Izzy wakes feeling that something is deeply wrong, as if she has a nightmare she cannot remember. A shower and getting dressed do not help, and she finds herself searching for signs of harm while also realizing the previous evening feels strangely elusive.

When Izzy notices Cassie’s bedroom appears untouched and Cassie is gone, anxiety sharpens into fear. Izzy calls Cassie with no answer and considers the police, but cannot think what she could report beyond a powerful, undefined dread and a missing roommate.

A knock brings two men to the door: Detective Azaki and his large, silent partner, Lund. They ask when Izzy last saw Cassie, whether Cassie has had strange encounters, and—most pointedly—whether Cassie has acquired any new or interesting books, claiming Cassie may be in danger because of a “valuable item.”

Izzy grows suspicious when Azaki admits they do not actually know where Cassie is, and their interest in books makes little sense to her. Azaki urges Izzy to come to the station “for her own protection,” then quietly tells her, “It will all be fine… Just be brave,” before he and Lund step into the hallway in response to another knock.

Izzy hears a startled sound and heavy impacts, and then a third man enters—bald, with round glasses, carrying a gun fitted with a long tube and a bag. Acting as if he knows Izzy, he says she knows nothing and ominously promises they will “help” her remember, settling her on the couch for an interrogation.