With four days and twelve hours before level collapse, Carl and Donut regroup in a wooded part of Havana after Quan steals the keys. Carl believes Quan will likely head for the farther exit at the capitol building, while Ren reports that her team’s traps have partly backfired and Khulan has not returned yet. Donut remains angry and afraid, but Carl reminds Donut that saving Imani is the priority and that Ren’s team are still allies.

Carl questions Samantha because Samantha has recently shown unexplained power. Samantha admits that her abilities are inconsistent in her current body: Samantha can fly, enhance spells, and sometimes trigger magic unpredictably, but Samantha cannot teleport Carl. Samantha’s mention of Ren’s teleport-trap tactic gives Carl the idea to use two-part teleport traps with small spider automatons as movable anchors.

Carl asks Florin to test whether traps can be placed inside a stairwell chamber, but the system blocks it because the chamber is outside the level. Mordecai warns Carl that the teleport-trap plan may not help others and urges Carl to prioritize Carl’s own survival instead of risking the bone key’s unknown cost. Carl rejects giving up on Imani, Ren, Khulan, and Chuluuna unless no other option remains.

Carl loads several trap-bearing spider automatons into Samantha so Samantha can be launched toward the capitol and expel the anchors near the exit. Carl also keeps one extra anchor hidden inside Samantha for later use. Ren then reports that Quan has arrived invisible at the capitol, apparently disabling some traps, while Chuluuna can see Quan and Ren’s squad prepares to confront him.

Carl launches Samantha with the head-tosser toward the capitol while Donut prepares to start a controlled fight with the nearby duendes, keeping combat active and enabling the plan. Samantha lands across the street and expels the spiders, giving Carl a teleport destination. Carl steps into the first teleport trap to join the fight and try to stop Quan before Quan escapes with the stolen keys.