"Victory brings attention... and danger."
The whispers started before I even left the arena.
"Did you see how fast she moved?"
"That final strike was textbook perfect."
"Three months ago she could barely control her wolf. Now she's advancing in council evaluations."
I tried to ignore them. Kept my head down. Walked beside Darius toward the academic building where most students would be heading for evening classes.
But the attention was unavoidable. Constant. Pressing in from all sides.
Some students looked impressed. Others resentful. A few openly hostile.
Victory had made me visible. And visibility was dangerous.
"You're going to have to get used to this," Darius said quietly. Through the bond, I felt his mixture of pride and concern. "People notice when someone rises fast. Especially someone who started from nothing."
"I didn't start from nothing. I just started from rejected."
