While Alexander's public defense was creating its own scandal, Nick and Roni appeared with news that suggested they'd been busy during the confrontation.
"We hacked the academy network," Nick announced without preamble, pulling us into a more private corner. "Well, Roni hacked it. I provided strategic guidance about which systems to access."
"You hacked academy security systems?" I asked.
"We hacked everything," Roni corrected cheerfully. "Network access logs, security footage archives, administrative databases. Very illegal, definitely expulsion-worthy if caught, but also extremely informative."
"And what did you find?"
"The security footage of you in the chemistry lab? Created using deepfake technology and spliced into actual security camera feeds. Someone with significant technical
