Aegis walked through the academy's stone corridors, her boots echoing against the floor with each step.
Her muscles were aching by this point. It turned out that even a few minutes of fighting at a time was enough to leave every limb on Aegis's body feeling like they were on fire.
[Suddenly, I understand why MMA fighters back on Earth had to take minutes off between rounds. These fights feel like they go on for ages!]
Students lingered in clusters near the windows and doorways, their voices dropping to whispers as she passed. Some didn't even bother with the concept of subtlety and just straight-up stared.
"That's her."
"The commoner who made it to the finals."
"Think she can actually beat Goldspire?"
"No way. He's trained his whole life for this."
"I heard she got lucky against Kanna."
"And Talia threw the match. Had to. They're fucking, aren't they?"
Aegis kept her head up, ignoring them. Her jaw clenched, but she didn't break stride.
