With a little over six hours left on Luke’s deadline, Avery feels stalled and increasingly desperate. Fresh air and anonymous donations do not ease Avery’s guilt, because Luke’s threats and Eve’s exposure keep making everyone close to Avery vulnerable.

Back in the circular library, Xander receives a call from Max and passes the phone to Avery. Max jokes about her bodyguard Piotr to soften the situation, but Avery apologizes, feeling responsible for the danger Max now faces.

Max asks about the “cannon,” prompting Avery to explain the package, the box, the phone call from Luke, and the ultimatum. Max recognizes that Avery needs to reason aloud, so Avery walks through the group’s failed attempts to interpret the calendar notation “Niv,” including the possibility of an SEC form or initials.

Max asks whether “Niv” is spelled N-I-V and identifies it as the New International Version of the Bible. The connection instantly redirects Avery’s thinking: Luke may not only be a person but also the Gospel of Luke.

Avery remembers the numbers fifteen, eleven, and thirty-two from the combination and realizes they may refer to a Bible passage. Max identifies the reference as Luke 15:11-32, the parable of the prodigal son, giving Avery a new path in the riddle hunt.