Ophelia spends nearly ten minutes trying to force open a magical wooden gateway that appeared in the manor, but she cannot make it budge and bruises her shoulder in the attempt. While she complains to the cat at her feet, a deep voice interrupts her. She turns and recognizes the man behind her as the same unseen stranger she encountered by the front gates the night before, though he now appears visibly as an unusually solid and striking Ghost.

As they speak, Ophelia notices that he is different from ordinary Apparitions: his outline glows white instead of blue, he appears almost corporeal, and his presence carries the same warm static sensation she felt before. When she accuses him of being the stranger from the previous night, he warns her not to reveal too much openly because Phantasma is always listening. He then seems not to remember her clearly, forcing Ophelia to recount their earlier exchange and frustrating her when he treats the meeting lightly.

The stranger explains that Ophelia is not mistaken, but that he is a Phantom rather than a common Ghost. This revelation helps Ophelia understand why he feels more solid and powerful than the other spirits she has known. During the conversation, she also reflects on what her mother taught her about different kinds of ghosts and begins to suspect that the creature from the hidden corridor may have been a Ghoul.

When the stranger asks about the doorway, Ophelia says she did not summon it and that it simply appeared. His suddenly serious reaction suggests that the gateway matters. Ophelia tries to learn more about him, asking whether he works for Phantasma and whether the cat belongs to him. He gives evasive answers, confirms that he knows how to unlock the door, but refuses to do so.

He finally admits that he cannot help contestants during Phantasma unless he is paid, hinting that he has some constrained connection to the competition. Before Ophelia can press him further, a shriek rings through the hall. Believing it to be Genevieve, Ophelia rushes forward in alarm, but when she looks back, both the stranger and the cat have vanished.