Six years after Jacindamania, and three years after a winning historic majority, New Zealand Labour's star has crashed to earth.
The centre-left party will return to the dark days of opposition with a basement result in the 2023 election.
With 98 per cent of the preliminary vote counted, Labour was sitting on 26.8 per cent - within a few percentage points of their worst result in 100 years.
Leader Chris Hipkins - drafted in as prime minister following Jacinda Ardern's shock resignation in January - put a brave face on the result in his concession speech.
"I want you to be proud of what we achieved over the last six years," he told the Labour faithful in Wellington.
"Despite governing through some of the biggest challenges our country has ever faced, we keep New Zealand moving forward, and we protected those who needed help the most."
Mr Hipkins pointed to improved child poverty statistics, reduced emissions, a historically significant public home-building program and low unemployment as signature achievements.
Amid a long list of crises and tragedies, this Labour government will be remembered above all for its stewardship during the pandemic.
"It hasn't been easy. I honestly think that the Gods ran out of curveballs to throw at us," he said.
"Terrorist attacks, volcanoes, cyclones and floods, and of course, the COVID-19 global pandemic and the global cost of living crisis that followed.
"Despite these huge forces against us, through it all, we made a difference. We saved lives and recorded the lowest number of COVID deaths in the developed world."
In historic terms, Mr Hipkins' defeat was inevitable.
Each of last seven leaders to take on the prime ministership mid-term were not elected at the subsequent election; Mr Hipkins was the eighth.
New Zealand's flat economy also augured poorly for Labour's chances, with the soaring cost of living registering as Kiwis' top issue, and one the government could not fix.
Labour paid the price in heartland seats.
Michael Wood, a leadership contender in January, lost Mt Roskill, a safe Labour seat since its creation in 1999.
Helen White is just 106 votes ahead in Mt Albert, the former seat of Ms Ardern and Helen Clark, and held by Labour for a century.
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta lost her seat to a different wave, with 21-year-old Maori Party candidate Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke edging the Labour legend to become the youngest MP since the 19th century.
Labour lost seats from Northland to South Island, with a severe swing.
"Aucklanders are generally pretty annoyed with the current government and I think that does date back to lockdowns," National campaign chair Chris Bishop said.
Labour is projected to win just 17 of 72 electorate seats for a total caucus of 34.
"Politics can be brutal," Labour campaign chair Megan Woods told TVNZ.
"Everything that Auckland has been through in these last few years, we certainly lost votes."
On a brighter note, Mr Hipkins, a father-of-two who is separated from his wife, used his concession speech to introduce his new partner to kiwis.
"Being prime minister is not the only special thing that has happened for me this year," he said.
"There is someone else special that I want to thank tonight, someone that most of you won't know, and that is my partner Toni.
"I want to thank you for being with me every step of the way over the last few months."
Mr Hipkins did not offer insight on his future as leader, saying instead it was a time to "reflect".
"When the tide comes in big it almost invariably goes out big as well. That is the nature of politics," he said.
"But the Labour Party is still here. We're not going anywhere. And we will get up again like we have many times before."
Dr Woods said he would have the support of the caucus to continue, if he chose to.
