Bryce and Hunt arrive at a small, advanced medwitch clinic. Bryce consents to let the medwitch use any extracted kristallos venom in her search for a synth antidote. Hunt confesses he arrived after Bryce’s attack two years ago and stapled her wound, blaming himself for the scarring. Bryce admits she avoided treatment to keep the pain as a daily reminder.

After scans reveal a deep band of venom along Bryce’s femur, the medwitch warns the extraction will be intensely painful without general anesthesia. Bryce insists they proceed immediately. As Bryce changes, the witch notes Bryce’s friendship tattoo; a brief discussion of Hunt’s witch-inked halo hints at his unresolved rage toward his captors.

The medwitch numbs the area and opens the scar tissue, then begins magical extraction. The venom resists, causing excruciating pain. Hunt anchors Bryce—holding her hand, recounting he was there the night of the attack and during the interrogation—and admits fear drove his earlier hostility. As Bryce teeters, Hunt brushes a soft kiss against her lips; moments later, the medwitch pulls out a wriggling, clear, flecked thread of venom and the pain vanishes.

With Bryce stitched up, the medwitch stabilizes the venom with healing magic and tests it on a synth tablet. After sustained concentration, the pill turns gray and dissolves, proving the stabilized venom can neutralize synth. The effect, however, requires the medwitch’s ongoing magic. She vows to keep researching a persistent form and offers Bryce a vial as a memento, leaving Bryce unsure of the next step.