The Saros secret ending offers an alternative, and perhaps slightly more poignant, resolution for Arjun. While achieving this ending requires more than simply rolling the credits, the game provides just enough breadcrumbs to guide you, though the final sequence remains intentionally enigmatic.
Below is a step-by-step breakdown of how to unlock the hidden conclusion and an analysis of its narrative implications.
[Editor’s Note: This guide contains significant spoilers for both the main and secret endings of Saros; proceed at your own discretion.]Unlocking the Hidden Ending
Once you have conquered the King and assumed his role in the standard finale, Arjun Devraj returns to the familiar surroundings of Passage. However, things are noticeably different: Primary is behaving erratically, broadcasting reports of a strange signal originating from the Shattered Descent, and your active objective will shift to “Change your path.”
Navigate to the Echelon III base in the Shattered Descent using the world dial and venture into the main dome. Deep inside, you will encounter Kayla, who is understandably wary and aims her weapon at you. Despite Arjun’s overtures, she remains skeptical of his intentions.
Your quest objective will then lead you to the “red tree in the Blighted Marsh.” Return to Passage, set the world dial to the Blighted Marsh, and battle through the biome until you discover a colossal tree adorned with crimson leaves. As you approach, a cutscene triggers, merging Arjun’s suit interface with an ethereal voice known as Kiira.
Kiira directs you to Nitya’s laboratory in the Cathedral. Travel to the Cathedral via Passage, and proceed to clear the entire biome, ensuring you strike both massive tuning forks with your melee attacks. This action will drop the bell, creating an opening in the floor just before the ascent to the Priestess boss encounter. Dropping through this hole leads to Nitya’s lab. Reviewing the holographic logs reveals the complexities of Nitya’s arrival on Carcosa and her connection to Kiira—a bond formed through a shared search for peace.
Finally, return to Passage and enter the Banyan Tree. Here, you will witness the tragic fate of Sebastian, an herbalist who seemingly never existed for anyone but Arjun. The discovery—coupled with Arjun’s remorseful dialogue and the ominous flashing emergency lights—strongly suggests Arjun played a direct role in Sebastian’s death.
It is heavily implied that Arjun used Sebastian as an emotional crutch following Nitya’s departure. When confronted by Sebastian regarding his true significance, Arjun’s admission—”You were nothing. That’s what I told myself. I didn’t deserve your trust”—confirms his deep-seated guilt.
To finalize the process, return to the Yellow Shore and defeat the King once more. Crucially, once the King’s health is depleted and he collapses, do not deliver the finishing blow. Instead, bypass him and proceed directly into the golden corridor.
Understanding the Narrative
In the standard ending, defeating the King leads to a cycle of violence where Arjun, urged by Nitya’s voice, claims the crown. A golden corridor opens, revealing a flashback where an alternate version of Arjun drags our protagonist into a mirror, plunging him into an endless abyss, followed by his inevitable transformation into the new King.
The Secret Ending Decoded
By refusing to strike the King, Arjun halts his transformation. He discards his sun pendant, signaling a rejection of his past, and is transported to a serene beach at dawn. The presence of Nitya, sitting quietly behind him, confirms this is an introspective realization rather than a physical reunion.
Nitya: “You shouldn’t have come here. This was my dream, not yours.”
Arjun: “I just didn’t want to lose what we had. I took things too far. I couldn’t stop.”
Nitya: “You can’t change what you’ve done, Arjun.”
[Long pause]Nitya: “It’s a new day. I wonder what you’ll do with it?”
Nitya departs, leaving Arjun to face the consequences of his actions alone, punctuated by the faint sound of police sirens. Arjun’s final, desperate apology—”I’m sorry, Nitya. I’m sorry”—underscores the tragedy: his journey was driven by selfishness and an inability to let go.
Throughout the game, we learn that Arjun’s struggle with substances and his manipulative behavior pushed Nitya away. His obsession with finding her on Carcosa was not a noble rescue mission, but a futile attempt to rectify his own past failures. In the secret ending, while he escapes the cycle of the crown, he remains trapped in the weight of his own history, left to wander a world where the peace he seeks has already been claimed by someone else.
Source: Polygon
