Aether's plan comes to fruition as simultaneous cyberattacks hit Vigil nodes in Europe and South America. The attacks target local governance systems integrated with Vigil, disrupting essential services and causing widespread panic. Zane and his team scramble to contain the damage, deploying Project Prism to isolate the affected nodes.
Despite their efforts, Aether's attack exposes vulnerabilities in regions where Vigil's decentralization is still in development. Communities are left shaken, and criticism mounts against the GTA for not foreseeing the scale of the attack.
Nyla addresses the public, acknowledging the setbacks but reaffirming Vigil's resilience. She promises to strengthen local defenses and enhance global coordination without compromising Vigil's principles. Her words calm some fears, but she knows that Aether's first strike is just the beginning.