After the introductory meeting with the Alexandrian Society, Parisa Kamali deliberately follows Dalton Ellery through the building's corridors, using her telepathic abilities to track his footsteps through the semi-sentient structure. She initiates a conversation, probing him with candid observations—first noting he doesn't seem like the power-seeking type, then questioning why he chose to remain with the Society as a researcher rather than returning to the outside world to exploit its resources. Dalton is guarded and factual, revealing little, though he admits the Society's offer was compelling and acknowledges the initiation process is a "game."

Parisa escalates the encounter by kissing Dalton briefly and deliberately, a calculated move designed less for the kiss itself than for the sensory impressions it would leave—her perfume, her warmth, her proximity—ensuring she would linger in his thoughts. Dalton warns her that her efforts would be better spent proving her value to the other initiates, as he has no direct say in who is selected. He tells her that if he believed her capable of sincerity, he would advise her to run. However, he concedes she has "every weapon necessary to win this game," confirming the competitive nature of the initiation.

As Parisa departs, she deliberately points in the wrong direction to ask about the transportation portals, exploiting Dalton's momentary mental correction to catch a glimpse of his suppressed thoughts. She detects desire—he is wanting after the kiss—but also senses a deeper, stranger fear that has nothing to do with her. His mind is unusually difficult to read, with something unknowable obscuring his thoughts beyond his telepathic defenses.

In the vestibule by the lifts, Parisa encounters Tristan Caine waiting for transport. She engages him with direct, flirtatious confidence, asking about his ability to see through illusions and suggesting they have a drink together. Tristan is suspicious but intrigued. He mentions he is engaged, but Parisa is undeterred, and Tristan himself seems indifferent about his fiancée. Parisa mentally categorizes her two targets: Dalton is chess—a professional, strategic concern—while Tristan is sport, purely recreational. Tristan mentions needing to break off his engagement, quit his job, and punch his best friend, all of which Parisa advises can wait until morning. She entices him with the promise of sharing her theories about what the Society isn't telling them. They step through a portal together to London's King's Cross Station, establishing an early alliance built on mutual suspicion of the Society and shared appetite for games.