The next day Adam walked through the academy hallways alongside Piers during the morning entry hour, his body without any visible injuries thanks to the healing magic the professors had used during his stay in the hospital, although the exhaustion still weighed on his muscles like a constant reminder of the brutal fight he had endured.
He wore the academy uniform clean and pressed, moving normally despite feeling each step heavier than usual. The magic had completely closed all his wounds without leaving even scars, but it could do nothing against the accumulated fatigue that still lingered in his body.
What he could not ignore were the stares.
Every student they passed looked at him. Some with curiosity, others with something akin to fear or respect, a few with evident disgust.
The murmurs followed his steps through the hallways like a constant wave.
"That's the one who killed Kael Duskrin..."
"Did you see how he fought? It was brutal..."
"I heard he almost died too..."
