Chapter LXIII

Summary

• The protagonist is anticipating the upcoming Iudicium and the potential dangers it could mean for him and his teammates.
• When he meets his friends (Aequa and Callidus) they exchange nervous, subdued greetings before heading to the quadrum where they engage in minimal small talk in anticipation of the test.
• The group is given instructions for the Iudicium by Veridius and the Praeceptors. They learn that they have to find the 'Heart of Jovan', needing to get it back to the temple and replace it in its original spot to win.
• Each class three student receives a tracking stone that represents their life, if they lose or break it, they will be eliminated from the contest. The competitor who ends up with the Heart of Jovan will move up to Class Three and their team will also earn high rankings. If anyone else wins, the Class Three rankings will be determined by other means.
• The teams, watched by Sextii, are to stay within the boundaries Veridius sets; none are to cross the major rivers that divide the island. If these rules are broken, competitors will be immediately eliminated.
• Indol, the top ranked student, creates distrust and tension amongst the teams with his open invitation for Fourth Class students to join his team by stealing their Third Class student's medallion.
• The team sets off into the forest with the protagonist displaying some distrust in his teammates, Aequa and Callidus. They make a plan to go off the main track to avoid possible ambushes.
• The chapter ends with an abrupt attack on the protagonist and his teammates, leaving readers in suspense about their fate.