diff --git a/.chezmoitemplates/apex-neon-lock.conf b/.chezmoitemplates/apex-neon-lock.conf
index d8acebe..012550d 100644
--- a/.chezmoitemplates/apex-neon-lock.conf
+++ b/.chezmoitemplates/apex-neon-lock.conf
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@
   Defines: apex-neon palette, font, input-field, clock + date labels.
   Greeter-only widgets (session picker, layout, username placeholder) stay in hyprlogin.conf.
 */ -}}
-# apex-neon palette (mirrors ~/Dev/Themes/apex/dist/hyprland/apex-neon-colors.conf)
-$base    = rgb(050505)
-$surface = rgb(141414)
-$overlay = rgb(262626)
-$muted   = rgb(404040)
-$text    = rgb(ededed)
+# apex-neon v2 palette (mirrors ~/Dev/Themes/apex/dist/hyprland/apex-neon-colors.conf)
+$base    = rgb(070709)
+$surface = rgb(101218)
+$overlay = rgb(262a34)
+$muted   = rgb(383d49)
+$text    = rgb(e6e8ec)
 $love    = rgb(ff0044)
 $gold    = rgb(ffb700)
 $pine    = rgb(00ff99)
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ input-field {
     dots_spacing = 0.35
     dots_center = true
 
-    inner_color  = rgba(05, 05, 05, 0.55)
+    inner_color  = rgba(07, 07, 09, 0.55)
     outer_color  = rgba(00, 234, 255, 0.85) rgba(157, 0, 255, 0.85) 45deg
     check_color  = rgba(0, 255, 153, 0.9)   rgba(0, 234, 255, 0.9)  45deg
-    fail_color   = rgba(255, 0, 68, 0.9)    rgba(255, 136, 153, 0.9) 45deg
+    fail_color   = rgba(255, 0, 68, 0.9)    rgba(255, 59, 59, 0.9)  45deg
 
     font_color = rgba(237, 237, 237, 0.95)
     fade_on_empty = false
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ input-field {
 shape {
     monitor =
     size = 440, 200
-    color = rgba(5, 5, 5, 0.55)
+    color = rgba(7, 7, 9, 0.55)
     rounding = 20
     border_size = 2
     border_color = rgba(0, 234, 255, 0.55)
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ label {
 shape {
     monitor =
     size = 360, 110
-    color = rgba(5, 5, 5, 0.55)
+    color = rgba(7, 7, 9, 0.55)
     rounding = 18
     border_size = 2
     border_color = rgba(255, 183, 0, 0.55)
diff --git a/dot_config/hypr/hyprland.d.lua/theme.lua.tmpl b/dot_config/hypr/hyprland.d.lua/theme.lua.tmpl
index 00aeed1..377ce4d 100644
--- a/dot_config/hypr/hyprland.d.lua/theme.lua.tmpl
+++ b/dot_config/hypr/hyprland.d.lua/theme.lua.tmpl
@@ -4,75 +4,79 @@
 local theme = {}
 
 {{- if eq $themeName "apex-neon" }}
-theme.base = "rgb(050505)"
-theme.surface = "rgb(141414)"
-theme.overlay = "rgb(262626)"
-theme.muted = "rgb(404040)"
-theme.text = "rgb(ededed)"
+-- mirrors ~/Dev/Themes/apex/dist/hyprland/apex-neon-colors.conf (v2 spine)
+theme.base = "rgb(070709)"
+theme.surface = "rgb(101218)"
+theme.overlay = "rgb(262a34)"
+theme.muted = "rgb(383d49)"
+theme.text = "rgb(e6e8ec)"
 theme.love = "rgb(ff0044)"
 theme.gold = "rgb(ffb700)"
 theme.pine = "rgb(00ff99)"
 theme.foam = "rgb(00eaff)"
 theme.iris = "rgb(9d00ff)"
-theme.rose = "rgb(ff8899)"
+theme.rose = "rgb(ff3b3b)"
 
-theme.splash_text = "rgba(edededee)"
+theme.splash_text = "rgba(e6e8ecee)"
 theme.dec_shadow = "rgba(000000ee)"
 theme.glow = "rgba(ff0044ee)"
 
+-- active window = danger red into special violet
 theme.border_active = { colors = { "rgba(ff0044ff)", "rgba(9d00ffff)" }, angle = 45 }
-theme.border_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(40404044)", "rgba(14141444)" }, angle = 45 }
+theme.border_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(383d4944)", "rgba(10121844)" }, angle = 45 }
 
 theme.border_nogroup_active = { colors = { "rgba(00eaffff)", "rgba(00ff99ff)" }, angle = 45 }
-theme.border_nogroup_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(40404044)", "rgba(14141444)" }, angle = 45 }
+theme.border_nogroup_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(383d4944)", "rgba(10121844)" }, angle = 45 }
 
 theme.border_group_active = { colors = { "rgba(ffb700ff)", "rgba(ff0044ff)" }, angle = 45 }
-theme.border_group_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(40404066)", "rgba(14141466)" }, angle = 45 }
+theme.border_group_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(383d4966)", "rgba(10121866)" }, angle = 45 }
 
 theme.border_grouplocked_active = { colors = { "rgba(00eaffff)", "rgba(9d00ffff)" }, angle = 45 }
 theme.border_grouplocked_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(00eaff66)", "rgba(9d00ff66)" }, angle = 45 }
 
-theme.groupbar_text = "rgba(edededff)"
-theme.groupbar_text_inactive = "rgba(edededaa)"
-theme.groupbar_active = { colors = { "rgba(ffb700ff)", "rgba(050505ff)", "rgba(050505ff)", "rgba(050505ff)", "rgba(050505ff)", "rgba(050505ff)", "rgba(050505ff)", "rgba(ffb700ff)" }, angle = 0 }
-theme.groupbar_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(141414ee)", "rgba(404040aa)" } }
+theme.groupbar_text = "rgba(070709ff)"
+theme.groupbar_text_inactive = "rgba(e6e8ecaa)"
+theme.groupbar_active = { colors = { "rgba(ff0044ff)", "rgba(9d00ffaa)" }, angle = 0 }
+theme.groupbar_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(101218ee)", "rgba(383d49aa)" } }
 theme.groupbar_grouplocked_active = { colors = { "rgba(00eaffff)", "rgba(9d00ffff)" } }
 theme.groupbar_grouplocked_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(00eaffaa)", "rgba(9d00ffaa)" } }
 {{- else if eq $themeName "apex-aeon" }}
-theme.base = "rgb(f5f5f5)"
-theme.surface = "rgb(e8e8e8)"
-theme.overlay = "rgb(ffffff)"
-theme.muted = "rgb(737373)"
-theme.text = "rgb(0a0a0a)"
-theme.love = "rgb(ff0044)"
-theme.gold = "rgb(d18f00)"
-theme.pine = "rgb(00b377)"
-theme.foam = "rgb(007a88)"
-theme.iris = "rgb(7a3cff)"
-theme.rose = "rgb(ff4d6d)"
+-- mirrors ~/Dev/Themes/apex/dist/hyprland/apex-aeon-colors.conf (v2 spine)
+theme.base = "rgb(f1f3f7)"
+theme.surface = "rgb(e7eaf0)"
+theme.overlay = "rgb(c2c8d4)"
+theme.muted = "rgb(c8cdd8)"
+theme.text = "rgb(16181d)"
+theme.love = "rgb(c8003a)"
+theme.gold = "rgb(a86b00)"
+theme.pine = "rgb(00875a)"
+theme.foam = "rgb(0080a6)"
+theme.iris = "rgb(6a1fb8)"
+theme.rose = "rgb(9e0030)"
 
-theme.splash_text = "rgba(0a0a0aee)"
-theme.dec_shadow = "rgba(73737388)"
-theme.glow = "rgba(ff0044ee)"
+theme.splash_text = "rgba(16181dee)"
+theme.dec_shadow = "rgba(000000ee)"
+theme.glow = "rgba(c8003aee)"
 
-theme.border_active = { colors = { "rgba(ff0044ff)", "rgba(7a3cffff)" }, angle = 45 }
-theme.border_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(73737344)", "rgba(e8e8e844)" }, angle = 45 }
+-- active window = danger red into special violet
+theme.border_active = { colors = { "rgba(c8003aff)", "rgba(6a1fb8ff)" }, angle = 45 }
+theme.border_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(c8cdd844)", "rgba(e7eaf044)" }, angle = 45 }
 
-theme.border_nogroup_active = { colors = { "rgba(007a88ff)", "rgba(00b377ff)" }, angle = 45 }
-theme.border_nogroup_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(73737344)", "rgba(e8e8e844)" }, angle = 45 }
+theme.border_nogroup_active = { colors = { "rgba(0080a6ff)", "rgba(00875aff)" }, angle = 45 }
+theme.border_nogroup_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(c8cdd844)", "rgba(e7eaf044)" }, angle = 45 }
 
-theme.border_group_active = { colors = { "rgba(d18f00ff)", "rgba(ff0044ff)" }, angle = 45 }
-theme.border_group_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(73737366)", "rgba(e8e8e866)" }, angle = 45 }
+theme.border_group_active = { colors = { "rgba(a86b00ff)", "rgba(c8003aff)" }, angle = 45 }
+theme.border_group_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(c8cdd866)", "rgba(e7eaf066)" }, angle = 45 }
 
-theme.border_grouplocked_active = { colors = { "rgba(007a88ff)", "rgba(7a3cffff)" }, angle = 45 }
-theme.border_grouplocked_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(007a8866)", "rgba(7a3cff66)" }, angle = 45 }
+theme.border_grouplocked_active = { colors = { "rgba(0080a6ff)", "rgba(6a1fb8ff)" }, angle = 45 }
+theme.border_grouplocked_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(0080a666)", "rgba(6a1fb866)" }, angle = 45 }
 
-theme.groupbar_text = "rgba(0a0a0aff)"
-theme.groupbar_text_inactive = "rgba(0a0a0aaa)"
-theme.groupbar_active = { colors = { "rgba(ff0044ff)", "rgba(7a3cffaa)" } }
-theme.groupbar_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(e8e8e8ee)", "rgba(737373aa)" } }
-theme.groupbar_grouplocked_active = { colors = { "rgba(007a88ff)", "rgba(7a3cffff)" } }
-theme.groupbar_grouplocked_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(007a88aa)", "rgba(7a3cffaa)" } }
+theme.groupbar_text = "rgba(f1f3f7ff)"
+theme.groupbar_text_inactive = "rgba(16181daa)"
+theme.groupbar_active = { colors = { "rgba(c8003aff)", "rgba(6a1fb8aa)" }, angle = 0 }
+theme.groupbar_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(e7eaf0ee)", "rgba(c8cdd8aa)" } }
+theme.groupbar_grouplocked_active = { colors = { "rgba(0080a6ff)", "rgba(6a1fb8ff)" } }
+theme.groupbar_grouplocked_inactive = { colors = { "rgba(0080a6aa)", "rgba(6a1fb8aa)" } }
 {{- end }}
 
 -- Apply colors to config
diff --git a/dot_config/hypr/hyprlock.conf.tmpl b/dot_config/hypr/hyprlock.conf.tmpl
index d47a05b..ae66494 100644
--- a/dot_config/hypr/hyprlock.conf.tmpl
+++ b/dot_config/hypr/hyprlock.conf.tmpl
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ background {
 shape {
     monitor =
     size = 130, 52
-    color = rgba(5, 5, 5, 0.55)
+    color = rgba(7, 7, 9, 0.55)
     rounding = 16
     border_size = 2
     border_color = rgba(255, 0, 68, 0.55)