Episode 3 of Archive 81 kicks off with Melody divulging the haunting tale of her mother's abandonment. As a tiny baby, she was left to fend for herself in the bitter cold of winter, confined within the confines of a church. For a decade, Melody was a solitary figure, devoid of any human touch, except for the stern gazes of the nuns who deemed her as "flawed." Her time there was punctuated by terrifying visions that she would frantically scribble onto various documents and pictures. It was only when Lila, her foster mother, came into her life that Melody found a semblance of stability.
To soothe Melody's anxiety and nervous temperament, Steve, Dan's father, initiated therapy sessions with her. Dan, being the tech-savvy individual he is, listens to these sessions through audio recordings as he wanders around the house. However, he soon realizes he's not alone in this endeavor, as he discovers he's being watched. Using his technological prowess, Dan exposes to Mark on the phone how he managed to infiltrate the feed and gain access to all the camera feeds from his laptop.
Dan is adamant about mapping out Virgil's surveillance blind spots, desperate for some privacy to uncover the mysteries surrounding him. He swiftly realizes that the chapel is a camera-free zone and decides to set up his equipment there. While monitoring his laptop and camera feeds in the bathroom, a knock on the door interrupts his solitude. It's one of Davenport's cronies, the housekeeper Bobbi, checking up on him. She inquiries if he needs any assistance, but Dan swiftly reminds her of the privacy he was promised, yet failed to receive. Before she departs, Bobbi mentions a mold issue in the bathroom, a seemingly innocuous detail that might hold significant consequences in the future.
Meanwhile, in the apartment complex, Melody continues her quest to unravel the enigmatic community prayer session. Her investigation eventually leads her to Jess, and together, they visit Steven for therapy. Jess's strange visions feel like she's being inexorably pulled into another realm. However, Steven remains cautious, uneasy with Jess's presence without her mother's consent. Soon, Jess's mother arrives and whisks her daughter away, unhappy with Melody's interference. Despite her profound apologies, they leave in a huff.
Returning to the present, Mark ventured out to Melody's abode, anticipating a reunion. To his dismay, the woman who greeted him confessed that she had never found her mother, but more shocking was her revelation that all the tapes were fabrications. The burns adorning her cheek served as a reminder of the fire, yet Melody recalled little of the tragedy. She had chosen to embark on a new life, unfazed even by Mark's playing of the familiar, haunting piano melody. Disheartened, Mark left, hands empty and heart heavier.
Inside the house, Dan cunningly looped seven hours of empty hallway footage for Davenport's surveillance, affording him a rare respite of privacy. As he stepped out, Dan called Mark, who revealed that the woman he had encountered was an impostor, one who had stolen Melody's identity to fraudulently claim disability benefits. This sinister scheme could only succeed with the real Melody's demise, indicating that she had indeed perished.
Flashing back to Melody's time in the apartment, a strange bond was unfolding between Jess and Father Russo. Convinced that a demon had taken hold of Jess, Russo embarked on an exorcism, the blaring TV serving as a barrier to the ghastly sounds. When Melody finally managed to open the door, she was horrified by the sight of water drenching Jess. Samuel's sudden appearance offered a ray of hope, promising to secure proper assistance for Jess, far from Father Russo's unorthodox ministrations. As they departed, Russo took Melody aside, urging her to flee. He warned of a profound darkness lurking within Visser Apartment, and they must escape before it consumed them all.
Back with Dan, he scrutinized the tape recordings once more. This time, it was a homely video of Melody in the supermarket. She seemed to be speaking to him through the lens, her voice echoing through the years. As Melody stepped out of the frame to catch up with Annabelle, Cassandra's eerie figure materialized in the shop, her gaze fixed on the camera. "Stay out!" she rasped, her grasp tightening around Dan's throat through the television screen. Dan jolted awake, realizing it had been a nightmare... but was it truly just a dream?
