Silver Elite

Cross takes Wren on a personal outing to a dark cave filled with mutated, glowing flowers. Wren feels closer to Cross than ever. The outing is interrupted when Cross receives an emergency alert about his mother. He brings Wren to the General’s house and invites her inside while he checks on his mom. Wren explores the home, which is empty and devoid of life. The house presents a bleak picture of Cross’s family life. Eventually, Wren finds Cross in his mother’s room. Vinessa Redden’s vacant stare and incoherent rambling reminds Wren of the fragmented Mods from the hospital in Ward C. She assumes, with enormous shock, that Cross’s mom is Modified.

Cross claims his mother has schizophrenia, denying any allegations that Vinessa is an Aberrant because her veins don’t turn silver. Wren cannot explain that this doesn’t rule out the possibility without revealing that she herself is an Aberrant whose veins do not turn silver. Vinessa’s condition explains why the house is empty of servants and why the General keeps Vinessa away from the public eye. Cross and Wren make soup for Vinessa. Her latest episodes have made her unwilling to eat for the past two days. While Cross feeds his mother, Wren regards the room.