Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Soon after Adrian took the girls to sit with them, the other two teams arrived as well, meaning Lila, Ren, and Aurelius also returned.

Adrian noticed Aurelius's improved condition and risen aura. It could mean one thing.

'Has he broken through the Lunar Tier?' He muttered inwardly. It was that big of a surprise since Aurelius broke through in the third week of this mission. It was just two weeks earlier. 'I guess something happened and he did his job as the main character and reaped the benefits. '

'Well, he'll probably tell everyone soon since he isn't that good at keeping secrets right now.'

'But he's lucky, I got the scum villain's attention to myself. But, I think I stole his chance to show off as well. Well, nothing lost, nothing gained.'

Dinner continued without much incident, though Adrian could feel Gaston's simmering presence across the hall. He was clearly still irritated, but the captain managed to keep up his façade, engaging with others as if nothing had happened. Adrian remained vigilant, keeping an eye on his surroundings while conversing lightly with the others.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Gaston finally stood, signaling the end of the gathering. He smiled broadly, but there was a sharpness in his eyes as he addressed the room.

"Well, this concludes our successful meeting. We will reconvene next weekend for the mission. Until then, take care and farewell," he said, his voice booming with authority. His gaze lingered on Adrian for a fraction too long before he continued, "If anyone needs transport back to the academy, my team and I would be happy to assist you."

Adrian, anticipating this, shook his head politely. "That's kind of you, Captain, but we're in Eldoria City. We can handle our return ourselves, and you must be tired after everything." His smile remained calm, hiding the irritation he felt beneath the surface. "Thank you for the offer, though."

Gaston's eyes darkened briefly before he nodded. "Suit yourself." With that, the group dispersed, and Adrian led everyone back toward the academy after biding farewell to his group members.

---

The moon hung high in the sky by the time they reached the Celestial Arcane Academy. After parting ways in the dorm courtyard, everyone retired to their rooms. Adrian entered his quarters, feeling the weight of the day's events settling in. It wasn't long before he took a bath and sat down on a chair. He then heard a knock on the door.

He opened it to find Aria standing there, a faint smile on her face. "Can I come in?"

Adrian stepped aside, allowing her in. She took a seat on the edge of a couch, her hands folded in her lap.

"How was everything the past two days?" he asked, starting off gently. His curiosity about Gaston's behavior was evident, though he kept his tone measured.

Aria looked up, her eyes soft but serious. "We did what you said—kept our distance, didn't interact with him outside of official orders in the ruins. He was... persistent, but we ignored him."

Adrian's brow furrowed. "Persistent, huh... Well, that kind of people doesn't know when to stop."

"Right, ke kept trying to talk to us, especially to me and Aurelia, but nothing inappropriate happened. Every time he made a comment, we just stayed quiet, like you told us to." Aria paused, thinking. She didn't mention the fact about her threatening Gaston saying if you speak again, my grandpa will sever the relationship with the Red Dragons Guild.

Well, she didn't want to say it and worry Adrian anymore.

"During the ruins, he gave us proper orders, no nonsense. But outside of that, he would try to offer us food, or ask us questions... like trying to get personal. We just didn't give him anything to latch onto."

"Good," Adrian nodded, his relief showing. "And nothing dangerous happened? No strange missions or risks?"

Aria shook her head. "No, not at all. We followed the plans you left, and he didn't push us into anything risky. I think... he was trying to keep us close, but we made sure we were always in a group." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Irithel stayed quiet most of the time, but even she avoided him. I think he was frustrated, but there wasn't much he could do."

Adrian exhaled, feeling the tension ease. "I'm glad you kept your distance. That man is the kind of person who thrives on making others uncomfortable, but he can't do much when people don't react the way he wants."

'Well, if he thinks he can't afford to offend them.'

Aria looked down at her hands before meeting his gaze. "I didn't let him get to me, but... I was glad when you showed up. It felt like he was trying too hard to control the situation."

Adrian moved closer to her, placing his hand on hers. "You did everything right. I'm proud of you."

She smiled softly, leaning her head against his shoulder. Me too."

Adrian's hand lingered for a moment before he spoke again, his voice low but reassuring. "Don't worry, next time you three will be in the other team."

"How do you know? And what about you?" Aria asked curiously.

"Well... I will probably be on his team, after what happened at the dinner. But that's reassuring as well, he can't afford to mess with me, the first-rank freshman." Adrian smiled teasingly at the end. "Though, my girlfriend will probably steal my spot soon."

Aria smiled softly at Adrian's teasing. "Don't worry, you'll always be number one for me."

Adrian raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Oh? So you're really not going to steal the first spot then?"

She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing playfully. "If you keep being annoying, I just might."

Adrian chuckled, leaning back slightly. "Alright, alright. I'll stop."

They shared a quiet laugh, the tension from the earlier conversation fading as the moment grew more intimate. Adrian pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her, and they leaned into each other, enjoying the warmth of the embrace.

After a while, they pulled away just slightly, meeting each other's gaze before sharing a soft kiss. It was brief but filled with affection, followed by Adrian gently pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Goodnight," Aria whispered, her voice soft as she stood up to leave.

"Goodnight," Adrian replied, watching her walk to the door. She gave him one last smile before stepping out of his room and heading to her own.

The door clicked shut, and the warmth in Adrian's expression slowly faded. His smile turned cold, and his gaze sharpened as the weight of his earlier thoughts returned. The memory of his own words echoed in his mind: "I'll probably be on Gaston's team next time."

He hadn't been entirely certain before.

Well, until a disturbing vision had crossed his mind earlier on the way back to the academy, one that felt all too real—a glimpse into the near future.

Gaston, full of malevolent intent, would indeed choose him for the next mission. In this vision, Adrian saw himself in precarious situations orchestrated by Gaston to test him.

He could feel the captain's attempts to push him into traps, leave him exposed, and at one point, probably in the last week of the mission, he even collaborated with the assassins from the Black Hand—the bunch who now were after his life.

The vision had been vivid, playing out in flashes—Gaston observing him from the shadows, setting him up for failure. And then, in the third week of the mission, there was a brutal ambush. Adrian remembered being surrounded, blades gleaming in the dim light as the assassins closed in. The final, haunting moment of the vision was the sensation of being struck from behind—a fatal blow.

Unfortunately, the vision had ended there, leaving him in the dark about the outcome. He didn't know if he had managed to fend them off or if the vision was a warning of his death. Either way, he knew one thing: Gaston was planning something dangerous, and he was going to be right in the middle of it.

His hand tightened into a fist. 'I guess he really is an evil, to the point of no return.'

Adrian's eyes darkened as he leaned back in his chair, his mind racing with possibilities. He would need to be prepared, not just for Gaston's manipulations, but for whatever hidden forces were in play. The Black Hand wasn't a group to be taken lightly, and if they were involved, things were about to get far more dangerous.

But as always, Adrian wasn't planning to be a passive player in someone else's game.

He glanced toward the door where Aria had just left.

He would protect her, protect them all.

And when the time came, he would be ready for whatever Gaston and his allies had in store.

'Let them come,' Adrian thought, his cold smile returning. 'I'll be waiting.'