Lyra and Kai, two apprentices working in the Great Ice Sculpture Garden, notice severe structural degradation in the Grand Ice Stag and the Sugar Silo respectively. Lyra observes internal collapse within the ice, while Kai finds destabilizing orange dust on the gingerbread structure, indicating molecular failure due to resonance drain. They connect their observations to a deep, rhythmic scraping sound originating from beneath the foundations of the Garden. Recognizing the immediate danger to the entire area, they decide they must access the heavily secured Oversized Display Archive to retrieve the Tannery Linen needed for structural dampening. Their decision is forced by the escalating vibrations felt beneath the floor, suggesting a massive, unseen mechanism is operating deep underground. They bypass the Archive's security, facing the rising threat.