Anya and Ben, two apprentices in the Silver Creek Glass Blowers Workshop, discover that the ceremonial lanterns are coated in a grey film and suffering from intense localized cold. They quickly deduce this is the Resonance Drain stealing the thermal energy required for illumination. Trusting in prior lore shared by Martha regarding the Grotto Seals, Anya proposes using the dark green stones not to treat the glass directly, but as a thermal shield placed underneath the cooling racks to block the resonance pull originating from the floor. The tactic works immediately, restoring the necessary warmth to the glass, but they notice the Grotto Seal used first has visibly degraded, confirming the material is sacrificial. This success raises the stakes, as they realize they are depleting critical emergency supplies to combat a much larger, unseen thermal sink operating beneath the workshop, leading them to question the safety of the upcoming Star Seed planting.