The second episode of Heweliusz plunges us into a heart-wrenching flashback, 15 minutes prior to the desperate mayday call. The captain, Ułasiewicz, discovers that the ship is listing at a precarious 20-degree angle, prompting an urgent call to the harbour office for assistance. Amidst this chaos, Eitek alerts the panicked crew and passengers of the impending danger.
Ułasiewicz discovers that the engine, thrusters, and shaft generator have malfunctioned, leaving them stranded with no means of escape. Despite attempting to reach out to a nearby ship, Karkonosze, their communication fails before they can share their coordinates. With no other option, Ułasiewicz sends the distress signal, knowing full well that time is running out.
Witek valiantly tries to activate the thrusters but is met with a grim realization – seawater seeping into the ship from the listing side. As he races towards the engine room, he discovers that the machines are beyond repair. Meanwhile, Karkonosze's crew learns of Jan Heweliusz's plight, but Waldek's compass failure hinders their efforts to locate the exact position. Through perseverance, he finally shares the coordinates, only to be met with a refusal from the Karkonosze's captain to turn back.
The ship begins its fateful descent into the depths of the sea, and water floods the interior as people cling to life. The episode shifts to the present day, where Witek awakens in a German hospital, searching for fellow survivors from Heweliusz. The realization that he is the sole survivor leaves him shattered, and Veronika gently urges him to rest amidst his grief over Waldek's loss.
In Poland, the police meet with Mrs. Kaczkowska, informing her that her husband survived and will soon be returned home. Piotr visits an officer who tasks him with informing Jolanta Ułasiewicz, the captain's wife, of her husband's passing. At home, Jolanta listens repeatedly to Ułasiewicz's final voice message, filled with worries about the ship's condition and his delayed return due to adverse weather. Piotr offers her comfort in her grief.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Kowalik gathers leaders to discuss the aftermath, insisting on protecting the company that built the ship due to its numerous Polish employees. The group decides to pin the blame on Captain Ułasiewicz and attempts to enlist Piotr's support in their plan.
In Germany, a man, his brow furrowed with concern, visits Witek and inquires about his passport and documents for the journey back to Poland. Witek, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and sadness, replies that he has none. The man takes a photo of him, then inquires if he remembers the moment that sparked the accident.
That night, Witek approaches Veronika, asking for his waterproof suit and visibly uneasy as he looks at the damage. Veronika urges him to calm down for his own well-being. Meanwhile, Piotr meets with Kowalik and another officer to discuss the incident. They ask him to help them pin the blame on Ułasiewicz before the investigation is even complete. Piotr, though hesitant at first, asks for time to consider the matter. Later, he confides in his parents about it. Piotr's father advises him to accept the offer and work with the politicians.
Witek, haunted by a nightmare where he relives the sinking ship, asks Veronika for a cigarette. The two of them talk, and Veronika reveals that she has no family while Witek confides that he too is alone. The truth overwhelms him, and he breaks down as Veronika comforts him.
Two days after the incident, Ferenc takes Mrs Kaczkowska and her son to meet her husband. Witek leaves Germany with the other survivors, while families of the nine male survivors wait anxiously at the Polish-German border to be reunited. As they are finally together, Witek searches for his family, but Mrs Kaczkowska insists that he is not her husband. She breaks down in tears, revealing that her real husband, Kaczkowski, did not survive the incident as the story comes to a heart-wrenching end.
