“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, the students of Braxton College are about to change the world!”The thunderous, unanimous applause from the nine hundred and fifty-plus audience members was clear evidence that this would not only be a significant night for Braxton University, but it would be the biggest event any university would ever host in the entire history of America.Students were ready, professors were ready, investors were ready, everyone was eager to see what the brilliant minds of Braxton had to offer.It was the biggest, long-awaited Demo Day for Braxton. For the students, this meant a secured future, dream come true, and lots of cash. For the professors, this meant joy and pride in their achievements. And for the investors, this was like buying a rare plant for pennies before it grew into a money tree.But for Nathan? This was more than a mere dream coming true. This was his life’s work. He would finally be respected and loved by everyone who had ever mocked him because he

Nathan stood there, frozen. His chest felt like it had been hollowed out with a rusted spoon. He watched them… really watched them. Mark’s hand wasn't just on Amanda’s waist; it was sliding lower to her buttocks, possessive and smug, right there in front of the whole school. That was his damn girlfriend.And Amanda... she didn't look forced. In fact, she looked like she’d finally found the person she actually wanted to be with.On the giant screen, the equations Nathan had typed until his fingers bled were scrolling by. The audience was losing their minds."$80 million!" a man in a front-row tuxedo screamed, waving a tablet."$150 million!" another shouted, jumping to his feet.The numbers were moving so fast it didn't even feel like real money. To Nathan, it felt like his heart was being auctioned off piece by piece."$800 million!"The hall went into a frenzy. Mark leaned over and whispered something in Amanda’s ear. She giggled… a sound Nathan had heard every morning for six month

The heat in Nathan's chest boiled over.He sprinted across the asphalt. He didn't say a word. He just covered the distance, grabbed Mark by the shoulder of his Italian blazer, and shoved him hard against the side of the car.Mark grunted, his keys clattering to the ground. But Mark was heavier, well-fed, and spent his afternoons in a private boxing gym. Before Nathan could throw a punch, Mark spun around, planted his feet, and drove his fist straight into Nathan's face.The crack of bone on bone echoed in the empty lot.Nathan stumbled back, tasting copper immediately. The inside of his cheek was busted, and his vision swam for a second. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing blood across his knuckles."Are you insane, you freak?!" Mark yelled, shaking out his hand. "I'll have you arrested for assault!"Nathan ignored him. He looked straight at Amanda. She had jumped back, clutching her expensive purse to her chest, looking at Nathan with disgust instead of fear."How?

The Thursday morning sun was aggressively bright, pouring through the high windows of the Braxton College engineering building. Outside, Boston looked like a postcard. It was crisp, clear, and perfectly indifferent to the fact that Nathan Walters’ life had been set on fire the night before.Inside Lecture Hall 402, however, the atmosphere was toxic.The Computer Architecture Design class was technically in session, but nobody was looking at the smartboard. Mr. Zain, a balding, thirty-something adjunct professor desperate for tenure, was half-heartedly drawing a diagram of a multi-core processor architecture. His voice droned over the microphone, but it was entirely drowned out by the low, relentless hum of ninety students gossiping.The entire campus had only one topic on its mind. Demo Day.Underneath the desks, phone screens were glowing. Group chats were moving so fast the notifications sounded like a swarm of locusts. Memes were already circulating. Someone had taken the blurr

Mrs. Shawn actually took her glasses off. She stared at him, her mouth slightly open, completely caught off guard by the sheer absurdity of the statement."I'm sorry, you say what?" she asked, her voice dangerously quiet."Mr. Zain displayed improper conduct in his classroom this morning," Nathan stated, his voice completely level. "He facilitated the bullying of a student, called me horrible names like 'chicken boy,' and completely degraded the integrity of this college. So, I want him fired. Today."Mrs. Shawn stared at him in utter silence for a long moment. Then, a look of deep, condescending anger settled over her features. She slapped her glasses down on the desk."Hold on," she snapped, leaning forward. "Who exactly told you that a janitor has the guts to walk into my office and dictate to me who I should fire? Are you having a mental breakdown, Walters? Because if you are, the campus clinic is in the west wing. Otherwise, you are entirely out of line."She reached for her desk