"Did you hear what happened yesterday?"
"My account has been banned for a month!"
Before class began, groups of aristocratic students gathered in their seats, quietly discussing the previous day's events. Overnight, every rumor claiming that Eli was being kept by a wealthy benefactor had disappeared from the academy forum. Even new posts that hinted at the scandal without mentioning names were blocked almost immediately, and several students had received lengthy account suspensions.
"Everything was fine for so long. Why the sudden crackdown?" one student whispered. "Could the Calloway family have complained?"
"Look at this. The administrator even pinned a post to the top of the forum, saying that spreading rumors is prohibited."
Another student studied the announcement and gradually realized that something about the situation felt wrong.
"Don't you think they're trying a little too hard to distance themselves from Eli?"
