Finn and Rosie, two new characters exploring the Municipal Storage Room, discover the compromised Grotto Seal padding, a historical non-conductive material meant to protect the Grotto display. They find it actively being pulled toward the source of the grey dust, confirming that the town's defense mechanisms are failing. The discovery of the Seal, combined with the low-frequency thrumming beneath their feet, leads them to seek out the expert who demonstrated silver's resistance to the visual energy drain—the apprentice who used the silver thimble. Elara, who was struggling with failing light gels nearby, intercepts them and confirms the critical nature of the Grotto Seal, directing the newly formed group toward finding Sammy, the boy with the thimble, to stabilize the situation before the lighting ceremony.