The remaining players return to the Great Room, apparently summoned for the next phase. Grayson Hawthorne enters alone, and then chimes and bells sound throughout the house. Rohan separates the sounds, decides the bell in the dining room is significant, and slips inside just ahead of Savannah.

The dining room door locks behind Rohan and Savannah. Other doors slam shut elsewhere, indicating that players have been divided into separate rooms. A screen descends, showing Avery and the Hawthornes, who announce the next event: the Grandest Escape Room. The players must get out of the house before sunrise.

Avery explains that the people in each room are now official teammates. Jameson adds that an entire team must escape and reach the north dock by sunrise or none of that team will advance. Rohan notes the shift from the previous year’s individual competition to a forced team structure, while Savannah translates Xander’s Latin motto as “win together, lose together.”

The rules establish that each room has a red button for one hint and a black button for emergencies. A hint must be earned and comes at a cost. Nash warns that teams cannot break doors, windows, walls, furniture, or lock-pick their way out; they must solve puzzles to unlock each stage.

After the screen goes black, three blinking cursors appear and Jameson says the players must enter answers without being given the question. The image from the players’ keys appears and separates into three symbols: a heart, a diamond, and a club. Savannah realizes the supposed infinity symbol is actually an eight, and Avery’s final announcement confirms the new stakes: there are three teams and eight players.