Bryce dives into the tank and reaches Syrinx, but the nøkk drags her under, cracking her head against the glass and disarming her. She counters by seizing the creature’s most vulnerable spot, forcing it to release her. With the platform lowered by Lehabah, Bryce swims hard and claws her way up, escaping the water’s surface as the air drives the nøkk back.

On the platform, Bryce performs chest compressions and breaths until Syrinx coughs up water and revives. While Micah melts the bathroom door, observers can only watch through a one-way feed. Bryce, bleeding from a shredded calf despite synth mending, gathers Syrinx and limps toward the stairs, determined not to abandon him.

At the library stairs, Lehabah refuses to follow, insisting Bryce won’t make it in time unless she buys them a chance. Bryce reveals she secretly purchased Lehabah’s freedom; Lehabah chooses to act as a free person and stay. Bryce forces herself to the showroom and seals the door as Micah’s assault intensifies.

In the library, Lehabah calls on her lineage and power—“My friends are with me and I am not afraid”—while the 33rd and allies stand in witness. Instead of striking Micah, she targets the cracked tank, blasting it repeatedly and pressing her burning body to the fracture. As Micah tears through the bathroom door, Lehabah’s final blow ruptures the glass, unleashing a hundred thousand gallons of water to flood the library and stall the Archangel.