Marcellus finds a key on the floor near where Tova stores her things while she cleans. Succumbing to curiosity, he takes it and stashes it in the hidden pocket of his den, where he keeps an eclectic collection of human objects gathered during captivity.

He catalogs his treasures—marbles, jewelry, IDs, a tooth, and many single earrings—explaining how his standards for collecting have become more selective. Keys, like coins, have become common and usually unremarkable to him.

That night, tracing the key’s ridges, Marcellus feels a jolt of recognition. He recalls handling an identical key when he was young and free, discovering it on a ring among a cache of “leftover human” remains—sneaker sole, shoelace, and buttons—tucked under rocks on the seafloor.

Connecting this memory to Tova’s loss, Marcellus concludes the key likely belonged to the person she mourns. Empathizing with her grief, he resolves to return the key as a small act of restitution.