Rune Winters arrives at the university’s Summer Hall to meet Verity de Wilde and Alex, and makes her way through the pastel dormitory corridors to Verity’s tiny room, crowded with clothes, books, jars, and Verity’s pet mimic spider, Henry.

Verity admits she forgot the meeting and apologizes for how she reacted the night before when she saw Gideon Sharpe in Rune’s bedroom. Verity explains the sight triggered memories of Blood Guard soldiers coming for Verity’s witch sisters after their mother betrayed them. Rune comforts Verity, apologizes for frightening her, and the two reaffirm that they are each other’s closest family, along with Alex.

Rune shows Verity a spell book opened to the Minora spells Picklock and Deadbolt, frustrated that her attempts feel like “wading through sludge” and fail. Verity concludes the issue is that these Minoras are more complex and likely require fresher blood than Rune has been using, then asks Rune to demonstrate.

Rune produces a half-full vial of blood, locks Verity’s door manually, and uses the blood to draw the Picklock symbol on the wood. As Rune casts, she reflects that old blood weakens spells; powerful magic needs fresh blood and more of it, while Rune is limited by the small supply from monthly bleeding. Mirages are easier and require less blood, while Minoras change the material world and are harder. Rune also notes that using someone else’s blood can boost a spell, but only sometimes and not reliably.

The magic swells in Rune as a roaring, ocean-like force, growing painful and difficult to control. Despite Verity warning Rune to stop, Rune pushes to complete the final line—until the wave of power crashes down, Rune loses footing, and Rune collapses under the overwhelming spell.