Isaiah arrives at the gallery rooftop to deliver a message from Viktoria, asking Hunt to come to her office at the lab. Isaiah reveals that Sandriel's presence at the Comitium has been causing widespread fear among soldiers, staff, and nearby residents, and that she is keeping the timing of Pollux's arrival secret to maximize anxiety. Hunt offers to help Isaiah, surprising the commander. Isaiah warns Hunt that if their investigation into Sabine fails, Micah will hold Hunt responsible and his reduced sentence will be off the table.

During the conversation, Bryce texts Hunt from the gallery below, complaining about the noise on the roof. Hunt discovers she has changed her contact name in his phone to "Bryce Rocks My Socks" and added a grinning selfie—having secretly observed his passcode. The exchange reveals their growing playful dynamic, and Hunt notes she's been in a broody mood since Declan revealed the evidence against Sabine. Hunt has advised caution while waiting for Viktoria's findings on the demon's patterns and any proof Sabine is using ley lines to summon it.

When rain hits the city, Hunt flies Bryce to the 33rd District's forensic lab despite her protests about the weather and her outfit. During the flight, Hunt coaxes Bryce to look at the city below, and she takes in the rain-washed skyline—the Gates, the ley-line avenues, and the shift from old districts to the sleek corporate towers. She briefly reflects on Reid, who never sent condolences after Danika's death. The two share a quietly intimate moment as they hold each other more tightly mid-flight.

At the lab, Viktoria—a wraith with a halo tattoo from Shahar's rebellion—presents her findings. She tracked temperature fluctuations along major avenues and captured a grainy photo of a clawed foot in Moonwood the previous night: a kristallos demon. She also found a matching 77-degree temperature dip from the night Maximus Tertian was murdered, two blocks from the scene. A map shows the demon circled the Den—Sabine's stronghold—before its trail ended near the Rose Gate in FiRo, where it vanished without a trace.

The evidence further supports Sabine's involvement: the kristallos was operating in her territory, near the ley lines, and its movements correlate with the murders. Bryce is shaken by flashbacks of the demon attack that scarred her leg. Hunt quietly comforts her with a hand on her thigh and his wing curved around her, a gesture Viktoria notices with visible wariness. As the meeting concludes, Bryce resolves that she and Hunt will investigate further after dinner.