After a short stay at the camp of her cousin, James Urban, Elisa finally received news. Dex and his mysterious companion brought two letters and vanished so quickly that James could only marvel: "I wish I had his speed; I'd be catching game with my bare hands!"
The letter from Uncle John was full of warmth, but also anxiety. He admitted that the world of humans had become closer to him than Marionis, and he no longer believed in Torsken's threats. He called Elisa to the factory, offering her a new life—the life of an ordinary girl.
The letter from Dex was different. It breathed of war: "You are not alone! Go to Steve and Veronica's shop on the east side. My grandsons will help you. Do not trust the silence."
James himself drove Elisa to the factory. On the way, he asked her for one thing: not to tell their parents what his sister, Nadine, had become. "Let her remain in their hearts as that sweet girl."
Elisa saw the big city for the first time. High-rise buildings, noise, endless movement... The city fascinated her. Putting on dark glasses so as not to stand out, she felt like a part of this world for a moment, sipping hot coffee in a diner. But the joy was short-lived—the grim walls of John Ruban's factory appeared ahead.
— Be careful, little sister, — James said in parting, speeding away in his Mustang.
Entering through the front door, Elisa froze. The offices were empty, and "lifeless" ones—Torsken's dolls—were already roaming the corridors. The way back was cut off.
Suddenly, Dex appeared. In his hands was a strange weapon that paralyzed enemies.
— Run to Steve and Veronica! — he shouted. — My diary, the "Lovers' Diary," is hidden at the cottage. In it is the story of my love for Gloria and the key to victory!
— I won't leave you! — Elisa sobbed, seeing the hordes of mannequins advancing on the old man.
— Run! You have a great mission! You must survive to tell my grandsons that I love them!
Elisa ran out into the courtyard, not seeing how Dex's shaggy friend, Volien, one of the guardians of the Ghostly Forest, appeared from the shadows beside him. They remained alone against thousands of "lifeless" ones.
At the warehouses, Elisa saw a small truck. Workers in the gray overalls of the "Ruban Factory" were loading a shipment of mannequins. It was an order for Steve and Veronica's shop.
"What luck!" the girl thought. While the driver, Paul, was signing papers, Elisa slipped unnoticed into the van, hiding among the lifeless plastic figures. The truck started, carrying her away from the captured factory.
While Dex and Volien cleared one sector of the factory, Torsken struck back. He personally appeared in John Ruban's office.
— Laugh while you can! — the bound John shouted. — Steve is stronger than Dex; he will crush you!
Torsken ordered John to be beaten and the factory burned to the ground. But at that moment, shots rang out. James Urban, sensing something was wrong, had returned with his squad. With fire and steel, they drove out Torsken's dolls, forcing the villain to flee into the forest.
James rushed to his bloodied father:
— I'll find him, Dad! Torsken won't get away!
John survived, though he was seriously wounded. Under the supervision of specialists from Marionis, he began to recover. First, James ordered the destruction of the apparatus for reviving mannequins found in the depths of the plant. The factory was turned into a fortress, but the war had already spilled onto the streets of the human city.