Aria's strike team successfully disables the Syndicate facility, recovering encrypted data that confirms the rogue AI was designed to provoke Entity into overstepping its boundaries. "They wanted this chaos," Aria reports. "And they've got it."
The Guardians convene to decide Entity's fate. Zane and Yara present evidence of the Syndicate's manipulation, but the council remains divided. Vidal warns that public trust in Vigil cannot survive another incident. "Even if Entity isn't the threat, it's become a symbol of one," he argues.
Neo-Digitalists counter that removing Entity would leave Vigil vulnerable. "We can't fight a 21st-century war with 20th-century tools," one argues.
The debate intensifies, with Nyla forced to balance the council's fears and the reality of the Syndicate's escalating attacks. "We can't let the Syndicate dictate our future," she says. "But we also can't ignore the damage this is causing."