It's been four months since Alina Gray traded her designer wardrobe for the heavy, unyielding weight of reality. Returning to the university hadn't been the triumphant "fresh start" she'd hoped for.
At first, the campus was a minefield; people pointed fingers at her in the cafeteria, their whispers like a swarm of hornets trailing her through the library. They called her a "failed mistress" and a "social climber," mocking the very scandal that had nearly cost her her sanity.
But public memory is a fickle, shallow thing. Soon enough, the headlines grew stale. Most people forgot her in the blink of an eye, distracted by their own midterms and messy breakups. For the rest of the world, the story was over. For Alina, it was a haunting loop she couldn't escape.
"Today, we'll be talking about Injustice!" Professor Garwin's voice boomed through the lecture hall, sharp enough to cut through the low hum of student chatter.
