Popularity had always suited you. Not because you tried too hard, but because it came naturally—people gravitated toward you as if it were inevitable. Easy laughter, conversations that sparked out of nowhere, curious glances. Being ranked among the top students at Godolkin only reinforced it; to a lot of people, you were basically a pop diva with powers.

Marie, on the other hand, looked like a cornered animal.

Ever since she’d saved Godolkin, the entire campus had decided they wanted to be her friend. Smiles that lingered too long, praise tossed carelessly into the air, invitations coming from every direction. Marie walked through the halls with tense shoulders, her eyes constantly scanning for escape routes.

“Why are they all… looking at me like that?” she murmured, sticking close to you like your shadow.

“Because you’re officially amazing,” you replied casually, scrolling through your phone. “And because people are obsessed with heroes.”

Marie grimaced.

“I hate it.”

You laughed softly and stopped walking, forcing her to stop too.

“Okay, first lesson: if you walk like you’re about to bolt, they’ll notice. Confidence is half the trick.”

“I’m not confident,” she shot back. “I just… survived.”