Recovering at home after his wings were severed, Hunt greets a shaken Bryce, who plays a video recovered from a flash drive Danika hid. The grainy footage shows a human test subject injected with synth, then slaughtering multiple Vanir prisoners before tearing herself apart. The display confirms synth can grant humans overwhelming, lethal power.

Bryce theorizes the murders, including Danika’s, were done by someone high on synth, with kristallos venom sought as an antidote rather than for the Horn. Hunt, mindful of Micah’s threats, urges caution and proposes sending the footage to Vik via an encrypted server to dig into the trials. Bryce agrees.

Their conversation turns intimate; they acknowledge a mutual desire and begin a heated encounter. When Hunt’s wounds reopen and bleed, Bryce stops, calls a medwitch, and the healer advises no sex until Hunt can fly again. Bryce helps Hunt to bed; he quickly falls asleep.

Waking at three a.m., Bryce submits a request that requires 33rd approval, then slips out to her old block. She arrives to find her former building engulfed in flames, concludes her recent logins and inquiries triggered a swift arson meant to erase remaining clues, and takes the destruction as proof she’s closing in.

On her way back, Tharion messages that a deal is happening on the river near the Black Dock. Bryce, choosing speed over backup, runs to meet him without informing Hunt or Ruhn.