Garber flips the script from the first novel in her Caraval series by crafting Tella’s character development to directly oppose her sister’s. Whereas Scarlet believed that every illusion was real, Tella now believes that every truth is an illusion. Her desire to see every truth as an illusion places her in precarious positions and implies that it is significantly more dangerous to disbelieve what is real than it is to believe what is fake. Garber conveys this warning by placing Tella in situations in which her disbelief has impactful consequences.

An instance that vividly illustrates the perils of Tella’s disbelief unfolds when she ventures to Idyllwild Castle in search of Scarlet. Despite her weakened state, she confronts a formidable adversary and stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the reality of the Fate she encounters until all other avenues are exhausted. When she brands her assailants as being “madder than poisoned fish” and accuses them of “taking the game too far” (268), her dismissive remarks only serve to exacerbate her predicament. Due to her ill-preparedness, she experiences the sensation that “her limbs [are] liquid, shaking from the pain, the exertion, and the misery of it all” (273).

Another instance demonstrating the risks of Tella’s disbelief occurs through Dante’s recurring appearances.