At the river, Tharion tells Bryce and Hunt that Danika was seen on an Auxiliary boat at night with a crate of synth just before the drug surfaced. He explains synth is synthetic magic: potent, short-lived strength for humans and a risky high for Vanir. Bryce clings to the idea Danika was confiscating it and wonders if synth could be tied to repairing the Horn, while Hunt cautions it could be a dead end.

Once Hunt leaves to train, Bryce calls Fury. Fury says the Raven bombing was the human rebels’ work, then warns synth is “really dangerous” and reveals Danika kept it from Bryce to protect her from temptation and harm. The call ends with Fury promising she will return for the upcoming Summit, leaving Bryce shaken and resentful.

Bryce phones Ruhn and researches synth online, finding sparse articles and a decade-old Redner Industries patent. Ruhn reports his medwitch contact is testing an antidote by stabilizing kristallos venom with healing magic and needs more venom to proceed. The data point suggests both the drug’s engineered origins and potential countermeasures.

Piecing it together, Bryce theorizes Danika may have pursued stolen synth and anticipated its use with the Horn, stealing the Horn to thwart whoever wanted it. Ruhn calls her persistence admirable and recounts how Danika nearly fought him in Redner Tower before her Drop, with Declan intervening—another reminder of Danika’s fierce loyalty and secrecy.