy's camp in the woods, where the ancient Elves reveal a new Poem Chapter Fragment hinting at the Chosen One Ritual's timing during the full moon phase.

Character Developments

• Sister Devlin reveals her friendship with Maria Ingram, the Thirteenth Ring Warlock.
• Flora shares her experience during the Church's interrogation, showing resilience and humor.
• Emilia demonstrates her understanding of the ancient Elvish language and learns about the potential timing of her Chosen One Ritual.

Significant Themes

• The interconnectedness of the Chosen Ones and the God Summoner.
• The importance of alliances and bases of operation in the upcoming final battle.
• The revelation of ancient knowledge and its potential impact on the current situation.

Character Interactions

• Sister Devlin and Maria Ingram's friendship is highlighted, showing their shared history.
• Flora's interaction with the Church reveals her composure and wit under pressure.
• Emilia's interaction with the ancient Elves demonstrates her growth and understanding of her role as the Elf Queen.

Chapter Summary: “Isolation Review”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Emilia’s Chosen One Ritual is scheduled for as early as Saturday, with Monday as the latest possibility. She remains anxious because three opponents in the Time War—including the Clockmaker and the Paradox Worm—are still unresolved.
• The red-haired girl explains that the remaining opponents will inevitably appear and urges Emilia to focus on preparing the ritual rather than completing the Time War first.
• The ritual requires the winner of the Time War to transform the brand on their hand into a seed and combine it with parts of the World Tree. The Chosen One must have traveled through time, allowing the seed to grow into a new great tree.
• Emilia asks the elves to support Vesta Woodland against the Paradox Worm and possible Ancient Ones. The elves agree, already having mobilized after learning of her return. Even Moon Elves who reject the Tree Father hope Emilia can help revive the declining Elf Race.
• Shade privately reflects on his desire to control Emilia’s future, refusing to let her fate be determined solely by the past.
• The accelerated ritual schedule causes the Witches to increase their preparations for the coming war, though no additional ritual materials are needed.
• Shade asks Sivie and Vanessa to contact the Church so he can investigate the Bennett, Fisher, and Koch families. He plans to disguise himself as a clergyman and independently verify whether the Church’s suspects are truly dangerous.
• Sivie and Vanessa tease and kiss Shade. Vanessa also asks whether the Time Curse affecting the Thirteenth Ring Warlocks can be removed, since she dislikes being trapped in a young body. Shade reassures her that Sister Devlin may be able to resolve it with Emilia’s help.
• The Church agrees to Shade’s visit. Megan accompanies him after Luvia objects to his traveling alone. Both disguise themselves using Transformation Spells and receive clerical robes.
• They begin by visiting the Creation Church, where Baron Fisher’s family is being held under “isolation review.” The family is not formally imprisoned but is confined to church rooms while their possible connection to supernatural dangers is investigated.
• Rather than interrogate the family harshly, Shade insists on treating them courteously. He and Megan enter their rooms disguised as food-delivery staff and begin speaking with each family member.

Character Developments

• Emilia: Demonstrates courage and responsibility despite her anxiety. She accepts her approaching role as the Chosen One and begins acting like a future leader by requesting aid for her people.
• Shade: Becomes increasingly proactive in preparing for the coming conflict. His determination to protect Emilia reveals both his devotion and a troubling desire to control her destiny. He also relies on personal judgment over institutional authority, trusting his own investigation more than the Church’s conclusions.
• Sivie and Vanessa: Maintain their playful intimacy with Shade while showing concern about the larger crisis. Vanessa’s frustration with her altered body adds a personal dimension to the supernatural consequences affecting the Witches.
• Megan: Proves herself a capable companion and infiltrator, using transformation magic to accompany Shade on a covert mission.
• The Elves: Move from cautious observers to active supporters of Emilia, united by the hope that she can restore strength and direction to their declining race.
• Baron Fisher and his family: Are placed in a vulnerable position under Church scrutiny. Baron Fisher’s willingness to answer even disguised investigators shows his awareness of the seriousness of the situation and his desire to cooperate.

Significant Themes

• Destiny versus personal agency: Shade cannot change Lady Helena Carter’s past but wants to shape Emilia’s future himself, creating tension between fate and control.
• Leadership and renewal: Emilia’s potential transformation into a great tree symbolizes the renewal of the Elves and the possibility of recovery for an ancient, declining race.
• Trust and institutional authority: Shade’s decision to investigate the Church’s suspects independently highlights the limits of official judgment and the importance of personal verification.
• Isolation and suspicion: The Fisher family’s “isolation review” reflects the fear and uncertainty surrounding supernatural threats, while Shade’s insistence on courtesy questions whether suspicion should erase someone’s dignity.
• Identity and transformation: Disguises, altered bodies, magical curses, and Emilia’s future transformation all reinforce the instability of physical identity and the question of what truly defines a person.

Important Character Interactions

• Emilia discusses the ritual and the coming war with Shade, Miss Danist, the red-haired girl, and the elder elves.
• The elves promise Emilia their support, strengthening her connection to her people.
• Shade shares affectionate and playful exchanges with Sivie and Vanessa, while Vanessa voices her concerns about remaining physically young.
• Luvia insists that Shade not travel alone, leading to Megan joining him.
• Megan jokes about resembling Angelina during her disguise, prompting Shade to protect Angelina’s insecurities.
• Shade challenges the Church’s intended interrogation approach by requesting respectful treatment for the Fisher family.
• Disguised as church workers, Shade and Megan begin quietly questioning Baron Fisher, his wife, their children, and the family’s longtime butler.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shade visits the Fisher family, expecting to find nothing unusual, but discovers Ina Fisher, the youngest daughter, is a messenger for "Desire," a mermaid-like entity.
• Ina reveals that "Desire" wants Shade to collect a debt from Bennett, and offers her help and a Tree Hole pendant.
• Shade declines Ina's help and leaves with Megan, who washes the pendant to cleanse it of any mermaid influence.

Character Developments

• Shade: Shows curiosity and concern about the extent of "Desire's" influence and the impending doomsday.
• Megan: Demonstrates her dislike for "Desire" and its messengers, but is pragmatic about seeking help when needed.
• Ina Fisher: Reveals her connection to "Desire" and offers assistance to Shade, showing a level of confidence in her role as a messenger.

Significant Themes

• The corruption and influence of "Desire" and its messengers.
• The approaching doomsday and its potential consequences.
• Pragmatism versus idealism in dealing with powerful entities.

Character Interactions

• Shade and Megan: They discuss the situation and their approach to dealing with "Desire" and its messengers, with Megan showing concern for Shade's aesthetic preferences.
• Shade and Ina: They have a tense interaction, with Shade declining Ina's help and expressing his intention to complete "Desire's" task without her assistance.

Plot Points & Events

• Shade and Megan visit the Bennett family at the Dawn Church, where they're isolated for examination.
• The Bennett family, minus the disowned Linda, is present: Mr. and Mrs. Bennett with their youngest son in one room, and the three daughters in another.
• Shade and Megan interact with the Bennett daughters, asking about their upbringing and family dynamics.
• They later deliver late-night snacks to Mr. and Mrs. Bennett and their son, overhearing an argument between the couple.
• The argument reveals that Mrs. Bennett blames her husband for their family's predicament, possibly due to consulting a witch doctor for her illness.

Character Developments

• Shade and Megan maintain their disguises as clergy members, gathering information subtly.
• The Bennett daughters show unity and concern for each other, while Mrs. Bennett displays frustration and blame towards her husband.
• Mr. Bennett appears to be a loving family man but struggles to communicate effectively with his wife.

Significant Themes

• Family dynamics and relationships: love, responsibility, and communication.
• The consequences of seeking help from illegal or unorthodox sources (witch doctors).
• The impact of societal expectations and gossip on family life.

Character Interactions

• Shade and Megan work together to gather information, with Megan taking the lead in questioning the daughters.
• The Bennett daughters display sisterly bond, supporting and protecting each other.
• Mr. and Mrs. Bennett's argument highlights their differing perspectives and communication issues.
• Shade and Megan observe and interact with the family, maintaining their disguises and gathering information discreetly.

Chapter Summary: “Self-Destructing Heart”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shade and Megan visit the Bennett family, who are being detained and investigated by the Church. Thomas Bennett, secretly identified as the “Masked Man,” continues insisting that the Church will soon clear the family and repeatedly requests medical care for his wife.
• Mrs. Bennett claims she is healthy, but Thomas remains extremely anxious about her condition. A Church doctor examines her and finds only chronic pneumonia and nervous tension, with no serious illness.
• Shade, Megan, and Audrey then visit the Koch family at the Sun Church. Iluna does not appear, and Shade finds nothing suspicious about Mrs. Koch or her son.
• Using his Stone Heart ability, Shade detects that Mr. Koch’s heartbeat is abnormal, despite the Church’s earlier medical examination showing no problems. Because Koch has no Time Curse or Paradox Worm reaction, Shade does not accuse him directly but alerts the Sun Church.
• The following day, the Church confirms that Mr. Koch belongs to the Truth Society. When subjected to another examination, he attempts to flee and fights the Church’s Ring Arcanists.
• After Koch is subdued, a silver mechanical heart emerges from his chest and begins to self-destruct. The chapter ends as the Church manages to stop the explosion, leaving the nature and purpose of the artificial heart unresolved.
• That night, Shade returns late to the Radiance Messenger, where Galina, Megan, and Audrey tease him about secretly enjoying a “snack.” The group discusses their encounter with the Envoy of Desire and considers whether its powers might be useful against Bennett.
• Galina and the others spend the night with Shade, leaving him exhausted the next morning. At breakfast, the others jokingly cover for the missing women, while Miss Olanord quietly infers what really happened.

Character Developments

• Shade: Demonstrates caution and investigative skill by noticing Koch’s abnormal heartbeat and reporting it rather than making a premature accusation. He also continues struggling to balance his investigations with the complicated personal relationships surrounding him.
• Thomas Bennett: Appears deeply concerned about his wife, repeatedly demanding medical attention for her. His behavior suggests either genuine fear or a hidden motive connected to the investigation.
• Mrs. Bennett: Maintains that she is fine and repeatedly insists that her family is innocent, but her nervousness and chronic illness make her situation suspicious.
• Mr. Koch: Is exposed as a member of the Truth Society. His mechanical heart reveals that he has undergone some kind of secret transformation or concealment.
• Galina Cavendish: Remains possessive and playful toward Shade, while openly advocating the controlled use of desire rather than rejecting it entirely.
• Megan and Audrey: Continue working closely with Shade and become more comfortable teasing Galina and participating in the group’s intimate dynamic.
• Miss Olanord: Shows sharp observational skills by correctly guessing the nature of Shade’s late-night activities.

Significant Themes

• Hidden corruption beneath respectable appearances: Influential families such as the Bennetts and Kochs appear respectable, yet both conceal suspicious circumstances.
• The limits of ordinary investigation: Medical examinations fail to detect Koch’s artificial heart, showing that supernatural or arcane threats can evade conventional methods.
• Self-destruction and concealed identities: Koch’s mechanical heart symbolizes the lengths the Truth Society goes to hide its members and prevent interrogation.
• Desire versus restraint: The discussion of the Envoy of Desire and Galina’s philosophy explores whether desire should be suppressed or controlled and used as a source of strength.
• Trust and deception: The characters lie, conceal information, and interpret one another’s behavior, both in the investigation and in their personal relationships.

Important Character Interactions

• Shade reassures the Bennetts that the Church’s investigation will be fair while quietly observing their suspicious behavior.
• Thomas and Shade interact over Mrs. Bennett’s health, with Thomas persistently pressing for a doctor despite her objections.
• Shade consults the Sun Church after sensing something wrong with Koch, leading directly to Koch’s exposure.
• Galina, Megan, and Audrey compete playfully for Shade’s attention and mock one another over their relationship with him.
• At breakfast, Sivie criticizes the group’s failure to attend together, while others invent excuses to conceal the previous night’s events.
• Miss Olanord observes the group’s reactions and silently reaches her own conclusion about Shade and the Witches.