Chapter 53 Political Whisperings

• "The Academy wasn't just about strength-it was about control."
• The bruises from Darius's relentless training regimen painted my arms and ribs in shades of purple and gold, but whispers traveled through the Academy's corridors faster than any physical healing could erase the evidence of my trials. The ancient marble halls seemed to amplify every hushed conversation, their polished surfaces reflecting not just torchlight but the weight of speculation that followed in my wake.
• Everywhere I walked, heads turned with the mechanical precision of weathervanes responding to shifting winds. Some faces bore expressions of genuine awe-students who'd witnessed my performance in the arena and recognized strength where they'd previously seen only weakness. Others carried doubt etched into their features, the skeptical assessment of those who couldn't quite believe that someone of my questionable lineage could rise to such prominence.