VII. Relativism — Gideon

In Parisa’s ravaged mental fortress, Gideon confesses he severed the telepathic ward, allowing intruders tied to the Accountant to breach the archives. He and Parisa debate loyalties, the danger of Dalton-as-Prince, and whether the Society deserves saving, ultimately deciding to try containing the threat inside the castle.

As screams and explosions echo, Parisa tests Gideon’s abilities. He clarifies Dalton is an animator and notes the attackers’ W-branded tech, realizing Wessex funding gives the telepaths extended reach. Parisa commits to holding the courtyard while Gideon devises a way to end the fight without further destruction.

Gideon conjures vehicles and weapons to cut through thorns to the castle. In the courtyard, four Wessex-backed assailants converge on Dalton. Parisa sides with Dalton to keep all combatants confined, buying Gideon time. He reframes the battlefield as a solvable puzzle and chooses to make an inescapable dream: a monster formed from his deepest fears.

The dream-creature swallows the courtyard and the invaders. Gideon swaps Parisa’s sword for a talismanic Magic 8 Ball to keep her focused, helping her climb free as the castle dissolves. Dalton seizes Parisa’s ankle, dragging himself up; saving her will also save him.

Accepting that letting go would end the apocalypse but kill Parisa, Gideon instead hauls both Parisa and Dalton out, sacrificing the cleaner solution. The dream collapses; the Wessex intruders are gone. Gideon wakes on a smoky floor, a pistol pressed to his forehead, as an inner voice answers: “It is decidedly so.”