With Jade having established herself as the ruler of the Shadow Realm, she makes a deal with Phobos.
- Armor-Piercing Response: When Jade's about to leave after freeing Phobos, Tynar begs her not to ally with him. When she scoffs and asks if she should join Elyon and the Guardians instead, he admits they've been unfair to her and tries to ask her to give them time to set things right between them. However, she flies into a rage and rants at him about how she was on Meridian for only five minutes before the girls decided that she was a threat and nearly killed her. Tynar can say nothing in response to that after she's done.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Jade states she owes Raythor for being the only one who showed her kindness since her arrival to Meridian. She's decided to repay that debt by helping Phobos regain the throne, provided Raythor considers him worthy of his loyalty. Notably, the conditions she implements in exchange for her help mostly serve for Raythor's benefit; he'll be rewarded for his services, apologized for being banished to the Abyss of Shadows and allowed to have the final word in the two royals' future decisions, and if he decides to stop supporting Phobos, so does Jade.
- Big "NO!": Vathek yells this when the Shadowkhan are vacating the cells of prisoners and later when Phobos himself is released.
- Call-Back:
- The original story indicated that the Shadow Realm and the Shadowkhan are known in Meridian's legends as the Land of Eternal Shadows and the Shadow People, a connection the Meridianites make in this chapter's beginning.
- While explaining her reasons to feel gratitude towards Raythor, Jade brings up the fact that he never tried to use her against her will. He actually refused to let Nerissa force Jade join the Knights in the original story and relented only when Jade herself decided to stay, and even then, he made it clear to her that she's free to leave when she chooses. This contrasts with Nerissa who intended to use Jade regardless of her opinion, which is why Jade doesn't consider owing the sorceress anything.
- Cliffhanger: Having given the shaken Tynar a piece of her mind, Jade leaves him and the unconscious Vathek behind in the now empty prison.
- The Consigliere: Due to not fully trusting Phobos and wanting someone she can trust to have her back if the prince plans to double-cross her, Jade issues that Raythor will have the final word in everything they decide. Though Phobos knows letting the honorable warrior have the final word in every matter pertaining to this alliance with the Shadow Realm likely hinders his ambitions, he realizes what is Jade's purpose and agrees, believing he can bring Raythor around to his way of thinking.
- The Dog Bites Back: Jade has Vathek locked up in one of the cells he guarded as retribution for mistreating her and framing Raythor.
- Electricity Knocks You Out: When Vathek attempts to break through one of the Infinite City cells' electric bars, he keeps trying despite smoking from the shock. When the voltage goes high enough, he's sent hurtling against the cell's wall and falls unconscious. He's shown to be alright in the following chapters after he's woken up.
- Evil Is Hammy: Jade privately thanks her family's main enemies for giving her an example on doing a proper villainous introduction.
- Foreshadowing: Jade's overall plan to return Phobos to the throne is hinted by what she says to Tynar about the prince himself not having been the biggest problem of his reign and the rebels imprisoning people whose only crime was to disagree with them.
- Graceful in Their Element: Discussed when Phobos is skeptical that Jade could make use out of Cedric and Miranda given the former's Villain Decay against the Guardians and the latter's disloyalty. Not wanting to give specifics in Vathek and Tynar's earshot, Jade only tells Phobos that he's been limiting the snake and the spider's true potential by reducing them to attack dogs when they'd best serve as a snake and a spider.
- Irony: Phobos' thoughts reveal that he originally fell for Raythor's frameup because he mistakenly believed the Noble Demon's honor had made him fall in line with the heroes. This is exactly what happens at the end of the canonical second season of the source material.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Vathek framed Raythor without remorse and made it clear that he would have done it again. Raythor's friend Jade, whom he has mistreated and tried to imprison since their first meeting, locks him in a cell and forces him to watch as she frees Raythor and Phobos. As for some extra karma after all the abuse he put Jade through, he knocks himself out when he tries to get free. Jade even tells him to consider it overdue justice in Raythor's name.
- Loud Gulp: Tynar gulps while trying to reason with Jade.
- Mook Carryover: One of Jade's terms is for Phobos to hand Miranda and Cedric over to her so that she can use them in her own schemes.
- Motive Rant: When Tynar tries to talk Jade out of her alliance with Phobos, she bitterly tells him that the heroes have only been trying to imprison or kill her ever since their first meeting when she all along just wanted to go home, and since the only actual help she got came from Raythor, she'll help him put Phobos back in charge if that's what he wants.
- Not in This for Your Revolution: Jade makes it clear to Phobos that she doesn't fully trust him, but is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because of Raythor's faith in him. One of her conditions includes the point that she'll pull off her support if Raythor himself decides to call it quits.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Jade tells Tynar he's professing Undying Loyalty towards Elyon and the Guardians just as much as Raythor towards Phobos.
- Oh, Crap!: When Phobos voices out loud his realization that the Shadow Realm is the Land of Eternal Shadows, Vathek, Tynar and many prisoners familiar with the scary legend freeze.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Deciding to be careful not to repeat the heroes' mistake of making an unnecessary enemy and becoming manipulated, Phobos accepts all the three terms Jade places in exchange for her help, no matter how challenging or irksome he may find them.
- Real After All: When Vathek tries to deny the existence of the Land of Eternal Shadows, Jade, speaking from her own experience, remarks he'd be surprised how many things people believe to be mere fairy tales are in fact real.
- Stunned Silence: The chapter begins with everyone staring in shock at Jade following her introduction at the end of the previous chapter.
- This Means War!: Jade's last words to Tynar are that his friends first wanted a war with her, so the Shadow Realm will give it to them.
- Villain Team-Up: In order to repay Raythor back for his kindness towards her, Jade forges an alliance with Phobos; he'll lend him her Shadowkhan until either he's back on Meridian's throne or forfeits Raythor's service.
