Darlington reflects that Alex Stern was an “unwelcome surprise,” contrasting his gentlemanly training under his grandfather with Alex’s unpredictable presence. He recalls how his careful plan to select a worthy Dante from freshman applications was derailed when Dean Sandow informed him that an unorthodox candidate—Alex—had been chosen unanimously because she could see Grays without ingesting Orozcerio. Shocked and jealous, Darlington reviewed Alex’s file and a hospital interview from Van Nuys, learning of her drug history and survival of a fentanyl overdose at a crime scene. Despite his misgivings, he resolved to do his duty and meet her properly.

On a sweltering September day, Darlington visits Alex’s Vanderbilt dorm during move-in. He reads her roommates quickly (Lauren, Mercy Zhao, Anna Breen) and introduces himself as Alex’s cousin to provide cover. When Lauren presses for money for a couch, Alex leverages Darlington’s ruse to extract $300, revealing her adaptability. Once outside, Darlington tells Alex she owes him for the couch and that the family cover story will justify her absences. Alex pushes back that testing her is not the same as teaching, signaling a wary, sharp dynamic between mentor and mentee.

As they cross Old Campus and Phelps Gate onto the New Haven Green, Darlington begins her occult orientation. He explains Yale’s shift to fortress-like architecture after the Civil War and the Green’s foundational role in the city’s power. He probes Alex’s ability; she notes the Green feels “empty,” aligning with his explanation that Grays avoid reminders of death, preferring life’s heat—salt, sugar, sweat, and human drama. He corrects common myths (salt attracts Grays like a salt lick; bone dust and memento mori repel them) and offers to ward her room, noting her intense need to keep the dead at bay.

Alex demands clarity on what she is “in for.” Darlington broadens the lesson: in the 1800s, magic migrated to the United States, and New Haven became one of the few places where it took root, possibly due to a thin Veil. The Ancient Eight—landed societies with tombs built on power nexuses—conduct rituals that Lethe monitors. He distinguishes these from ordinary societies and outlines the mapped nexuses, stressing the link between power and place and the consequences when that link is broken.

Darlington underscores the scope of the Houses’ influence, from global leadership to fixing major cultural events, and notes that they tolerate conspiracy theories because the truth is worse. They arrive at Lethe House (Il Bastone), whose history includes its builder John Anderson and a ghostly scandal. Darlington ushers Alex through the wrought-iron gate; darkness falls and a hungry howl rises from beneath the house, dramatizing the perilous world Alex is entering.