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.