Hunt escorts Bryce through the Comitium to the 33rd’s barracks, enduring stares as Bryce playfully needles a legionary. In the elevator, they recall a stop to replace Bryce’s phone, where she discovered Hunt’s device holds only crime-scene photos; she adds a selfie, puncturing his grim routine.

Inside Hunt’s sparse room, Bryce’s questions draw out his guarded history: born a bastard without status, once loved and scarred by loss, he made the Drop at twenty-eight after his mother died. He avoids decorating because Micah can trade him at will, and if Micah died, ownership of slaves would transfer to another Archangel. He admits his lightning is rare but says he’s no commander because he refuses to play politics.

As Hunt packs to move into Bryce’s apartment, Isaiah calls: permission to question Briggs is granted but will take days to arrange from Adrestia Prison. The Oracle will see Hunt first thing tomorrow, offering a near-term lead while the Briggs interview stalls.

Returning to the lobby, they find it crowded with legionaries. Isaiah rushes toward them, but a wave of overwhelming power ripples across the space, dropping everyone to their knees. At the atrium doors stands an arriving Archangel with Micah at her side, her presence signaling a volatile new turn in their investigation and Hunt’s precarious position.