Arin tried to shove past Xavier again, panic scrambling what little dignity he had left, but Xavier didn't even have to try. He caught the man by the collar and slammed him back into the pillar hard enough to rattle every screen and datapad.
The crowd around reacted instantly—students yelling, some trying to get inside the invisible ring, others shouting curses at the professor like they'd been holding them in for years. Staff members were pushing through the hall trying to contain the chaos, but the entire corridor had turned into a living volcano.
"What the hell is going on in here!?" a dean shouted.
"Is that the professor—?"
"He actually did all that—?"
"I'll kill him myself—!"
A few students surged forward, shoving themselves into the office. One grabbed Arin by the sleeve. Another kicked the side of the table, knocking his chair over. Someone tried to punch him. Someone else threw a book at his head. More were about to join in.
