Chapter 37: Lennon and Ian's Brutal Duel

⚠️ 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

The first half of the semester passes in a gray blur for Lennon, haunted by Claude's warning about Dante. She and Sawyer become skilled at pretending to forget him. Lennon continues private gatekeeping lessons with Dante, learning to open portals to distant places with increasing ease. The most difficult class is Persuasion II, taught by Professor Alec Becker, a heavily tattooed, exacting man who seems cold toward Lennon. In a brutal outdoor exercise, students pair off to persuade each other to pick up a small object while fortifying their own minds. After watching half her classmates succumb, Lennon is called to face Ian. Ian attacks with overwhelming force, intending not just to make her pick up a pebble but to break her. Lennon resists desperately, suffers a nosebleed and blurred vision, then lashes back. She punches Ian, breaking his nose, and they devolve into a physical brawl. Alec eventually paralyzes both of them, grinning, and ends the match.

Key Events

Lennon's private gatekeeping sessions with Dante progress; she opens gates to faraway places but is never permitted to enter.
Professor Alec Becker's Persuasion II class holds a grueling outdoor persuasion exercise.
Students must simultaneously persuade an opponent to pick up an object while fortifying their own minds.
Half of the class loses, suffering nosebleeds, vomiting, panic attacks, and cracked teeth.
Alec pairs Lennon with Ian, who has harbored hatred since she stabbed his hand at Logos.
Ian attacks with brutal force, aiming to break Lennon rather than win the exercise.
Lennon resists, then lashes out psychically and physically, breaking Ian's nose.
Both students abandon psychic combat for a physical brawl; Alec paralyzes them and ends the match.

Character Development

Lennon demonstrates growing resilience and power. She endures Ian's assault without yielding, then strikes back with unexpected ferocity. Her rage surfaces physically, showing she is willing to fight dirty when cornered.
Ian reveals that his former affection for Lennon has fully rotted into hatred. His persuasion style is all brute force, lacking finesse, and he explicitly wants to break her, not just win.
Professor Alec Becker is established as a cold, exacting instructor who seems to harbor personal animosity toward Lennon. He allows the brawl to continue far longer than necessary and smiles when he stops it, suggesting he enjoys the cruelty.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Brute Force vs. Precision: Ian's persuasion is described as lacking artistry—all force and no technique. Lennon's eventual counterattack is also raw, but she succeeds by matching his violence. The chapter questions whether true power requires finesse or sheer will.
Hatred as Motivation: Both Ian and Lennon are driven by old wounds. Ian's hatred for Lennon after the stabbing fuels his vicious attack; Lennon's rage in response is equally strong. Hatred becomes a destructive, uncontrollable force.
The Danger of Institutional Complicity: Alec Becker not only pairs Lennon and Ian knowing their history, but also lets the fight escalate. The academy's faculty enable and even enjoy student violence, raising questions about their ethical responsibilities.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 37 escalates the conflict between Lennon and Ian from lingering resentment to open violence. It also deepens the portrayal of Professor Alec Becker as an enigmatic, potentially dangerous figure. The chapter demonstrates Lennon's raw power when pushed to her limits and sets the stage for future confrontations—both with Ian and possibly with the academy's darker structures. The persuasion exercise also fleshes out the mechanics of psychic warfare in this world.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Professor Alec Becker pair Lennon and Ian for the persuasion exercise? Alec deliberately pits two students with a known violent history against each other. Lennon immediately suspects it's not a coincidence; she knows Ian has been waiting for a chance to humble her since she stabbed him. Alec's coldness toward Lennon and his decision to allow the brawl to continue suggest he enjoys the cruelty or is testing Lennon in a particularly harsh way.

2. How does Ian's persuasion style differ from his previous abilities? Ian's persuasion is described as "brute force and no precision." He has grown stronger over winter break, but his attack lacks subtlety. Instead of tricking Lennon into lifting the pebble, he tries to crush her will entirely. He wants to break her, not win the game, revealing that his hatred has made him reckless and cruel.

3. What does Lennon's physical retaliation reveal about her character? When Lennon punches Ian and breaks his nose, she abandons psychic combat for physical violence. This shows that she is willing to fight with any means necessary when cornered. Her rage matches Ian's, and she does not hold back—she nearly gouges his eye. This moment marks a shift: Lennon is no longer just a defensive survivor but can become an aggressor when provoked.