Hilda faces pressure to choose a reward but hesitates, prompting Professor Finn to delay the decision and offer support. The next day, Christmas Eve arrives with the city plunged into deadly cold and power outages. While Hilda enjoys warmth in her well-stocked safe house, she receives a desperate video call from Paul showing him, Erica, and her parents struggling outside in harsh conditions. Their urgent pleas for her to return highlight the growing danger, leaving Hilda torn between safety and the mounting crisis outside.