The chapter opens by framing secret night meetings as driven by lusts and the losses of love, setting a tragic tone. A cloaked man waits in an alley, battling inner conflict: a mind urging him to proceed against a gentler voice urging retreat. Moonlight unsettles him as he braces himself for the consequences of a looming decision.

Another hooded figure arrives, speaking with smooth confidence. He asks if the first man knows what to do; the first replies he understands to an extent, betraying unease. The second man expresses trust while withholding warmth, keeping the exchange transactional and controlled.

The second man produces a heavy coin purse, instructing the first that the outcome must “look real,” and to make him believe it. The first man accepts the payment, acknowledging it is sufficient, and commits to the task in a low, resolute voice, even as his internal turmoil intensifies.

As the second man turns to leave, the first—driven by curiosity—asks why this is being done. The departing figure answers that “every brutal act is born of love,” implying a personal motive rooted in loss or devotion. The chapter closes with the suggestion that this shared understanding binds them, despite anonymity.