The Oceana Vista Resort is owned by an eccentric man. Alex doesn't conduct a typical interview when Baltasar comes in looking for a job. Nor is Baltasar a man struggling to survive and in desperate need of any job that can come his way. Alex interrogates Baltasar over a thumb war. He hopes that allows Baltasar to get to his essence as a person. Only then can he reveal his true nature. He brings up questions of joy and aspirations. Baltasar declares he wants to be a detective just like the heroes in the books his father gave to him as a child. And so, Alex allows him to fulfill that role at the resort. As the head of security, Baltasar gets to oversee the entire operation while keeping a keen eye on anything that goes awry. More importantly, Alex builds this place as a refuge for lost souls who need it the most. He cherishes the formation of new memories. This is an opportunity to build something joyful. Alex's issues were present in that first meeting though. They intensify over time and culminate on the night Sam and Violet go missing. A huge portion of the mystery is missing. Alex presents key context and clues. Answers remain elusive. At one point in time, Baltasar saw his friend and boss as someone with a unique understanding of the human condition. He knew how to motivate people and celebrate them for who they truly are. Baltasar appreciated that. Sure, it may have been confusing when he refers to himself as a detective. That could offer the impressive that he serves as an official response to the disappearances of two teenagers. He always knew Sam and Violet were running around the resort together. They went missing as a pair. The local police did recover the skateboard after the hurricane came through and destroyed much of the evidence. However, the investigation has lingered for years with no meaningful leads. Someone obviously hasn't given up hope about finding out what happened to Sam and Violet. They still call the phone hoping someone will answer. Meanwhile, Emma projects importance onto the fact that she discovered the phone in the jungle. She has to solve this mystery. It provides her with purpose. The evidence she has against Baltasar is fantastical though. She assumes he's guilty simply because others have warned her and Noah about his powerful family. They had nothing to do with his time working for Alex. In fact, his brother wanted Baltasar out of this world the moment he showed interest. Alex refused to let him follow that path. He propped up hope in the greater good of this place. It ended in a frustrating place as Baltasar was begging for Alex to provide answers as to what happened Christmas night. He needs to tell the parents something. Instead, he realizes he's placed his hopes and dreams in a mad man. Alex isn't unique in any way. He simply suffers from a mental condition that got worse. His actions could no longer be covered up conveniently. The staff had fun for awhile. None of this was destined to last.
Alex was special though. That confirmation comes from the details hidden within the mural on his wall. He often retreated to the comfort of the penthouse suite because it allowed him to spend time with these memories. They aren't just images of the past. Instead, crucial details are missing that inform the future. That's how he broke this diagnosis to Baltasar in the first place. He still put his friend in a compromising position. Baltasar was told he was the only one who could understand. He didn't. He supported his friend nevertheless. As a result, Baltasar has spent years blaming himself for being blind to what was actually going on. He wanted to believe in a fantasy because it offered a better, more enriching life than what he was destined to have with his family. He knows how crazy this entire story seems. He doesn't think Emma and Noah have any reason to believe him. He's only now starting to realize he may have been right to believe in Alex in such a way. The mystery of his existence may linger much longer than anything else. He defies easy explanation. He was a man who forced his will onto others. He was destructive to anyone who disrupted his life. Baltasar thinks Alex could have done something to these teenagers. He crashed his vehicle and had blood on his hands afterwards. Alex also teases that the next chapter of this story will be even more intense. Baltasar doesn't know what to do with that declaration. He thought it was impossible for Sam's phone to have been found by some random tourists. And yet, Noah and Emma were seemingly destined to play a role in this mystery. It's laid out in the mural. Their presence is noted as part of Alex's memories. That makes no sense because he walked into the ocean during the hurricane. He may very well be the mystery man who washed up ashore afterwards completely naked. Baltasar was unable to save him. Even if he did succeed in that moment, it may have only preserved Alex's life for a little while. Baltasar would have been doing it for himself. Instead, he has to find peace and clarity upon knowing this was all the experience was meant to be. Alex was driven to confuse and confound him. Baltasar still trusted him completely. That passion has been found once more simply by seeing Noah and Emma. He doesn't need to know anything about them. This was simply destined to occur. He has looked over this suite for any clues. He hoped Alex wrote something down that provided a crucial detail as to what happened. Baltasar has long sought out that clarity. Noah and Emma are completely new to this mystery. Others have had to live with the unknown for 15 years. That's been much more challenging. They find newfound hope even when it suggests metaphysical elements that couldn't possibly be true. The evidence is still staring at them in bold and colorful detail.
