The chapter opens from Trystan's (The Villain's) perspective as he arrives at the gathering, having been alerted by his guard Dante that members of his inner circle were at a suspicious meeting. Trystan immediately recognizes the event as one of his father Arthur's healing gatherings, and he suspects the coincidence is deliberate—a betrayal orchestrated by an unknown party. His attention is quickly captured by Evie's appearance, which he finds striking, though he tries to suppress his reaction and maintain his composure.

When Trystan dismisses Arthur and turns to confront Evie, she panics and sprints through the crowd to escape him. He chases her across a rickety bridge into a dark, secluded area beyond the gathering's firelight. There, he reassures her that he is not angry with her and that he never doubted her loyalty. He explains that he was notified by his guards and came because he suspected foul play—not because he distrusted her. Evie notices his hand on his sword hilt, and he sheepishly releases it.

Sitting together on the cliff's edge, Trystan reflects on his painful relationship with his father. Arthur spent most of Trystan's childhood traveling as a core healer, and by the time he returned and tried to build a relationship, Trystan had already closed himself off emotionally. His mother Amara was not affectionate, teaching Trystan that needing love was a weakness. Arthur's softer approach with Trystan's younger siblings, Clare and Malcolm, only deepened the rift. Trystan has ignored all of Arthur's attempts at reconciliation over the years.

Deciding to seize a rare moment of happiness, Trystan asks Evie to dance. Despite the music shifting to a slow, intimate tune, he pulls her close and they begin to sway. They share deeply personal revelations: Evie tells him about her brother Gideon, who died in an accident involving her mother's magic, and how the cascade of losses—her brother, her mother, her schooling, her father's illness—left her feeling like life was happening to her rather than her living it. Trystan reciprocates by sharing that his father's absence made him feel unimportant, and that he too has felt life was merely happening to him.

They also spot Trystan's sister Clare in the crowd, but Trystan assures Evie that both his siblings have been under guard surveillance and are not the traitor. Evie insists his siblings don't hate him, drawing a parallel to her own relationship with her late brother. The two share light banter about work, Scatter Day with the interns, and the theatrical quality of their dynamic. The moment is nearly perfect—until screaming erupts, shattering the peace.