EPISODE CONTEXT

Coming off Episode 14's science-class danger involving Libra Ikuta, this episode shifts the register considerably, trading direct threat for something stranger and more atmospheric. It appears to be the first in a loose emotional-manipulation arc, with Episode 16 titled 'Angry Radio Wave Space' suggesting Echo Ridge will cycle through more mood-altering incidents before the pattern resolves. At the series' quarter-mark, this stretch is doing quiet world-building work, establishing that threats in this universe can be psychological and environmental, not just combat-driven.