The late-morning sun cast long shadows across the campus as Alex, Danny, and Mike walked through the main gates, the air thick with tension after their hours of preparation.
Sarah didn't come... she had decided to stay with Nina and the family, just in case any emergency arose.
Conversations that had been flowing naturally among groups of students stuttered to a halt when they spotted the three approaching.
"There he is," someone whispered, not quite quietly enough.
"Can't believe he actually showed up," another voice added.
Alex kept his expression neutral. His enhanced hearing caught fragments of heated debates erupting around them as they passed.
Near the student center, two girls were arguing in hushed but intense tones.
"He went too far," one was saying. "I don't care what William and Brad did during the match. Beating them half to death? That's crossing a line."
