Alice and Peter arrive at the Lethe, a vast, paradoxical river of forgetfulness whose surface resolves into fragments of memories. Alice becomes entranced and glimpses Lady Meng Po inviting her to drink and be reborn. Drawn toward the water, Alice begins to let go of self until Peter seizes her, forces eye contact, and leads her through a grounding catechism—her name and identity—pulling her back from the brink.

They consider traveling by water but reject it: no boat can be brought, and a single drop would strip memory. Following the river toward the Second Court, Desire, they realize the landscape obeys hyperbolic geometry; distances on the ground are far greater than they appear from above. Peter urges aiming for a peak to shortcut the courts, but Alice insists on systematic searching, and they continue on foot.

A faint clicking grows into the sound of many joints until a trio of skeletal, dog-like creatures crest the dunes—white bone held together by gleaming chalk. Peter tries to approach and is attacked, his sleeve torn and arm scratched. Alice notices the creatures recoil from the Lethe; edging closer to the water forces them to keep their distance.

Using the river as a boundary, Alice and Peter hold their ground until the bone-things retreat. The chalk binding their joints signals advanced magick beyond known methods, implying a living magician has assembled and deployed them. The beach’s calm gives way to dread as Alice concludes they are being watched.