Caraval

Scarlett wants to know where Tella is, and Julian states that perhaps he dropped her off somewhere else. Scarlett is unable to enjoy the beauty of the place since she’s consumed with worry about her sister. Between the snow and the fact that they’re dripping wet, Scarlett and Julian are freezing. Scarlett wants to stay outside and look for her sister, but Julian insists they can’t. They pass through a forest on a dirt path, which eventually turns into a cobblestone road that leads into a town. The town is filled with strange shops that sell magical and impossible items, like seeds to grow wishes and glasses that allow the wearer to see the future. Most of the shops are closed with bizarre signs like “Come back yesterday” (60), but one shop is always open: Casabian’s Clocks.

Scarlett and Julian head inside, where they find a note from Master Legend beside roses, fig bread, cinnamon tea, and clothes for each of them. Julian teases Scarlett about Legend’s interest in her. They turn away from each other to get changed into the clothes Master Legend left for them in the shop, eager to get warm. The dress Legend left for Scarlett appears quite plain and unattractive. She feels embarrassed when she turns back around to face Julian, especially since Julian’s outfit is perfectly tailored and stunning. She scolds him for stealing a pocket watch, but Julian deflects by pointing out that he can understand Legend’s interest in Scarlett. She looks at herself in the mirror, and the dress has transformed to fit her shape perfectly. She is taken aback by her own beauty in it and understands the dress is magical. Scarlett and Julian are about to leave the clock shop and carry on searching for Tella when a voice warns them that they may wish to exit another way

Scarlett thinks the person who warned her not to leave is the owner of the clock shop, Casabian. The man teases them for Julian’s theft, but soon, he admits he’s jesting and is really a man named Algie, not the owner of the shop. Algie offers Scarlett and Julian quicker passage into Caraval, since they only have a little time left to enter before the doors close for good. However, Scarlett must give up her voice for an hour if she wants to use the secret door Algie has opened. Julian rejects the offer and heads outside.

After a bit of debating about Algie’s offer, Scarlett refuses, as she doesn’t want to sacrifice her voice in case she needs to call out for Tella, and she chases after Julian. She has always “survived[ed] through caution” (71). She notices time moves differently here and almost panics because she doesn’t see Julian anywhere, and she knows they’re running out of time before Caraval starts and the doors close. However, Julian finds her again just in front of the grand wooden mansion with many balconies where Caraval is housed, and they enter the gates together.

Julian pretends to be Scarlett’s fiancé.

Jovan, a girl on a unicycle, checks their tickets and gives them a scripted warning about Caraval being just a game and to not take anything too seriously, no matter how real it seems. She shows them two paths: one that will allow them to watch the game and another that will let them play. Scarlett hesitates at first but decides to play, since she’s only planning to stay for one day.