After the collective unconsciousness of Keeliai, Annabeth travels to the Turtle’s Head. It’s not yet common knowledge that Eva has gone missing, yet it makes sense that the demigod would want to reach out to her contact. Travel is uneventful, though she’ll notice something strange: the serene and peaceful feelings associated with the Turtle’s Head have gone, leaving an eerie silence and sense of loss in its place.

As Annabeth lifts the hourglass, calling upon the magic within to contact Evastelei, a shiver runs down her spine and a tension grips her muscles. For what feels both a split second and an hour, her vision darkens to blindness and her body stiffens with paralysis. Something whispers to her, something she knows she hears, yet can only describe as knowing; the harder she focuses on the sound, the more it seems vague and impossible to recall. It says simply: “How fast can you run home, daughter of Athena?”

In reality, the sensation lasts only a few seconds. The hourglass shatters, sending tiny shards of glass flying (whether Annabeth is injured or not is entirely at your discretion). Then the darkness and paralysis are gone as quickly as they came. The tension remains.

When Annabeth returns to her suite, she will find a kedan messenger waiting for her. The messenger has insisted on delivering her message directly to the demigod, refusing to pass any information to any housemates who might ask, waiting until she returns.

The kedan introduces herself as Qianmia and says that Evastelei was explicit in Qianmia passing any essential information to Annabeth regarding her condition. Eva, Qianmia says, is currently unconscious. She has been this way since the collective unconsciousness with no apparent changes to her condition. Qianmia and her associate are currently settled in one of Eva’s safe houses with Eva, keeping an eye on the magician and ensuring that she remains both safe and alert.

Qianmia tells Annabeth the location of the safe house and pleads with her not to share the location of Eva’s body - though the status of her condition need not remain secret. In fact, anything that could help her is encouraged, though Qianmia admits how helpless the situation seems.