When we last left off, Agott, Richeh and some poor boy are taking an exam where they must guide a bunch of birds through a cave. But of course, it is never as simple as it sounds. And to compound matters, we already know that the Brimmed Caps are lurking nearby, searching for the prime opportunity to strike.

— Some exposition right off the bat, which I’m not complaining about. We need some information to set the stage. Apparently, an entire country turned on itself, then, like a stagnant body of water, it festered until it fell to ruins. No remnants or anything? Just poof, everyone dead and gone? Hm. I’m not being flippant, actually. I think this is some food for thought: fantasy often likes to be dramatic, but has something like this ever really happened in history? I feel like in practice most “fallen” civilizations have left significant traces — cultural, linguistic, genetic, architectural, or institutional continuities that survived the political collapse. A lot of the ancient Greek civilizations did suffer a major Bronze Age collapse that, from a distance, might have felt sudden and “complete.” But even then, “sudden” is like over a span of decades, and they still left behind some sort of continuity. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that an entire group of people and their culture could go poof in the night. Populations rarely go extinct. They just get absorbed.

— Richeh immediately tries to fly on through the cave, but she quickly learns that she herself becomes disoriented with the environment. It’s not just the path that has been twisted. It’s as if reality — the dimension itself — has been turned on its head. But you can stand up straight if you stick to the “road.” To be even more specific, you have to stick to the parts of the road where the casting seals are still working. Step on the wrong scales and you will lose your footing. Agott immediately covers the path with a water spell that lets her see where it’s safe to walk.

— And this is exactly what frustrates Richeh: she doesn’t like the idea that there is only one way to solve a problem. And her hunch is probably right. You could probably overcome this trial in more than one way. Nevertheless, we get yet another a flashback featuring a shitty adult. Yeah, yeah, despite his numerous, well-documented flaws, Qifrey is at least nice to his apprentices. Uh huh. Well, instead of getting mad, just do it. Richeh should just do whatever she thinks is best instead of standing here and brooding. No one now is telling her otherwise.

— Euini, the boy, is trying to be helpful, but he doesn’t realize his tips are getting on Richeh’s nerves. Just bad timing. Plus, she does have a small point: let them figure things out. Nothing worse than being “backseated” by someone who thinks they know better. But to reiterate, I don’t think there’s anything malicious in the kid’s behavior. He’s just so mentally broken by his shittier master.

— Richeh also went into this exam with a bad mood. After all, she didn’t sign herself up for this. Qifrey had to trick her. Again, he’s not exactly a saint. He’s just nice.

— Alaira is watching the whole debate go down without saying a word. I understand that she can’t help. It’s still lamentable, though. This could be a teaching moment, but she has to stay quiet (does she, though?).

— Oh yeah, we can’t forget that the Brimmed Caps are up to no good. Outside, Coco spots one of their robes just peeking out in the distance, but of course, no one else notices. They never do. It’s always just her.

— There Coco goes again, running off recklessly. Luckily. nothing happens to her this time, but will our heroine ever learn?

— Back in the cave, the kids come to a major gap in the road. The two girls proceed to cross it in their own ways. That’s neat. Meanwhile, Euini breaks down. At the very least, I hope Alaira can complain about the boy’s master abusing the kid. C’mon, there’s gotta be some sort of protocol for these situations. No one in the right headspace should be reacting like this. Euini is literally in tears. This isn’t a mere red flag; this is a fire alarm going off.

— Agott tries to give him a pep talk in that… “delicate” nature of hers. We then get more flashbacks with shitty adults. Afterwards, Richeh takes her turn in reassuring Euini. Meanwhile, Alaira continues staying mum. Leave it to the kids to do everything. The fact that Alaira isn’t mocking or laughing at the boy does somehow give him enough of a push to continue with the trial. But I dunno, I think this situation is messed up.

— Euini can’t draw if he’s being watched, so he comes up with a spell to hide himself… kinda. And with it, he’s able to draw even with others around. Yay for overcoming your social anxiety.

— Yup, I totally agree with Richeh here. Don’t let that asshole master of hers off the hook.

— Only now does Alaira have some positive words to offer the kids — after they’ve already crossed the gap. Meh. At this point, I have no confidence in any of the adults in this universe. None whatsoever.

— We’ve just gone through an entire episode and have barely made any progress. I was about to say how this is going to be a looooooong test, but the Brimmed Caps suddenly strike and snatch Alaira away. Welp. It looks like she was able to send off some sort of signal to presumably alert Qifrey.

— Surely, there are a ton of kids across the world with untapped potential. You don’t need an inherent, inborn talent to cast magic. Anyone could do it, so why these kids? Why are the Brimmed Caps so hellbent on anyone remotely connected to Coco and Qifrey in some form or fashion?