Hayt watches Alia walk across the temple square, sensing that she belongs in the open desert rather than the artificial confines of the city. Troubled by her strange behavior, he follows her into the palace and discovers that she has overdosed on melange in a desperate attempt to pierce the fog of her prophetic vision. Alia struggles against the overwhelming torrent of time, seeking answers about her future and her unborn child while trapped between the limitations of her Bene Gesserit heritage and her terrifying foresight.
Inside her private quarters, Alia's mind fractures further as the massive dose of spice distorts her perception of reality and time. Hayt attempts to calm her and summons a royal physician despite her fierce protests, offering steadfast loyalty and comfort as she wrestles with her deep loneliness and fear. During her hallucinatory state, Alia recognizes the tragic path of her brother Paul, warning that he is walking into a self-destructive trap of absolute power and prophetic inevitability.
As the heavy sedative finally takes effect, Alia slips away from her visions and into the deep consciousness of the future unborn child growing within her. She realizes with a chilling certainty that her child is destined to undergo the exact same horrific awakening that she suffered before birth. The spice continues to hold sway over her mind, leaving her drifting helplessly amidst the fragments of past and future time.