CHAPTER 67 — "PUBLIC GLORY, PRIVATE MADNESS"
The arena didn't calm down after the battle.
It failed to calm down.
The noise lingered like heat after a fire. Even after the barriers lowered and the healers finished clearing the field, the stands were still buzzing. People argued. People cheered. People replayed moments in their heads, louder than they had actually been.
At the center platform, the three deans stood together.
And the contrast between them was impossible to miss.
The Azure Dragon Academy Dean stood straight, hands folded behind his back, expression calm and unreadable. His presence alone pressed down on the area, subtle but firm, like gravity that didn't need to announce itself.
To his left, the Vermilion Phoenix Academy Dean adjusted her sleeve with elegance, golden-orange hair catching the light. She smiled faintly, the kind of smile that hid disappointment behind grace.
To the right—
The Dragon Turtle Academy Dean bounced on his heels.
Literally.
