A young girl named Annie is chased and confronted by strangers demanding a golden lock she possesses—a special longevity lock meant to keep her safe and healthy. Mr. Mond, a man connected to the Mond Hospital, steps in to protect her, revealing he is her father. Annie accuses others of bullying her and her mother and trying to steal the lock. Mr. Mond questions why Annie’s mother, Lillian, left and why she kept the lock from him. Annie is instructed not to mention her mother, whose absence and choices cast a shadow over the family’s fragile reunion.