Kate reveals to Lyle her identity as Helen's sister presumed dead, sharing specific memory of their late-night pre-deployment ritual. Lyle discovers VP mole and warehouse via Markwell backdoor. Beck and Helen plan the dual-entry drone hack.

Bryce undergoes physical therapy with Mina, struggling to relearn basic motor functions as his body transitions from crystal back to flesh. Left arm may never fully revert.

Abigail keeps vigil through the night, wrestling with grief that the real Bryce has killed her idealized version. Gregory visits with chess and practical wisdom. By day three Bryce walks to the window—and Abigail brings news of energy fluctuations at the northern nexus. Vera is moving.

Vera escapes when Mina collapses and Elias's transformation fails. Elias reverts to human, aged to his late twenties. Gregory assesses the aftermath—a tactical victory but Vera still threatens sixteen nexus points.

In the aftermath of Vera's attack, Gregory confronts devastating casualties—73 dead, 140 wounded. Lyria confesses she sensed an anomalous pulse thirty years ago but chose comfort over suspicion. She confirms the seals are degrading, though Vera's solution would accelerate collapse.

Gaius processes Ailana's testimony, learns from Torres that Vane is targeting Senator Okafor's daughter, discovers Vane's coup preparations, and decides to confront Vane directly - the catalyzing moment of his transformation.

Vane executes Iron Hand operations after the Council vote, orders surveillance of Senator Okafor's seven-year-old daughter as political leverage, destroys his father's declassification petitions, and convenes secret Military Command Council meeting to prepare the coup.

Marcus searches Santos's apartment and finds hidden books with UV-visible notes. Santos had documented everything: the Church's decades-long genocide of Nephilim, Torretti's confession, and Jonathan Kane's protection network.

Petrillo's perspective on the same assault reveals the moral complexity of fighting human believers. After subduing a machete-wielding teenager who bites him and watching a woman cry over the end of her ritual world, Petrillo confronts the weight of fighting people who genuinely believe they are...