II. Hedonism — Libby

In the reading room, Nico interrupts Libby’s research, pressing her to clarify whether they will finish the ritual or keep hiding in the archives. He doubts her doomsday warnings and suggests she secretly still wants the power they were promised. Libby resists, but when Nico grips her arm and reaches for her magic, their energies fuse.

The combined surge catapults them from the reading room into the gardens—farther than they have managed before—proving their escalating synergy. Libby, unsettled by both the power and her desire for it, stalks back toward the house.

In the corridor, Gideon crosses her path and casually reveals that someone used her phone to communicate with her parents; its current whereabouts are unknown. The implication rattles Libby, evoking memories of death and guilt. She avoids Nico and heads upstairs.

In Tristan’s rooms, Libby seeks anchoring. Their intimacy reaffirms a bond built on recognition of necessary harm. Afterward, they debate the experiment: whether the world could end, which roles Atlas predicted, and the minimal team required. Libby argues she and Nico—with Tristan—could attempt it without Reina to reduce variables and avoid Callum’s interference.

They weigh Dalton’s potential danger and the box/door metaphor for the experiment’s risks. When Libby asks for trust, Tristan tells her to let go of guilt. She realizes he understands who she has become. She apologizes; Tristan answers, “No, you’re not,” and Libby silently accepts that she isn’t—embracing her transformed, unsentimental resolve.