Kai wakes to find Paedyn still asleep in his bed after staying with him through his nightmare. Watching her, he reflects on how close he came to hurting her in his panic and how deeply her calm response affected him; because she chose to stay and comfort him, he decides to bring her breakfast as a small act of care.

When Kai returns, Paedyn startles awake and nearly throws his shoe at him, which turns the moment into playful banter. Their teasing quickly becomes more intimate as Kai thanks her for the night before, touches her gently, and openly flirts. Paedyn responds in kind, but her reactions also reveal how unsettled she is by their attraction.

The tension escalates as Kai steps closer and both clearly want a kiss. At the last second, Paedyn presses the shoe to Kai’s throat instead and says she should leave, stopping the moment before it can happen. Hurt and jealous, Kai bitterly reminds her that she is meant to attend the ball with Kitt, and Paedyn leaves after quietly telling him that no one should face nightmares alone.

Later, at the final ball, Kai considers drinking to get through the evening and quickly sheds Blair to avoid pointless social obligations. His attention is completely taken when Paedyn enters in a black gown with her silver dagger visible, drawing the room’s notice. Seeing her, Kai realizes even more sharply that she terrifies and enthralls him, and that she is afraid of whatever exists between them too.

Kai and Paedyn finally meet each other’s eyes across the room, and the connection feels immediate and overpowering. But the moment breaks when Paedyn looks toward Kitt instead. That shift leaves Kai feeling jealous, shut out, and convinced that someone like him may never truly get someone like her.