POV: Malik, Zion's brother – The Scout
Malik returns from one of the tribes that received Zion's warning. They laughed. Called Zion a "story-weaver." They are the Tanu, a proud warrior tribe known for their isolation.
"They said they don't need gods or warnings from dreamers," Malik reports.
Zion's expression hardens.
• The Agents Strike
Ayola's agents finally discover a hidden forge beneath a defiled shrine. Here, branded hands shape corrupted sigils using blood and bone. It is not craftsmanship—it is desecration. The agents burn it down but not before one of them dies, and another is cursed.
"These aren't just tools," Ayola says. "They're seeds… planted in souls."
• Priestess Moments
Zion tends to the wounded agents himself. The priestesses watch in silence, until Elis breaks it:
"Every time you leave us, you come back with someone else's pain."
Later, Zion walks with Ayomi under the moon. She reaches for his hand—he lets her take it.
Ayomi: "You don't have to carry it all, you know."
Zion: "I don't. I have you."