The man in the grey suit moves through the bustling circus courtyard toward the gates, the crowd unconsciously parting for him. Near the bonfire, a transparent, ghostlike figure—Hector—blocks his path. Though the man in the grey suit could pass through him, he stops, and with a subtle gesture dulls nearby patrons’ curiosity so they look away.

Hector mocks the fuss, claiming the crowd expects ghosts anyway, while the man in the grey suit argues the circus has become “too exposed.” He explains that he does not control the circus but helped create secrecy through mystery, including the practice of moving locations unannounced, which he says benefits both Celia Bowen and Marco. Hector counters that the constant separation is a mistake and insists Celia would have defeated Marco long ago if they had been properly put together.

The man in the grey suit calls Hector foolish for trapping himself in his current insubstantial state and points out that Celia and Marco are “besotted with” each other, implying closeness would have ended things sooner, not in Hector’s favor. Hector attacks the man in the grey suit for becoming attached to his students, and the man in the grey suit retaliates by noting how many of Hector’s students have ended competitions themselves, asking if Hector’s daughter will be the eighth.

Hector insists Celia will win and claims she has always been stronger than Marco. In response, the man in the grey suit amplifies the sound from beyond the courtyard so Hector can hear Celia, panicked, repeating “Friedrick” over and over. He argues that an innocent man died that night—one Celia cared for—and warns that the death may cause Celia to break further, emphasizing that such outcomes cannot be predicted or guaranteed.

Hector refuses to concede, saying it is not over, and vanishes. The man in the grey suit resumes walking as if uninterrupted, exits through the velvet curtains, and lingers to watch the clock by the gates before leaving the circus.