In the Comitium lobby, Sandriel appears beside Micah, sending Hunt into a frozen mix of rage and fear while others kneel. Bryce distracts the room by loudly taking selfies with the Archangels in the background and ushers Hunt toward the elevators. When Micah confronts them, Isaiah backs Hunt’s excuse for bringing Bryce. Micah then invites Bryce to dinner; she extracts herself and replies, “Not interested.”

In the elevator, Hunt reorients their route to a higher floor, shaken by memories of Sandriel and her arena. He warns Bryce that Pollux, Sandriel’s Second, is worse and to avoid him. They reach a launch balcony, and Hunt carries Bryce into the air to escape the building and the crowds below.

As they fly over the city, Hunt thanks Bryce for the quick thinking that freed him from the lobby standoff. He observes Crescent City’s districts and contrasts them with war-torn Pangera, musing on human uprisings. He asks why Bryce lives in the Old Square; she explains it is safer for a half-breed and close to the life she wants, including work and culture.

Landing on her roof, Hunt asks if she meant her rejection of Micah. Bryce reiterates she wants no part of Micah and pushes back against assumptions that she needs or desires a powerful male. When Hunt asks her to go with him to the Oracle the next day, Bryce refuses, leaving Hunt to face the appointment alone.