Reeling from the contestant log, Ophelia thinks through everything her family hid from her. Tessie Grimm had competed in Phantasma, Genevieve apparently knew far more than Ophelia ever did, and both her mother and sister kept Grimm Manor’s debt from her. As Ophelia blames herself for Genevieve’s disappearance and the Shadow Voice repeats that her family is broken, her grief and anger boil over.

Ophelia turns that fury on Blackwell, accusing him of betraying her trust and threatening to make his existence miserable if he ruins her chance to save Genevieve. Blackwell insists he only needed time to explain, then reveals the secret behind his hesitation: Gabriel White was Ophelia’s father. The revelation leaves Ophelia stunned, and she demands the full truth, so Blackwell takes her back to her room to explain in private.

Blackwell tells Ophelia that Gabriel White entered Phantasma before and lost his second attempt shortly before the current competition. Gabriel had accepted Blackwell’s bargain, and because half of Ophelia’s essence comes from Gabriel, Blackwell recognized something familiar in her from the beginning. He explains that Gabriel was a rare Specter who could turn invisible and move through walls, which is why Blackwell suspected Ophelia shared those abilities and knew the knives would not truly harm her in the same way.

Ophelia realizes Blackwell had been testing his theory instead of telling her the truth outright, and she struggles with that betrayal alongside the shock about her parents. Blackwell admits he handled everything badly, but says Sinclair deliberately used the information to divide them because Sinclair believes Ophelia might actually discover how to free Blackwell. Blackwell also says his damaged memory keeps him from understanding Sinclair’s deeper grudge, and explains that after he mentioned his suspicion to Jasper, Sinclair likely learned what he was investigating.

When Ophelia asks why Blackwell never sought Gabriel out after Gabriel stopped summoning him, Blackwell quietly admits he had begun to give up and no longer had the will to keep trying. His sadness softens Ophelia’s anger, but not enough to repair the moment, so she asks to be alone until level four begins. After Blackwell disappears, Ophelia collapses onto her bed and mourns the life she thought she understood, now seeing her presence in Phantasma as tangled with her parents’ hidden past while the next trial looms.