Chapter Twenty-Three

Summary

• The key phrase "The key can be found in my desk drawer" is given to the narrator as they enter a hidden training facility within the Riders Quadrant.
• The antechamber appears ordinary but leads to more intimidating chambers designed for capture survival training.
• Professor Grady instructs cadets to protect their classified information and prepares them for a grueling educational exercise.
• Foods like biscuits and presumed strawberry jam are served to the cadets.
• Professor Grady hints at a reward for escaping the upcoming training scenario, though it appears no squad has succeeded in a decade.
• The squad members are forced to share a personal secret to build trust within the group.
• Despite sharing secrets, external threats and intra-squad tensions emerge.
• They realize the provided beverages may contain substances to weaken their connection to dragons or their magic, so they abstain from drinking.
• The squad plans to hold out until rescued, but also considers escape tactics.
• Professor Grady reiterates the nature of the scenario and leaves them in suspense about upcoming challenges.
• Cadets are physically restrained as part of the exercise; tactics to foster mistrust and pressure are applied by the guards.
• Physical confrontations occur between the cadets and their captors.
• Interrogators attempt to extract secrets from the cadets using threats and violence as part of their strategy.
• Cadets endure physical and psychological stress, holding firm against breaking or turning on each other.
• Time passes uncertainly, adding to the stress until they're approached for an interrogation trick involving thirst to turn them against one another which fails.
• Vice Commandant Varrish expresses dissatisfaction with the squad's resilience and decides to take over.
• Varrish introduces Wingleader Aetos, indicating he has a method to quickly break the squad. Rhiannon's fearful reaction to Aetos suggests a deeper, personal threat.