Two new apprentices, Beryl and Quill, are investigating a critical heat failure in the maintenance tunnels beneath the Star Box Repository. They discover that the ventilation grate meant to heat the Candlemakers' area is failing due to severe, directed thermal stress, causing protective copper plating to fragment into brittle flakes. Beryl recognizes this as deep structural interference, referencing old warnings against disturbing the foundational seals near the Repository. Quill confirms the thermal drain signature, recognizing it as aggressive energy siphoning. Realizing the danger to the Star Seed charging process and the main lighting ceremony, they decide they must bypass established safety protocols and enter the deep maintenance access hatch leading below ground to confront the source of the subterranean energy theft.