When Nora returns to the Midnight Library, she insists that the process stop. Mrs. Elm reminds Nora that Nora alone controls what happens to the library. When Nora says she no longer wants to visit books, the library begins shaking. Books fly off the shelves, and the lights go out. Mrs. Elm hurriedly reminds Nora about how she felt with the polar bear, and Nora remembers wanting to feel alive. The shaking stops and lights come back on.

Mrs. Elm instructs Nora not to touch any of the books now lying on the floor. She then apologizes for sounding too harsh. Mrs. Elm tells Nora that she must approach life like a chess game: Nora must move square by square with any and every piece available to her—even pawns can win games. Nora must keep trying, just like the day when she was younger and, after getting drunk with her brother and his friends, she jumped into a strong river to prove a point. As Nora remembers this moment, she sees the moment playing out in the library.