In July 1714, Adeline wakes on straw in a barn, disoriented by the lingering memory of prayers, bargains, and being forgotten. Isabelle, her lifelong friend, is kneeling over her with concern, but when Adeline reaches out, Isabelle recoils as if touched by a stranger. Adeline tries to explain who she is and that she belongs in Villon, but even saying her name catches in her throat.

Isabelle brings Adeline into the house, cleans her hands, and offers broth, quoting scripture about welcoming strangers. As Adeline attempts to tell the truth about her life and the deal in the woods, Isabelle’s attention goes blank and then resets, unable to retain what Adeline says. When Isabelle’s husband, George, arrives, Adeline panics, knowing Isabelle will forget her the moment Isabelle leaves; soon Isabelle returns in terror, accusing Adeline of lying about being invited. George orders Adeline out, bolting the door as Isabelle clutches her baby.

Adeline drifts toward the river where her prayers once began, steals George’s boots to replace the slippers she left behind, and wades into the cold water to wash off mud and fear. She tries to draw and write in the silt, but every mark vanishes almost immediately, and even her name cannot be fixed in place. Overwhelmed, she realizes how little she now owns: only a dress, a slip, and stolen shoes.

Isabelle’s young son Henri finds Adeline by the river, and Isabelle arrives, again asking who she is and whether she is lost, replaying the same cycle of forgetting. This time Adeline improvises a safer story, claiming she is only passing through and was robbed by a stranger, which stirs Isabelle’s compassion. When Isabelle leaves to fetch help, Adeline puts on her damp dress and slips away, knowing Isabelle will soon forget why she came.

Adeline hides near her family home and watches her parents and their horse, Maxime, but accepts she cannot endure becoming a stranger to those she loves. She goes into her father’s workshop to say goodbye in her own way, tries to write him a letter, and watches the words fade as she makes them. Spilled varnish and even a broken wooden bird undo themselves as if the world refuses to keep her impact, but she pockets the restored bird and walks out of Villon for good.