In this final stage, the low-pressure liquid absorbs heat from the surrounding air, in the indoor room or inside the refrigerator cabinet, causing it to evaporate back into a gas before returning to the compressor to begin the cycle again. This continuous cycle of compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation is what allows the system to move heat from inside a space to outside it, rather than generating cold directly, which is why any disruption to one stage, such as a refrigerant leak or a failing compressor, affects the performance of the entire cycle.