Chapter Twenty-Five: A Banquet. I Receive a Visitor. Inspiration Doesn’t Knock. “Who Wants to Live Forever?”

Summary

• After winning a gruesome fight in the gladiatorial match, the survivors are treated to a sumptuous meal in their cells, much unlike their usual fare of raw meat.
• Charlie finds a hidden note with a pencil stub in his meal, which he hides from the others.
• Charlie comes up with a plan to escape with the other prisoners, based on vague information Pursey, the kitchen boy, gave him.
• Every prisoner hopes that Charlie, being the promised prince, holds the key to their survival and escape from Deep Maleen.
• A giant red cricket Charlie previously helped brings him a message from Claudia, a friend outside. The message informs him that his dog, Radar is safe and asks if they can help Charlie and the other prisoners.
• Charlie sends back a message through the cricket, asking for help if Claudia has enough fighters on her side, referring to the day of their next fight when the lights at the Dread Maleen light up.
• Charlie's jailers' behavior indicates that the next round in the gladiatorial matches will soon be held. In a secret note in breakfast the next day, Pursey gives Charlie directions on how to escape from the Officials' Room.
• Charlie realizes that it would be next to impossible to escape unless they deal with the night guards who are already dead and surrounded by deadly high voltage. Yet, he persists with his plan to free all prisoners during their next match.
• Lord High mocks Charlie for being considered as the promised prince, and challenges Charlie if he can float or change shapes like the real prince is supposed to. Charlie denies.
• Charlie suffers a painful injury on his thigh during his encounter with Lord High, but remains quiet and resilient.
• The Lord High gives them time to prepare and clean themselves for the next round of games, further indicating the countdown to their escape.

• The washing buckets are revealed to be part of a planned act of rebellion or escape.
• The buckets are filled with water and used to douse the night soldiers who explode upon contact with the water.
• The group loses one member but kill six night soldiers. They also realize the night soldiers' auras can be destroyed by water and the soldiers themselves are not physically substantial.
• The group makes their way to a previously locked door. In the Officials’ Room, they find a lantern and manage to set it alight. The door behind a cabinet is unlocked.
• In the ensuing chaos, they attack and kill Aaron, one of the night soldiers. The protagonist is injured in the process.
• The group then locks the door from the inside and starts to traverse down a corridor that resembles a subway tunnel, with the protagonist leading the way with the lantern.
• The group members seem more hopeful and their spirits are raised.