Jared is in the throes of mental collapse, consumed by his obsession with Mortuus Messis. As his research reaches a fever pitch, his grip on reality slips. He feels the weight of his discoveries pulling him deeper into madness, all while hearing the haunting music of the opera. Desperate and on the edge, Jared decides to send his research to a mysterious old friend, hoping to preserve the work before he completely unravels.

Jared's mental state continues to deteriorate as he experiences disturbing auditory hallucinations and a terrifying nightmare. A growing sense of being watched leaves Jared feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Jared is spiraling out of control, overwhelmed by the research into Mortuus Messis. Despite spending an entire day on the work, time slips away, and nothing seems to make sense. An uncomfortable conversation with Lily adds to the stress, leaving Jared feeling more isolated and detached. The confusion and growing obsession are leading to an emotional breakdown, as he begins to question their grip on reality.

Jared embarks on a day trip to Boston, seeking answers about the crescent moon necklace. In the North End, he revisits The Witching Hour, the mysterious trinket shop. The encounter with Lina leads to a revelation about the necklace’s material—a moss agate—and a deeper connection to the mystical and symbolic aspects of the gem. However, the conversation leaves Jared feeling uneasy, heightening their sense of paranoia as they return to Blackwater.

Jared dives deep into the contents of the pamphlet Julianna sent, which includes a synopsis of the lost opera Mortuus Messis. The discovery of this long-forgotten work unearths some unsettling details about the opera's structure, characters, and Ustman's cryptic intentions.

The much-anticipated package from Julianna finally arrives, and Jared dives into the materials she's sent. Among the contents are photocopies of Mortuus Messis' pamphlet and several letters—three in total, each neatly folded and sealed. But there’s also something unexpected: a necklace in the shape of a crescent moon, made from a mysterious polished stone. Jared is captivated by its swirling patterns and translucence, and he’s eager to learn more about its significance. Though he’s not familiar with stones or jewelry, a trip to Boston may yield some answers.

Julianna finally reaches out, and her call brings clarity but also raises more questions. She is direct, explaining what she wants from Jared: the full truth about her great-grandmother, Dahlia. Julianna is frustrated by the web of secrecy surrounding Dahlia's fate, with family members avoiding the topic and shrouding it in lies, rumors, and half-truths. She wants closure, and she believes Jared might be the one to uncover it.

Jared finds himself drawn back to the abandoned theater site once again, despite not planning to go. His mind keeps returning to the place, compelled by a force he can't explain. Once there, something strange and unsettling happens—he starts to visualize the theater as it might have looked in its prime, but the images come to him in disjointed fragments.

Jared is clearly on edge today. He’s been anxiously waiting to hear back from Julianna, consumed by uncertainty about what she might want in exchange for the pamphlet and Dahlia’s letters. Her cryptic request weighs heavily on his mind, and he can't shake the feeling that there’s something more at play than simply sharing documents.

It’s 1 AM, and Jared is still wide awake, lost in thought. The triple moon imagery, something he first stumbled upon in his dream, has become all-consuming. No matter how hard he tries to push it aside, his mind keeps returning to it. He's been sifting through old texts, searching for meaning, but the deeper he goes, the more he realizes that the answers he seeks aren’t found in academic sources. They’re not in the archives.