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In the Necropolis beneath St. Peter’s, the camerlegno lies curled on the dirt floor before St. Peter’s tomb. The cold helps slow the bleeding from wounds he has torn into his own flesh, and he believes no one, not even the Pope, will find him there.

The camerlegno relives the moment when the Pope told him something that destroyed his faith in his mentor. The Pope had insisted the matter was complicated and asked for time to explain, but the camerlegno could not accept any explanation and fled in horror, convinced the Pope had betrayed his holy vows and endangered the Church.

Alone before the tomb, the camerlegno interprets his madness as God’s command. Believing he has received a divine mission, he plans to protect the Church, expose evil to the world, and restore faith through a terrifying display of horror followed by hope.

The camerlegno then carries out what he sees as God’s first test: he sneaks into the Pope’s chambers, fills a syringe, and murders the Pope while covering his mouth. The Pope appears to want to say something before dying, but the camerlegno decides the Pope has already said enough.