Like bread dropped into a pond of fishes, Theo was swarmed by the leaving spectators as soon as he walked out of the arena onto the early afternoon city street.
Countless congratulatory praises muddied into an inaudible mess and overwhelmed Theo. He tried his best to keep up a smile and shake the hands of anyone offered theirs.
They were all saying how Theo was the star among the peasants and the staple of low-class hopes and dreams, but he didn't think that way. Theo never cared about bringing hope to anyone, he just wanted to rise above the bottom rank of society so he could live the life he wanted with Charlotte. Knowing that, he was tripped by guilt with every praise he answered to.
But the good news kept him from thinking too much about the negativity. Even though Theo never really doubted his ability to come so far in the tournament, actually making it to this stage was still a happy occasion.
