Bryce holds an intersection near an Asphodel Meadows shelter as sunset deepens, picking off demons until her rifle runs dry. A demon pins her, but a towering, armored Fae—one of the Viper Queen’s bodyguards—kills it as more of the Queen’s Fae and a surge of wolves and other canines arrive. Bryce draws Danika’s sword and works in tandem with the pack. Ithan arrives in wolf form, brutally finishing a demon, then shifts to fight beside Bryce with deadly coordination.

At the Summit, Declan counts down to shelter lockdowns while feeds show the chaos. Sandriel storms in alone and announces they are ordered to remain; Asteri reinforcements are en route. Hunt, Ruhn, Fury, and the others can only watch, helpless, as the situation on the streets worsens.

Back at the shelter, wolves and the Viper Queen’s Fae hold the line as humans pour inside. As the door begins closing, wolves try to slow it; only a young brown-haired wolf manages to hold it a moment longer. Seeing there’s room for only one, Bryce uses her Fae strength to shove Ithan through the narrowing gap. The door slams shut citywide, leaving Bryce outside and momentarily at a loss.

Taking cover briefly, Bryce weighs her dwindling options. With the Gates still open to Hel, she decides to run for the Old Square and the protections of her distant apartment. She cuts through demons, is slammed into a car, escapes, and sprints on. As night falls, two demons give chase—Bryce runs alone through blood-slick streets.