Chapter 20: The First Tryout – Summary & Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Lara pressures Amari to resign from the Junior Agent program immediately. Amari goes to Agent Magnus and Agent Fiona to quit, but they ask her to think it over until morning. During the mandatory trainees’ sleep-in, Amari enters a Wakeful Dream for the first tryout. She teams up with Dylan. They navigate a haunted house: they spare a harmless zombie, avoid a trick from a fake frightened trainee, and reach a room with four pedestals. Amari realizes the most valuable thing is water in a desert setting, so she drops the crown and retreats with her clothes wet. She earns the first perfect score since her brother Quinton. Afterwards, Dylan uses techmagic to erase Lara’s blackmail video, freeing Amari from that threat.

Key Events

Lara insists Amari quit immediately.
Amari finds Agents Magnus and Fiona on a date; they delay her resignation.
The trainees sleep in a training room; Lara claims she knows the tryout will be an obstacle course.
The first tryout begins as a Wakeful Dream shared with Dylan.
The pair obtains weapons from a desert-side room.
Amari stops Dylan from attacking a harmless zombie carrying flowers.
They resist a fake frightened trainee who dissolves into ash.
They find four pedestals: a painting of a leviathan, an ancient clay bowl, a diamond bracelet, and a jeweled crown.
Approaching the crown triggers a giant water python.
Amari drops the crown and escapes up the stairs; the dream ends.
Back in the auditorium, Agent Fiona reveals that Amari and Dylan scored highest because Amari correctly valued water over treasure.
Twelve trainees are eliminated; sixteen remain.
Dylan erases Lara’s incriminating video using techmagic.

Character Development

Amari grows from wanting to quit to actively trying to succeed. Her empathy is shown when she spares the zombie, and her strategic thinking emerges when she reasons about the water’s value. She begins to trust her partner and herself.
Dylan proves a reliable ally. He shares information, defends Amari from the fake trainee, and later uses his techmagic to protect her from Lara’s blackmail. His line “Partners have each other’s backs” reinforces his loyalty.
Lara remains antagonistic but loses her leverage when Dylan deletes the video. Her reliance on blackmail shows her desperation.
Agent Fiona and Agent Magnus appear more human and playful during their date, contrasting with their authoritative roles. Fiona’s decision to delay Amari’s resignation shows she believes in second chances.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Value and Perspective: The tryout forces Amari to question what is truly valuable—a crown or water? The desert setting underlines that worth depends on context.
Trust and Teamwork: Partnering with Dylan is essential. The tryout rewards cooperation; pairs who did not leave the library together or who attacked the zombie were disqualified.
Empathy vs. Prejudice: Amari’s refusal to attack the zombie because of its appearance mirrors the book’s larger theme of judging others fairly. She explicitly connects it to her own experience of being labeled “bad or scary.”
Deception and Instinct: The tryout is designed to trick trainees. The fake frightened trainee and the zombie’s harmless nature test their instincts.
Techmagic: Dylan’s ability to erase digital evidence seamlessly blends magic and technology, a recurring motif in the Bureau.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 20 is a turning point for Amari. She earns her first perfect score since Quinton, proving her potential even to herself. The tryout also crystallizes the series’ central themes of empathy and critical thinking. By choosing water over the crown, Amari demonstrates that true value is not always obvious—a lesson that will resonate in later challenges. Furthermore, Dylan’s removal of Lara’s blackmail frees Amari to fully commit to the program without fear of exposure, setting up a more confident protagonist for the remaining tryouts.

Study Questions & Answers

Why does Amari drop the crown instead of keeping it?
Amari realizes that in a desert setting, water is more valuable than any treasure. The water python was guarding the water room, not the crown. She decides that retrieving the water (which soaked her clothes) satisfies the tryout’s objective to find the most valuable thing.
How does the tryout test both instinct and teamwork?
The tryout forces pairs to leave the library together (teamwork) and then make split-second decisions about threats (instinct). The zombie and the fake trainee are traps that reward empathy and observation. Partners must communicate to avoid disqualification.
What is the significance of Dylan erasing Lara’s video?
The act removes the main obstacle to Amari’s participation. It solidifies Dylan and Amari’s partnership and demonstrates that techmagic can be used for protection. It also undermines Lara’s power over Amari, allowing Amari to move forward without blackmail.