The chapter opens with a soliloquy from Hiroshi. Hiroshi tells the story of how he came to be a storm rider. He tells how he and his friends had a bet that Hiroshi would be the first rider to reach the top of Trophium, the highest mountain in the Alps. The bet was that if Hiroshi reached the top, he'd be able to keep the road he built for himself. Now that he's done with the bet, Hiroshi wants to go check out the other side of the mountain.