The Riddle

**"The Riddle"** is the seventh episode in the first season of *The Hollow*.

## Overview

Separated from Kai and the others, Mira and Adam must solve an old man's riddle. Adam thinks he's spotted a clue about where they are.

## Plot

In the cemetery, Kai digs through dirt in an effort to find Adam and Mira who fell through a trap in the ground at the end of "Undead." Meanwhile in the shack, Vanessa tries to convince Skeet and Reeve that they should invite Kai into their group because he can help them.

Underground, Adam turns on his flashlight, but the blind man warns him not to waste the batteries and lights a lantern instead. The man introduces himself as Dave and promises he can help them get home, but first he must know who they are. He places his hand on Mira's head and telepathically learns about her superpowers. He offers a vague warning: "Beware Colrath!" Although Mira clearly does not understand, Dave does not explain. He goes to place his hand on Adam's head, but mistakenly places it on a skull. When Adam corrects the error, Dave places his hand on Adam's head and is startled. He declares it is best not to share what he saw.

In the shack, Kai accepts Vanessa's invitation to join her team.

While navigating through Dave's Cave, Dave informs Adam and Mira that their team of three must stick together in order to get home. He offers a puzzling riddle, "What's mightier than steel yet cowers from the Sun?" and claims that answering the riddle will lead them to the Ishibo.

The Sun has risen, and Reeve and Vanessa declare it is time to go home. Reeve brings out the Ishibo. Kai is upset that they lied about not having it.

After offering more vague advice, Dave leads Adam and Mira to a door in the cave that brings them into the forest. While Mira is looking away, Adam sees Dave glitch. Adam and Mira thank Dave for his help and wander into the forest.

Adam ponders aloud the meaning of the glitch and posits that they are probably in a digital world. Reflecting back on their experiences —their superpowers, the puzzles, the battles, the magic medicine, the portals— Adam suggests that the world they are in functions like a video game, and that finding the Ishibo might be their next challenge. Mira, unconvinced, entertains the idea by wondering who put them in the game. She expresses disbelief that none of it is real, because it feels real. She kisses him. When the kiss ends, the expression on Adam's face causes Mira to pull away and apologize for kissing him. He assures her that he likes her a lot, but they agree to remain friends. As they study the map, Mira tries to convince an unsure Adam that there are no hard feelings. The conversation ends when Mira sees something that identifies their location.

As Vanessa, Reeve, Skeet, and Kai wander the Cactus Desert, Kai asks why they lied about not having the Ishibo. Vanessa explains that they were just being cautious. Reeve angers Kai by saying that his friends are gone forever. They prepare to fight, but Vanessa interrupts them and demands them to cooperate as a team.

Mira and Adam encounter the Ironwood Tree. Adam asks her if they are in a video game, but she does not know what a video game is.

Kai and Reeve continue to goad each other. Reeve uses his superpower to make a cactus fall, nearly crushing Kai. He challenges Kai to admit that he is a superior fighter. Kai obliges at first, but then runs away yelling the opposite. Vanessa tells Kai that they have to find the Ironwood Tree first before they can find Mira and Adam. Kai says he can find the tree by summoning The Weird Guy to create a portal. The other three tackle him to the ground to stop him, but they are unsuccessful. Kai yells, "Help, please!"

The Weird Guy warns Kai that he only has one portal left. Kai weighs the situation and decides to use it, but when he asks to go to the Tree, The Weird Guy explains that they must find the Tree themselves. Skeet explains to Kai that they already tried asking him before with no success. Because he was summoned, The Weird Guy creates a portal anyway, sending the four off to an undisclosed location.

Mira and Adam tell the Ironwood Tree the riddle and ask if it means anything to her. The Tree grabs them and throws them a great distance, saying, "You are not worthy... yet."

Mira and Adam land in the ocean at the coast of the Northern Tundra. Mira swims them to land. As they shiver in the snow, they discover an old research outpost and go inside. Mira finds coats to keep them warm.

Outside, Adam and Mira are chased by a polar bear. Mira talks to the bear and finds out that the bear's cub is trapped under the ice. Mira jumps into a hole in the ice to find the cub while Adam stays on the surface with the mother. Mira rescues the cub.

Adam and Mira see a large palace made of ice in the distance. Mira answers the riddle: Ice is mightier than steel yet cowers from the Sun. The polar bear mother gives Adam and Mira a ride to the palace in return for saving her cub, and she warns them that it is unsafe.

Inside the Ice Palace, Adam and Mira discover Kai, Vanessa, Reeve, and Skeet frozen in blocks of ice. Kai uses his fire superpower to melt the ice and free himself. Mira and Adam communicate their new video game theory to Kai, who finds it too absurd to believe. The three argue about freeing the others. Kai stops the argument and says they have to hurry before "he" comes back, and a loud menacing roar shakes the palace.

## Characters

In order of appearance:

* Kai
* Vanessa
* Skeet
* Reeve
* Dave
* Mira
* Adam
* Ironwood Tree
* The Weird Guy

## Cast

* Ashleigh Ball as Mira
* Alex Barima as Reeve
* Mark Hildreth as The Weird Guy
* Diana Kaarina as Vanessa
* Jesse Moss as Skeet
* Connor Parnall as Kai
* Adrian Petriw as Adam

*Additional Voices By*

* Nicole Oliver
* Lee Tockar

## Notable Quotes

Read the full transcript here.

* *"It matters not who I am but who you perceive me to be."* – Dave
* *"What's mightier than steel yet cowers from the Sun?"* – Dave
* *"As the kids say, 'chillax.' Bye-bye!"* – The Weird Guy
* *"You are not worthy… yet."* – Ironwood Tree
* *"Trust me, that fake blind old man was digital."* – Adam

## See Also

 **Season 2** | "Home" • "Hollow Games" • "The Return" • "Puzzled" • "Alchemy" • "Dead End" • "Unbalanced" • "Fang" • "Fire" • "Race"