Part One opens with Tressa Norne returning from Asia aboard a steamer, outwardly escaping her past yet still deeply marked by fear and trauma. Symbols such as the Yezidees, yellow serpents, and grey magic suggest that unseen forces continue to surround her. Although she encounters kindness and safety, Tressa remains haunted by the belief that her soul is not entirely her own. Agents of Prince Sanang begin to intrude upon her fragile sense of recovery. This section carefully establishes psychological dread and the lingering presence of evil.