Yeol, freshly promoted to Vanguard, joins a scouting mission with his friend Traq. Their group discovers a Union force of approximately 600 soldiers. Yeol wrestles with his new responsibilities and Traq receives a custom foldable weapon from Vivian, deepening their bond.

Abigail experiences a twelve-second blackout during a mapping session while Haatim Gift suppresses the corruption at personal cost. That night she and Haatim debate the price of continuing her mapping—she argues she is a countdown not a resource to conserve.

The full team convenes a war council after Abigail reveals the tether discovery. Arthur proposes using Abigail as bait; Haatim argues for destroying Belphegor's relay network to force him into the open.

From Petrillo's perspective, Arthur and Haatim argue over strategy—attack Belphegor now versus wait—with Dominick intervening to end it. Later, Petrillo and Emma share a quiet midnight kitchen moment, the first time they use each other's first names, finding a brief pause of humanity amid the war.

Pre-mission farewells the night before the cathedral infiltration. Ren visits each member of his found family: Nella gives a flat 'come back' with a hard grip that conveys what her branded voice cannot; Harsk gives him a forge-mark iron token; Fossick provides stolen officer rations and an...

Two seals fail simultaneously at Keld's Hold and Riverwatch, forcing Gregory to split 20,000 wardens into two independent armies. Before deploying, Tam visits his deceased father Derrin Tam's memorial plaque - a forgemaster who died defending Keld's Hold with civilian militia 26 years ago.

Cael visits imprisoned civil war leader Kael Thorne at the Western Fortress, who has been counting seal tremors through the Progenitor stone walls for eleven months.

Wall-fused defenders ambush the team in a narrow passage. Greaves, Hyne, and Tobin die instantly. Kettel is absorbed into the boneglass wall. Morrow is killed by an adapted defender. Thune fights as a human — messy, afraid, effective. Team reduced from twelve to seven.

Ren attends Callum's third clandestine theological gathering at dusk in the quartermaster's supply clearing. Callum presents suppressed archival evidence of Other Gods - specifically the Turning One - and argues the boneglass is connected to ancient divine entities rather than being mere plague...