Lyra steps into the hallway and glimpses someone else heading down the spiral staircase. Lyra starts to follow but stops after noticing the clock reads 5:13, then reconsiders the players’ instructions: they have been given hours to explore the island, but the house itself may matter too.

Following instinct, Lyra runs up the spiral staircase instead of down. At the top, Lyra finds a circular room that occupies the entire top floor: a stunning library ringed with fifteen-foot shelves and capped by a stained-glass ceiling. The room feels as enchanted to Lyra as the dress, mask, and other game elements she has encountered.

A masked girl appears behind Lyra and remarks that she loves libraries, especially circular ones. Lyra studies the girl’s midnight-purple gown and intricate dark mask and initially thinks this must be the one player she has not yet met.

The girl’s voice and comment about Lyra’s distrust of beautiful things make Lyra realize the stranger is not a player but Avery Grambs. Avery identifies with Lyra’s guardedness and offers advice before Lyra enters deeper into the game: in the games that matter most, the only way to truly play is to live.

The encounter leaves Lyra emotionally unsettled. When Lyra looks back after gathering herself, Avery has vanished, reinforcing Avery’s mysterious control over the game and leaving Lyra with the advice to carry forward.