After saying goodbye and good luck to his friends, Clay traverses the underground river. Just as he starts to worry about running out of air, he surfaces in a large pool. At first, he thinks he’s outside and looking up at the stars. Instead, he realizes he’s in a huge cavern covered in glowworms. Following Starflight’s advice, Clay pauses to catch his breath and rest, swimming lazily across the lake.

When he finds the current again, Clay follows it out until the current picks up, bashing him into the rocks. He climbs out before the river pitches him over a waterfall. As he considers what to do next, Clay notices a warm stream leading away from the waterfall. He follows the warm stream, even though a sulfuric smell seems to come from its direction. Soon, he stumbles into a sticky substance that stings like poison on his wings and underbelly. Howling with pain, Clay thrashes back to the cold river, falls, and hits his head. The fall knocks him unconscious. Clay’s last thought is that he’s failed the prophecy.