Kenneth Irons uses magic to summon Ariel Chylde to his loft, where he offers her a deal. A normal life, and he will take the nightmare burden from her willingly. Wanting to be normal, Ariel agrees.

A while later Sara Pezzini is attacked on a case by nightmarelings, and the Witchblade leads her to a nightclub. There Sara meets Ariel, and they have a tussle. But it is interrupted by Kenneth Irons, who uses Darkchylde abilities to gain the Witchblade for himself. Sara still manages to defeat him with the Witchblade because Kenneth was overwhelmed with the Darkchylde powers. Ariel then takes back her powers from him, threatening Kenneth that he now has another enemy.

Sara and Ariel later reconnect, and Sara briefly entertain an idea of arresting Ariel, but eventually lets Ariel leave.