Nico approaches Libby with a proposal to form an alliance, arguing that as the two physicists, they are the most likely candidates for elimination since there are two of them competing against singular specialties. He notes that Tristan, Parisa, and Callum have already begun forming their own faction. Despite Libby's habitual suspicion and resentment toward Nico, she reluctantly agrees to work together as long as it serves both their interests. Nico privately reflects that Libby's competitive drive will serve them well once she has the chance to prove herself.

At dinner, Dalton informs them their first full day begins tomorrow. Afterward, Dalton leads the six candidates to their bedrooms in the western wing, explaining that there are no rules beyond the prohibition against bringing outsiders into the house. The rooms are sparse and identical. Once settled, Nico falls asleep and is visited in his subconscious by Gideon, his roommate and close friend, who navigates dream realms to communicate. Gideon reports that the manor's defenses are extraordinarily strong, including powerful mental wards, and that he could barely reach Nico. They speak in French and Spanish to obscure their conversation from a dream-surveillance camera. Nico privately reflects on the urgency of his mission: Gideon is the offspring of a creature named Eilif, his criminal mother who exploits him through the astral planes, and Nico needs the Society's archives to research how to protect Gideon permanently.

Nico's dream is interrupted when Reina wakes him, warning that intruders have entered the house—the plants in every room alerted her. Nico confirms vibrations in the floor. The six candidates gather, and Parisa detects at least three compromised access points. Callum dismisses the situation as a test from Atlas, but when a sound wave immobilizes the group and Nico is shot in the shoulder with a real bullet, it becomes clear the threat is genuine. Parisa identifies the wound as a gunshot, suggesting mortal attackers, while Nico deduces there must also be at least one medeian commanding the operation.

The group splits: Nico and Reina stay to fight the intruders in the main hall, Libby takes Tristan to search downstairs access points, and Parisa goes with Callum to hunt the enemy medeian. Nico leaps from the gallery balcony into the firefight, using his physics-based powers to manipulate gravity, friction, and force. He disarms and defeats multiple gunmen through a combination of magical manipulation and skilled hand-to-hand combat, while Reina proves herself a capable fighter alongside him. Nico identifies the attackers as likely a joint CIA/MI6 special operations team.

After dispatching the mortal operatives, the enemy medeian hits Nico with another devastating sound wave, nearly overwhelming him in his weakened, blood-depleted state. However, when Nico touches Reina's shoulder, he receives a surge of additional power—an electrical jolt channeled through her—that allows him to blast the medeian with explosive force. The enemy medeian, revealed to be a woman, is knocked down but struggles to rise. Nico and Reina prepare to finish the fight together, with Reina placing her hand on his shoulder to channel more power through their unexpected synergy.