Nina transports herself to the manor and tells Phoebe of Pandora's Box. She explains to Phoebe and Piper that Pandora's Box has gone to its next guardian, and that Katya wants to open it. Doing so will release all the world's sorrows.
A college student, Hope, enters her dormitory room and finds the box on her bed. Not knowing where it came from, but curious about its contents, she opens it slightly. A coarse, black mist escapes with a loud scream, and she closes the box again.
An Elder explains to Paige that she is hearing a global alert, a warning of a threat that they have not yet identified. Leo suggests that Paige help a future Whitelighter.
Piper scries and finds the box at UC Berkeley. Nina transports herself and Piper to Hope's room. They tell Hope about the box, but she is frightened. Nina picks up the box and then morphs into Katya.
Sandra explains Pandora's Box to Phoebe. It exists only to tempt, part of the Grand Design. "If Mankind wants to open it again and unleash unspeakable horror on himself, then so be it. But the Box is not to be opened by demons." Sandra further explains the box will only move on to the next guardian if the current one died. This alerts Phoebe and she quickly asked to be orbed to Piper and Hope, but Hope is scared and wants nothing to do with Phoebe and Piper.
Paige is in an elevator with two men, a woman and a small girl. The power fails and the elevator is stuck. She believes that her future Whitelighter is in the elevator. The girl has an asthma attack.
While at the Manor, Hope receives a call from her friend Darcy. Hope turns out to have telekinesis and flings Phoebe as she leaves. She reaches Darcy's room but finds Katya there. Katya teleports Hope to her lair. She calls for her henchman, Lucius, who produces Darcy at knifepoint. Hope, on Katya's order, opens the box.
One of the men in the elevator tries to escape through the roof. He receives an electric shock and his heart stops. The girl's asthma attack worsens. Paige asks the other man to help her give CPR while the woman sings to the girl to calm her down and ease her breathing. The man revives, and then the elevator opens.
Katya tries to kill Hope, but she deflects the sai with an Energy Blast. Piper and Phoebe enter her lair through a spell. Piper blows up Lucius and the two pursue Katya. Katya knocks out Darcy and assumes her shape. Back at the manor, "Darcy" tries to persuade Hope to leave. In time, the sisters become suspicious. Paige pulls Hope aside, on the pretext of showing her how to contact the sisters. After a moment, "Hope" comes downstairs. "Darcy" morphs into Katya and transports "Hope" into her lair. Once there "Hope" morphs into Paige. Paige throws a potion, and that's the end of Katya. She gives the box to Darcy and orbs her to the manor.
Hope opens the box and gathers the sorrows back.
Sandra tells Paige that the future Whitelighter she was to save was herself and suggests that perhaps being a Whitelighter is the life separate from magic Paige is looking for.