Hunted and avoiding all settlements, Ildico pushes onward as Ernak falls ill with a fever. Her desperation forces her to take a terrible risk: seeking help from a seemingly kind, isolated farming family. They offer food and a warm bed, a brief, painful reminder of a life she has lost. But the sanctuary is an illusion. Ildico overhears the family debating whether to turn her in for the bounty. Heartbreak turns to cold resolve as she flees in the dead of night, the experience cementing a harsh lesson: in this new world, even kindness has a price, and trust is a fatal luxury.