At dusk, Meryn stands on a forested ridge overlooking a Siphon-occupied temple ruin with Stark and several other Bonded, reviewing their assault plan one final time. Three teams will infiltrate through three weak points—a crumbling wall, a sewage tunnel, and a collapsed bell tower—while wolves encircle the outer wall to prevent escape. Stark leads one team with Meryn and Anassa assigned to his group. He firmly instructs Meryn to stay close and follow his orders, warning her that Siphons are faster, stronger, and capable of creating illusions. Though Meryn bristles at being treated like a trainee, Anassa urges her to listen. A Kryptos scout reports a shift in the guard rotation, but Stark quickly adapts the plan with calm efficiency, impressing Meryn with his natural command presence.

After nightfall, the teams move into position and launch their coordinated assault. Stark and Cratos lead the breach through the crumbling wall, killing the first Siphon guard before an alarm can be raised. The team races through narrow corridors, the wolves moving with impossible stealth while their heightened senses detect enemies ahead. Stark's combat prowess proves extraordinary—he and Cratos use a powerful wave of Daemos magic to throw six ambushing Siphons against the walls, then systematically behead them. Meryn watches in awe as Stark maintains cold, deadly focus throughout the carnage, recognizing him as both terrifying and invaluable as an ally.

Meryn and Anassa then shift from a defensive role to offense. Using her street-fighting instincts rather than standard military tactics, Meryn lures a Siphon into a trap by feigning vulnerability. Anassa drops low, bringing Meryn level with the attacker, and Meryn beheads the Siphon in a spray of black blood. Anassa howls in triumph and they proceed to kill two more Siphons. The battle ends with eight Siphons and three allied soldiers dead. Stark checks Meryn for wounds and signals the team forward.

They descend into the temple's basement where holding cells reek of fear, excrement, and the sickly sweet smell of Siphon magic. Meryn's heart pounds as she anticipates finding the captured children—but every cell is empty. Scraps of clothing, food bowls, a battered doll, and a stained blanket are all that remain. Meryn realizes the Siphons knew the attack was coming and moved the children. Numbness gives way to savage fury when a soldier reports they've captured a Siphon guard alive. Meryn coldly declares she has questions for the prisoner, shadows flickering at the edges of her vision.