In "The Fifth Stage", Claire and Gretchen continue their journey. Claire receives a call from Noah admonishing her for taking the compass and going down a potentially dangerous road. When the girls arrive at the Sullivan Bros. Carnival, Claire begins to get cold feet believing that Becky is there, at which point they are greeted by Samuel. The girls tour the carnival, where Gretchen notices a man using his power to rip off a burly guy throwing balls at a pyramid stack of milk bottles, only to let a little girl win the prize. They arrive at a campfire where Samuel is telling a story to a group of kids, where Claire reunites with a now-clean-shaven Eric Doyle, who reveals that the new life he got from Claire during the "Fugitives" arc didn't work out so well until Samuel found him and took him into the Carnival, and tells her that they should talk. Samuel convinces Claire to tell the kids a story of her own, and she tells it based on her own life, personifying herself as a frog with a mother (Sandra), father (Noah), and a tadpole (Mr. Muggles), though she doesn't mention Lyle. Claire attempts to break up a fight between Samuel and the burly man who was ripped off at the milk bottles, who then shatters a glass and slashes Claire across her cheek. Claire's wound heals in seconds, scaring off the burly man, and Claire then tends to Samuel's wounds. As Samuel explains why he didn't fight back, he tells Claire that she has a purpose in the Carnival, and she seems convinced. Outside, Claire tells Gretchen that she is going to stay at the Carnival for a few days to figure out her purpose, and gives Gretchen a tearful goodbye hug before walking toward Samuel and Lydia. Samuel gives his next eulogy at Joseph's gravesite, where the members of the Carnival are in attendance; Claire is shown among them, and she and Samuel share a smile, indicating that she may be joining the Carnival after all, while remaining oblivious to Samuel's true intentions.