Null sees a lady, Evelyn, in the sand looking for shells. She watches, hidden, before looking for flowers to pick.
Inside the tower, Berrick goes off with Ezra to destroy the phylactery. When the two of them poof out of existence, Flynn wonders if Ezra has betrayed them. He heads toward the helmet in Ezra’s office to discuss how to combat a betrayer Ezra, but thankfully Cade talks him out of a B&E for now.
Outside the tower, Null continues to nervously watch the lady on the beach. She knows this is her mother, but she’s too scared to make that first approach.
Berrick and Ezra arrive in a space of white nothingness. Ezra explains that this is not strictly speaking the tower, but an arcane construct that he can use to contain things safely. It also has other properties - Berrick thinks about a table, and one appears. Ezra conjures a vision of Sierrona to show his battle plans before gesturing to a door that reveals a familiar sphere: the Sphere of Annihilation. Berrick is only too happy to throw it in the phylactery.
Ezra asks what Berrick’s intentions are after this fight. Does he have any interest in learning more about magic? Berrick is impressed by what he sees and agrees that he’d like to learn more. Wordlessly, Ezra leans in, pressing his hand to Berrick’s forehead. Ezra then grants Berrick full access to the tower, bequeathing it to him if he doesn’t make it. The offer comes with a friendly warning: all of his previous students have died, but that’s just standard day-to-day risk for Berrick.
Back in Ezra's study, Flynn hears a voice telling him to break into the cabinet where the helmet is stored. With conflicting voices in his mind - Mordecai arguing against stealing the helmet, while the new voice urges treachery - Flynn wrestles with temptation.
This is Silas' first visit to the tower. Being unfamiliar, Silas decides to get the lay of the land and mingles with the crowd of survivors in the common area, where his battle prowess, legendary stories, and knack for music bring hope to the masses. There’s a mixture of fear, excitement, battle-readiness and doom-filled resolve.
Lotty is just as nervous about meeting Null’s mum as Null is. She nervously paces the entrance to the tower, waiting for Null to appear. She notices Rhone, Fallah, and Grug in the tower. She sees Evelyn busying herself with chores, but Lotty isn’t brave enough to approach, so she goes looking for Null instead.
Having found some flowers, Null attempts a daisy chain, but she’s not quite happy with it. Lotty told her she used to make these as a child, but the muscle memory isn’t there. She decides to go back inside the tower, she’s not quite ready to meet Evelyn yet. As she does, it starts to snow.
Null and Evelyn both try to get into the tower. The door isn’t where it should be. Looking around, Null doesn’t see anything unusual, but she smells decay and roses. Evelyn begins to panic as it gets colder, calling for Ezra, but neither of them can find the door.
Thinking quickly, Null downs a potion of flight and tells Evelyn to hold on tight. She grabs her mum and tries to fly up to the top of the tower, but nothing happens. Evelyn begins to suffer in the cold until Null takes off her warm clothes, wraps them around her mother, and encourages her to drink a potion of invulnerability. With her mum protected, Null activates her Ghostwalk ability to slip her head through the wall.
To her shock, she’s pulled out of the tower with force. By Evelyn? No, it's not Evelyn. It's Calitrax.
Despite the momentary shock, Null steels herself. Having a loved one betray you has always lingered in the back of her mind, and she’s quick to raise her swords. Calitrax has only one thing in mind: the utter destruction of Null. Null’s strikes seem to do no damage, while Calitrax hurls damaging disintegration rays. After trapping Null in a force cage, Calitrax defeats her.
As Lotty leaves the tower, she sees no sign of snow or Calitrax — only an unconscious Null lying on the beach. Lotty rushes to her, pours one of the last remaining revivify potions into Null’s mouth, and holds her tight whilst casting a healing aura. As Null explains what happened, she begins to wonder if Calitrax was really there at all. Lotty checks in with Boobrie, who confirms she saw nothing of the fight. Boobrie describes Null being on the beach one moment, and then simply collapsing. Though unsure of what just happened, Lotty finds it easy to believe her friend; psychological warfare is certainly within Calitrax’s realm.
Back in the tower, Silas is keeping court. A fan asks for an autograph, and Silas obliges with a fiery tattoo of an “S” on his forearm.
Cade asks Ezra about the helmet in his office. Ezra explains it’s an ancient artefact, very likely to cause trouble, but useful for occasional conversation.
Flynn later pulls Ezra aside to talk about Null. Ezra says he wishes only happiness for her, it’s what Vi would have wanted after all. Ezra notes that it’s always the strong friends you need to check in on: the people who never show weakness or vulnerability. Flynn asks Ezra if they’re friends, and when Ezra smiles, Flynn asks if he’s really doing okay. Ezra admits he isn’t, he’s losing the war, he’s lost the love of his life, and he's not for taking his own advice. He needs to suppress his feelings. Flynn reassures Ezra, in his own special way, that this week tomorrow it will all be over now the Ashen Company has returned.
Flynn again asks about the helmet. Ezra explains that it is called Vorath Maya, the remains of an Emperor from the Aeoin Dominion. He promises that if, after this war is over, there are no more clear threats, Flynn can have the helmet.
Meanwhile, the Ashen Company hears about Null’s exploits. They try to piece together what happened. Silas checks in with Reno, who confirms Boobrie’s story, and Ezra detects no magical shenanigans.
Sensing an opportunity, Flynn sneaks back into Ezra’s office. He polymorphs into a mind flayer and decides to have a one-on-one conversation with the helmet. Flynn offers to free the helmet if it will help defeat Calitrax. He is very clear that there must be no shenanigans, no harm to him or his allies, no double dealings, and no sneaky clauses.
As the Ashen Company reconciles what has happened to Null, and Flynn hatches yet another scheme, they feel a measure of safety within Ezra’s tower, waiting for more allies to arrive.