"So, our dear famous student—would you mind giving us your personal insights on the current state of the matches so far?"
The question came out smooth, practiced.
The kind meant to sound casual, even when it wasn't.
Inside the studio, everything felt… controlled.
Larger-than-usual recording stones hovered in place, all of them locked onto Riley from different angles.
Staff moved around quietly, adjusting positions, checking signals, making sure nothing slipped. It wasn't loud, but it was busy.
You could tell just by looking at it—
The academy had put serious money into this.
Riley stood in the middle of it.
Calm on the outside.
But even he could feel it—the pressure. Not enough to shake him, but enough to notice. Eyes everywhere, attention focused, waiting.
Still, his expression didn't change.
Under normal circumstances, he would've ignored something like this entirely. Interviews, attention, forced appearances—it wasn't his thing.
But this time…
He didn't push back.
