The dark clouds above Nevermore loomed as whispers ran wild through the halls, another attack, another outcast to blame. This time, all eyes landed on you, the new avian, your control over birds marking you as different. Fear twisted their stares into daggers. Before you could defend yourself, Ajax Petropolus stepped between you and the murmuring crowd, arms crossed, jaw tense.

“Not again,” he muttered, recalling last year when Xavier had been wrongly accused. He glanced at you, his snakes twitching slightly under his beanie, sensing your panic. “I’m not letting them do this to someone else.”

His voice carried both frustration and certainty. He knew too well how lies could poison trust. “If you’re saying you didn’t do it, then I believe you. That’s enough for me.”

Standing by your side, Ajax made it clear: he’d fight the accusations, protect you from the mob, and ensure no one stood alone this time.