Darrow and Victra train in Tinos’s bare gym, trading barbs about Howlers and wolfcloaks while reflecting on weeks of recovery under Mickey and Dr. Virany. Ragnar’s earlier show of strength underscores their limits. After cautious reentry with Holiday, Sevro advances them to Uncle Narol’s Pitvipers, where they conduct sabotage and assassinations, though Darrow feels increasingly like a terrorist amid mounting Society reprisals.

At Dancer’s urging to court allies, Darrow travels with the Pitvipers to Arabia Terra seeking the Red Legion in Ismenia. Instead they find the city shelled to ruin and a mass grave on the coast, a vision that haunts Darrow even as Victra compartmentalizes the horror.

Late that night, ghostCloaked assailants ambush Darrow and Victra in the showers. After a brief, frantic fight, the attackers reveal themselves as Sevro’s Howlers, with Ragnar presiding. Sevro declares a recruitment and demands oaths, beginning the Purge to sever old loyalties.

The Howlers force brutal rites: chugging liquor, then eating a pitviper and cockroaches from a bucket. Holiday proves game, Victra struggles and vomits, and Darrow forces himself through. Sevro proclaims Howler Rule One—“Never bow”—and cloaks are bestowed. Victra accepts Sevro’s hand to stand and receives her wolfcloak alongside Holiday and Darrow amid a communal howl.

Dancer and Narol interrupt with urgent intel: a stolen datapad identifies the Jackal’s silent partner as Quicksilver. He is on Phobos but departs for Luna in two days. Dancer authorizes Operation Black Market, and Sevro rallies the Howlers to sober up and prepare to kidnap Quicksilver and crash the economy.