Kate abilities strengthen with use. Can now sense ships from further away. Also begins sensing something else - whispers at edge of perception. The Hollowing is aware of her.

Kramer threatens Lily as his 18th victim at St. Catherine's. Marcus and Chen race to the school. Lily refuses the ritual, standing defiant—proving Nephilim can be righteous from birth without Kramer's process. Marcus offers himself instead but Kramer refuses.

Martin refuses to execute Reyna, is relieved of command. Army begins fracturing - Jonathan and soldiers question orders. NEW: Named soldiers count the doubters in camp, share what they witnessed during assaults, and prepare for the moment when conscience overrides orders. Anna wakes from injury.

Marcus leads zealot attack on Citadel. Battle erupts despite Petro's efforts. Petro tries to stop violence, nearly killed by both sides. Thomas protects Petro. Hank defends with powerful magic. Citadel defenders include magic users and refugees. Petro sees both sides believe they're righteous.

Kristi Grove confronts Consular Peter Gavriel in a space battle over Axis. Three ships attack her warship Denigen's Fist. Through tactical brilliance, Kristi destroys Gavriel's vessel and captures Captain Williams alive. Her damaged warship is rescued by Williams' crew. The war has truly begun.

Niccolo finds Haatim awake at 3 AM, unable to sleep after the Aram confrontation. Pastoral conversation: two fathers parallel. Aram loved Nida with genuine love and genuine cowardice — distributed cost to everyone around him.

Petrillo and Dominick clear the hospital floor by floor, fighting possessed patients and staff used as human shields. Two civilians die on their watch: nurse Marie from cardiac arrest during the initial wave, and an elderly patient when a demon accidentally unplugs her ventilator.

Major corruption episode. The corruption offers Abigail a vision of total power - a golden city without pain, fear, or love. She nearly succumbs before realizing love has been surgically removed. She fights back using specific memories of the people she loves.

Ren gives a selective debriefing to Intelligence Officer Kael, omitting the fused demon speech to avoid heresy charges. Hierophant Lethane confronts him about a 7-minute gap and promotes him to lead scout with expanded alchemy authorization.