The atmosphere thickened as Kaiden and the girls moved deeper into the plaza. The crowd's reaction divided cleanly.
Some watched with wide-eyed curiosity.
Some buzzed with excitement, whispering, pointing, and nudging their friends.
Others glared with open disdain, arms crossed, jaws tight, offended that these newcomers dared walk in like they owned the place.
And through it all, cameras kept turning, locking onto a single target. What had started as a few glances snowballed into full-blown attention. Drones drifted in closer. Reporters who'd been interviewing guild leaders, celebs, and over-eager newbies straight-up abandoned them mid-sentence.
Chairs toppled. Tripods rattled.
Someone yelled, "Hold my boom! HOLD MY BOOM!"
Another nearly tripped over a cable in his rush.
They sprinted.
