Tonner, furious over Irinna’s death, forces Dafyd to take him to the librarian and demands safety for his team. The librarian responds without remorse and clarifies the system: the attackers are another group in the same “one test,” and Tonner’s claim that safety is part of a deal is “not accurate.” At Dafyd’s careful prompting, the librarian identifies the attackers as the Night Drinkers and confirms they are competing on the same project, then agrees only that Irinna’s body will be removed.

On the walk back, Tonner struggles with sensory overload and grief, while Dafyd points out that the Carryx understood humans’ need to dispose of their dead. Back in the quarters, Tonner tells Else, Synnia, and Campar that the Night Drinkers attacked to slow them down and that the Carryx will not protect them; their “security” is their own problem. Tonner decides the ruined lab is untenable and proposes moving the equipment into their living space so they can work and guard it at once, aiming to beat their rivals by finishing first.

Rickar reports that Jessyn can talk. In Jessyn’s room, Jessyn confesses that she has long managed “emotional and cognitive issues” with medication and that the pill she gives Tonner is her last dose. Jessyn admits she was attempting a side experiment—using the red berries to manufacture more—and that she left Irinna alone in the lab to pursue it, accepting blame for the opening the attackers exploited. Tonner reacts coldly, takes in the confession, and leaves.

That night, Tonner cannot settle, haunted by Irinna’s uncollected body and the sense that his old strategy—obedience for safety—has failed. He goes to Else’s room and insists he is not seeking comfort but her leadership, asking how to keep the team safe when the rules are unclear and compliance offers no protection. Else steadies him as he breaks down crying, overwhelmed by responsibility and fear.

The perspective shifts: Else’s body is revealed as the host of the covert swarm intelligence. The swarm senses Tonner’s sleep, Jessyn’s muffled sobs, and the others’ faint voices, while also absorbing the lingering “ghosts” of the people it has taken, including Else’s memories and ethics. Built as a weapon to infiltrate the Carryx, the swarm recognizes it is still that tool—but is also changing into something stranger, shaped by regret, desire, and disgust.