Lin led the class out of the lecture hall and down a wide corridor that branched deeper into the academy. The moment Axel stepped into the hallway, the atmosphere around him shifted.
Students began gravitating toward him almost instinctively.
"Hey, you're the guy, right?" one of them asked, falling into step beside him.
"The one who exposed the terrorist?" another added with his eyes shining.
Axel blinked, caught off guard.
"I guess?"
"Come on, don't be modest," a tall boy laughed. "Everyone's talking about it."
Questions came from all directions as they walked.
"How did you figure him out?"
"Weren't you scared when they tagged you as a terrorist?"
"Did you fight him alone?"
Rick and Ares were slowly pushed to the edges of the group, forced to trail behind as Axel found himself surrounded. Rick looked half amused, half overwhelmed, while Ares wore a deep scowl, arms crossed.
"Yeah sure... take all the glory." Ares murmured.
