Genevieve noted that Barrington no longer wore the locket from his photograph with Tessie and that he had not aged, confirming he was immortal and not a Necromancer like her mother. Feeling she had made a mistake coming, she tried to leave, but Rowin reiterated that the gates would kill her if she attempted to exit, and Barrington added the wards were not theirs to lift. Rowin identified Genevieve as a Specter and traded tense, half-silent exchanges with Barrington before leaving to inform his siblings at Barrington’s request.

Alone with Genevieve, Barrington recognized her as Tessie Grimm’s daughter and asked what Tessie had told her; Genevieve admitted she knew only from a photograph and letters. Barrington said today was the worst possible day to visit and asked for her cooperation, then set her to help uncover the estate’s many mirrors while she demanded answers about Knox, the Hunt, the wards, and the translation magic. Barrington explained that Knox, a powerful Devil, created the wards and the language enchantment allowing all beings here to understand one another.

Barrington revealed he is Knox’s Familiar, an immortal bond he entered as a mortal man who had wanted to escape a fleeting life. As they passed family portraits, Genevieve inferred the pattern of animal Familiars and recognized Umbra among them. Barrington described his Demon wife, Vira, and their seven children—Gravington, Covington, Rowington, Remington, Sevington, Wellington, and Ellington—who are Wraiths.

He confessed that work for Knox kept him from his family until Vira fell ill with Crimson Rot. Seeking a way to sever his bond and to save Vira, Barrington accepted a bargain from Knox, who had access to costly elixirs that could prolong her life. The bargain imposed the Hunt, a punitive game Knox designed that also served as a spectacle for Hell’s gamblers and fanatics.

Barrington admitted he believed the children would participate only once, but Knox’s contract forced the Hunt to recur every year. He made clear that today is the day players are locked: at midnight, anyone who set foot in Enchantra becomes a player, aside from Knox and Barrington, and cannot leave until they win or are eliminated. When Genevieve asked what happens if they do not win, another voice cut in to confirm the finality: they are killed.