17. The Menagerie

General Cleandro leads the seven remaining initiates into an underground menagerie, warning them not to approach animals first and that no one may intervene if a beast attacks. Inside a sunlit cavern-forest, creatures consistently panic at the sight of Alexis, deepening her sense of alienation. Only a lumpy, fangy white pup fixates on her, clumsily trailing as she wanders, while Nyx snipes from the sidelines.

After three hours, Cleandro retrieves the initiates as a distant monster roars. Alexis leaves the pup behind and is marched back to class. A grinding study-and-test cycle follows: Pine drills math and ethics; Augustus lectures on Cyclopes. Cleandro administers exams; Alexis places first, followed by Cassius, Alessander, Drex, Maximum, Leo, and Titus.

Augustus announces a monthly symposium at the Dolomite Coliseum; initiates must return by dawn or be hunted as defectors. He then detains Alexis privately, revealing Zeus requested to meet her and implying women are usually barred from symposia. When Alexis insists on attending, Augustus’ composure snaps.

Radiating fury and electricity, Augustus invades Alexis’s mind, trying to compel her not to go. Under searing mental pressure, she nearly submits, then pushes back and breaks free, bleeding from eyes, nose, and ears. Unrepentant, Augustus pivots to scathing criticism of her writing and issues gendered threats about “consequences,” warning that if she cannot protect herself, someone else will.

Shaken and humiliated, Alexis retreats to the library. Isolated and overwhelmed by pain and ringing in her ears, she collapses into manic laughter and sobs, recognizing that in Sparta no one will help her as she struggles to hold herself together.