In the Medieval Irish village of Olamina, a lone figure sneaks down the street and slips into Nessa Cathasaigh's home. Inside, she reveals herself as Saoirse Dunne and tells the assembled women that she is the last to arrive. Nessa asks her if Muireann ó Dochartaigh is still alive, but Saoirse says no. Eabha Maolomhnaigh laments that Muireann's healing abilities would've been helpful. Roisin Modrdha suggests there are other magicks, but the others fear her and don't respond.
Saoirse says they must act soon or they will be stuck in the world of men forever. She says she'd rather die that live under the rule of Cillian Breathnach. Nessa fears acting will lead to their deaths. They both predict the other's approach will be the death of them all. Eabha chides her young daughter Cadhla not to cry, the world doesn't love women who cry. Cadhla wipes away her tears.
They hear horses outside and they decide to leave and go through a portal. They are afraid of the portal, but Saoirse says he already went through it. The others are upset, as they said they agreed not to go alone. Saoirse says she didn't agree. Nessa says they can't stop Cillian's men from following them through the portal. Saoirse says the Morrigan will cover their path. The other women are speechless.
The women move through the streets, bringing a larger crowd with them that includes women, children and a handful of men. Saoirse says things are too quiet. She and Nessa talk about their hopes that all the spies have been caught. As they move on, it's revealed that a large group of soldiers is following them.
They arrive at the cave, but Cillian and his army are waiting for them. Notably, Cillian's army is all men. The group following them are also part of Cillian's army, so the women are surrounded.
Saoirse hands out blindfolds for the men and boys with her group, saying they must be fully blind. She starts to cast a spell while Nessa talks to Cillian. Eabha insults Cillian and he threatens to kill them all. Saoirse summons the Morrigan, which binds Cillian's men. The women run for the cave.
The women move deeper into the cave's passages. The Morrigan crashes the cave down onto Cillian's men.
In the present, the Ware family lives in a modest middle class home. Marlon, the father, doomscrolls. Nora watches Jeopardy as their daughter, Octavia, sweeps the first round questions. Octavia wears a photo of her grandmother Arna around her neck. Nora remarks upon her daughter's genius and tries to get Marlon to compliment her, too, but he doesn't feel the need, saying he'll compliment her when she does something real. A newspaper reveals that Arna is missing and the cops don't have any leads, Marlon gets a call, when he gets off, he's in a panic. Nora knows that it is Galiano. Nora rushes to get Octavia's pills. Marlon tells Octavia that men are on the way because he made a mistake and she has to go to a secret place they previously designated. He hands her a roll of money and says she has to keep an eye out for bad guys as she goes. Octavia asks them to come with her, but they say they can't. Four gunshots go off outside and the tell Octavia to leave now. Another gunshot takes out the outside light and a shadow crosses in front of the window. After Octavia leaves, Marlon asks if she'll be safe. Nora says there's something she kept secret.
Octavia sneaks around the side of the house and sees a cop car. She goes to the cop car, but the officers are dead. She hears a gunshot and runs to the spot her parents told her about. It's an old house. She peels away the lattice and crawls under the front porch.
A black sedan pulls into a warehouse, joining several similar cars. It parks and Mafia boss Luca Gagliano steps out. He sits and eats with three of his subordinates. Victor Maranzano joins them. He's wearing what looks like a regular suit, but it's made of a technology that makes him impervious to guns and knives. One of the goons tries to stab him, but the suit creates an energy field that stops the blade. Luca gives Maranzano the assignment to kill Octavia and her parents.
A marked police car sits in front of the Ware home with two uniformed officers, Becton and Gentry. They are guarding the Ware house, as they are witnesses. Maranzano quietly arrives. He tosses a doughnut onto Becton's lap to distract them and then he puts two shots into each officer, killing them.
Marlon looks out the window as someone tries to open the front door. He notes that the cops are dead and Nora says they need to leave. The window breaks and Maranzano fires a shot at each of them.
Octavia hides in the crawlspace. She moves towards a window to the basement. She sees a glowing blue snake with legs and quickly goes towards the basement window. She looks in and sees only darkness.
Nora and Marlon sit tied to dining room chairs, shot in the leg and bleeding. Maranzano says Marlon is about to bleed out. Maranzano squeezes Marlon's wound and he screams. He demands to know where Octavia went and continues to torture Marlon. Nora tells him tat she has already escaped, so they can tell him. She offers to draw a map.
The snake-thing attacks Octavia and she drops into the darkness.
Maranzano draws a map to where Octavia went based on her parents' instructions. He says they're waiting for back-up, then he's going to get their daughter. Then they'll settle all debts.
Maranzano digs through the fridge, but doesn't like the healthy food within. Someone knocks at the door and he goes on alert. It's another of Gagliano's goons, Abramo. He's there to watch the Wares as Maranzano find Octavia. Abramo brought a strange message from Gagliano for Maranzano, telling him to go through the portal. Maranzano takes the map and leaves.
Maranzano stands before the old house, then he follows Octavia into the crawlspace.
Octavia stands before the portal. She touches the blackness of the portal, but it doesn't do anything. She steps into the portal. As she does, her phone explodes in her pocket. She appears in the Western Tunnels of the Beehive, her pocket on fire. She puts it out and is chased by the glowing blue snake-things through another portal.
Octavia finds herself in a pocket dimension before what appears to be a haunted house. Things growl at her before something beastly attacks. She goes back through the portal.
Maranzano stands before the Portal. He laments his career before stepping into the portal. It explodes as he goes through. He is thrown into the Western tunnels, smashing into a wall and he's knocked unconscious. The portal is destroyed.
Further along in the tunnel, Octavia hears the portal explode. She encounters a ghost cat.
Maranzano sits up. One of the glowing blue snakes rushes at him, but he shoots it. More snake creatures come and he shoots them, too. He heads in the same direction Octavia went.
Octavia hears gunshots and runs away from them. She rounds a corner and smashes into Ciaran Dunne, who is exactly her type. She asks to kiss him and he says yes. He's surprised by her forwardness and recognizes her as an outsider. He welcomes her to the Beehive. They enter the Grand Hall, revealing an entire underground city with it's own magical sun, the city is New Olamina. He takes her on a path to the upper, wealthiest tier of the city.
Maranzano moves quietly through the tunnels. He hears footsteps and murmurs from ahead and kneels and readies his gun. Two soldiers in armor round the corner and he shoots them.
Ciaran leads Octavia to his home, Dunne Manor, and he explains that his mother ran the council until recently, but she still runs Aoife Faction. He tells her that outsiders aren't welcome in New Olamina and rushes her inside. He gives her more appropriate clothes, but tells her she can't stay in Dunne Manor.
Ciaran leads Octavia through the tunnels to the Tanderagee Idol. The Idol will truthfully answer three questions a day from anyone who asks. The Idol tells Octavia that the Beehive is "the place between places, the passage to ALL paces, the source of magic, the antithesis of death. It tells her that the portal she came through has been destroyed and there is currently no active portal to her home. It tells Ciaran that the Beehive is growing unstable as something approaches.
Maranzano visits the Tanderagee Idol, He clarifies that no one knows he is in the Beehive. He saves his final question for the day.
The New Olamina Centennial is being held in the Grand Square on the second tier. Ciaran leads Octavia through the crowd. Billie Bontemps warns them the 4th Great Migration can't be stopped. Ciaran dismisses it as a myth. Dearbhla ó Broin calls for Ciaran, and he tells Octavia to play along. Dearhbla is joined by Julius Walker. Dearbhla seems jealous of Ciaran's attention towards Octavia. Dearbhla quiets them as Ciaran's mother is on stage giving her retirement speech. Saoirse Dunne finishes her speech. The crowd loves and respects her. Rokhan Kasi is the master of ceremonies and announces a controversial new policy that ends human sacrifice in New Olamina. Saoirse isn't happy. Rokhan introduces the new council leader, Zarish Dashti and her husband, Hukam Dashti. Ciaran tells Octavia that human sacrifice was used to keep away evil spirits called pischchas, but he says it's just a myth.
Rokhan introduces the Founding Mothers and House Holders for each faction. There are 10 in total.
Octavia wants to leave because Dearbhla is giving her the evil eye. They start to leave and he says they have to find a safe place for her to stay.
The festival is over and the crowds start to disperse. One of his mother's soldiers with Octavia and approaches him. As she does, she transforms into a pischcha. Numerous others in the crowd are possessed by the spirits as well. They attack the crowd. Ciaran tells Octavia to run and he leads her towards the river. Dearbhla and Julius spot them and try to follow, bu they're cut off by pischcha.
Ciaran and Octavia run alongside the river alone, except for the pischchas chasing them. Ciaran says they need the Balor. They approach a cave guarded by soldiers warns them away, but the pischchas kill the guards. Ciaran tells Octavia to close her eyes in the cave. The pischchas follow them, and they are destroyed by the balor, a giant frog-like creature.
Later, Ciaran and Octavia walk through the carved tunnels off of the Grand Hall. He leads her to a short cut back to Dunne Manor. Ciaran has a friend who can house Octavia, but he needs to take a gift. As they approach the manor, Saoirse and her soldiers catch them. Octavia is detained and Saoirse says she'll deal with Ciaran later.
Back in the village of Olamina, Cillian emerges from the rubble alive. He is healed and lays in bed for recovery. He tells his men to keep the collapsed cave off limits. He puts up a front that things are over with the deserters, but he clearly isn't over it.