After Christmas, Sam emails Sadie about Solution, then replays it three times, earning ranks from Grand Nazi Collaborator to Conscientious Objector. He compiles granular notes and forms a macro critique: the simulation lacks a moral payoff and should unlock new possibilities for ethical play. Energized, he dreams of making a game with Sadie.

When Sadie doesn’t reply by mid-January, Sam walks to her apartment despite his painful foot. He finds Sadie unkempt and withdrawn, is rebuffed, and notices a framed maze of Los Angeles he once drew for her. He pockets a disk labeled EmilyBlaster and leaves.

A flashback shows the maze’s origin: after receiving Sadie’s Bat Mitzvah invitation years earlier, Sam drew a path from his home to hers on the envelope; his grandmother framed it and delivered it when Sam wouldn’t attend.

Back in the present, Sam plays EmilyBlaster with Marx. Marx, who has long quietly supported Sam, recognizes Sadie’s depression and advises Sam to show up daily with small comforts, open windows, encourage care, and escalate to help if needed.

Sam follows through, visiting each day, reading quietly, and leaving offerings: a bagel, a novel, a handheld Donkey Kong. The enduring presence of the framed maze motivates him. Sadie goes to Medical, begins to improve, and tells Sam he may keep EmilyBlaster.

As Sam draws a new maze from his apartment to hers, Sadie plans to resume classes and proposes setting times to meet. They pledge not to vanish from each other’s lives and to forgive future hurts. She asks for his thoughts on Solution, opens the window to fresh air, and signals readiness to reengage.