Inside the festival dome, Raeve is struck by how much the place resembles a dreamlike version of Netheryn, filled with snow, fog, towering ice pillars, and moonlit aurora. Even though the air lacks the true danger of the outside world, Raeve feels a heavy, urgent hollowness she cannot explain. After taking a cold drink called Moonplume's Breath, Raeve becomes convinced that something important lies between two pillars and pushes through the masked crowd to investigate.

Pyrok follows as Raeve heads toward a guarded passage. When Raeve asks what is hidden there, Pyrok explains that it leads to a high-stakes Skripi table for wealthy highfliers. Rather than turning back, Raeve takes Pyrok's pouch of gold, gets past the guards, and draws him along the winding path. During the walk, Raeve notices that Pyrok is unusually tense and not drinking, suggesting he has an unhappy history with the people they are about to meet.

At the end of the passage, Raeve finds a gambling chamber with four masked male players and an octimar handling the wagers. One of the men immediately recognizes Pyrok, calls him "Little Flame," and hints that Pyrok has owed him debts before. Pyrok visibly stiffens under the taunt, and Raeve reacts by claiming the empty seat herself, dumping Pyrok's gold onto the table, and demanding to be dealt in after the current game ends.

When one of the men points out that Raeve does not have enough gold to truly compete, Raeve escalates the risk by offering a favor owed to each of the other players as her buy-in. The octimar magically marks the bargain on her skin before Pyrok can stop it, and his angry reaction shows how dangerous her choice may be. Raeve silently asks him to stay and watch, then faces the table as the men mock her confidence and prepare to begin, with the first dice roll starting the game.