Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Two weeks have already passed by, and the semester had one month to end as well, excluding the exams.

And today was the third week of their ruin exploration with the Red Dragons Guild. And, as Adrian saw in his vision, he was selected in the same team as Gaston the last week, together with Emeric and another guy who probably didn't get along with him or hated his guts.

Guess Gaston did his homework.

And, just like in the vision, he was thrown into pretty difficult situations and mocked during those two days.

'Since he already figured out my 'real power' and 'trump cards', he and the Black Hand assassin mercenaries will probably go for me either today or tomorrow, with the latter having a big probability.' Adrian thought as he looked at the clouds from the flying ship.

'Gaston will probably create a situation that leaves the two of us and backstab me according to what I saw. Then the assassins will attack me. He will probably tell us we were attacked by a powerful monster and I died after taking care of me. He can't just kill a student of Celestial Arcane Academy after all...'

'But... I still have a bad feeling about something... Something is nagging...'

Adrian's gaze lingered on the passing clouds as the flying ship cruised through the sky, his thoughts a whirlwind of predictions, doubts, and unease. He had seen this all before—Gaston, the traps, the danger lurking around the corner. He knew what was coming, or at least thought he did. Yet, despite his preparations, an unsettling feeling gnawed at the edges of his mind.

"Adrian, are you fine?"

The soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to find Aria standing beside him, her eyes filled with concern. She tilted her head slightly, waiting for his response.

"I'm alright," Adrian said, mustering a reassuring smile. "Just thinking."

Aria's lips curved into a gentle smile, her expression soothing as always. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Adrian blinked. For a moment, he felt a twinge of confusion. What exactly was she talking about? Did she know something? Or was it just her natural optimism? He studied her for a moment longer, but he couldn't quite figure it out.

Still, he nodded. He didn't want to worry her after all. "Yeah," he said, "I hope so."

'I hope she won't be sad and mad after this happens...'

As she walked away, his mind drifted back to his thoughts.

'Everything will be fine.' He repeated her words in his head, but doubt continued to creep into his thoughts. Now, the Black Hand assassins were probably planning their next move, waiting for the right moment to strike. He had prepared for this—he knew it was coming—but still, the nagging feeling that something was off refused to leave.

'Everything will be alright, right?'

He closed his eyes briefly, letting out a slow breath. 'I've made the preparations. I've thought this through.'

The ship soon descended, signaling their arrival at the ruins. The group began to disembark, and Adrian's mind refocused on the task at hand. Gaston immediately took charge, as usual, assigning the teams.

"Alright, we're sticking with the same groups as last week," Gaston said with a smug grin, his gaze landing on Adrian. "You, Emeric, and... you." He pointed at the other guy from their previous team, who still looked like he wanted nothing more than to be far away from Adrian.

Adrian said nothing, keeping his expression neutral. It was just as he had seen in his vision. They split into their groups, heading toward their respective targets for the day's exploration.

The day unfolded exactly as expected—Gaston picking fights, showing off, and making things more difficult than necessary. Adrian kept his distance, playing along just enough to avoid suspicion but staying vigilant. Every move Gaston made was calculated, pushing him closer to isolation. By the time they reached their seventh ruin, the group treated him like he wasn't in the team at all.

But, he didn't mind it one bit, he even preferred it more. He would love to be alone than be together with those 'people'.

As the sun began to set and they finished their exploration, the group returned to the camp to prepare for the night. Adrian, as usual, set up his tent away from the others, keeping his distance. It was safer this way. He needed to be alone, especially with the threat of the Black Hand lurking.

Although his visions were 100% true till now, he couldn't always depend on them, the future was unpredictable after all.

He sat at the edge of his tent, staring into the fading light of dusk. The others were gathered around the main campfire, talking, laughing, and preparing for the next day ahead. He wasn't part of that world, not tonight. Not with what was coming.

The cool evening air settled in, and Adrian couldn't shake the feeling of something looming on the horizon. 'I'm prepared,' he reminded himself. 'I've seen this coming.'

But the unease remained, a quiet whisper at the back of his mind.

'Everything will be alright, right?'

______ ___ _

Gaston leaned against a nearby tree, his eyes narrowing as he observed Adrian from a distance. There he was—sitting alone, just as expected—quietly eating his meal in front of his small tent, far away from the rest of the group. The flickering flames of the campfire danced in the distance, casting long shadows over the camp, but Gaston's attention was fixed on one person.

"You're pretty tough, aren't you?" Gaston muttered under his breath, a satisfied smile curling at the corners of his lips. He admired how Adrian managed to keep his composure, even with all the pressure he'd put on him these past few weeks. Most people would have cracked by now, worn down by the relentless mind games, the isolation, the constant jabs. But not this guy.

"Still standing strong, huh?" Gaston crossed his arms, the satisfaction in his voice barely contained. "But even the toughest walls start to crack eventually. And once they do…"

He smirked, his eyes gleaming with malice as he thought about what tomorrow would bring. He'd been carefully laying the groundwork for weeks, testing Adrian, seeing how far he could push him without drawing too much attention. Those dark mercenaries were already waiting in the wings, and tomorrow, everything would fall into place.

His plan for Adrian was meticulously crafted, leaving no room for error.

"Tomorrow…" Gaston whispered, almost savoring the word. He could already picture it—the perfect setup, the perfect betrayal. He would lead Adrian into a seemingly inescapable situation, then claim it was all a tragic accident. An unfortunate casualty during a guardian monster attack, and no one would question it. After all, accidents happen in ruin explorations all the time.

And this guy had become a thorn in his side, too sharp and too perceptive for his liking. And worse, he had seen through Gaston's facade, forcing him to accelerate his plans. But it didn't matter now. Adrian's fate was sealed, and Gaston was more than ready to see it through.

Gaston's smirk widened into a grin, his eyes never leaving Adrian's solitary figure. "Everything will be alright," he muttered, the words dripping with irony. "For me, at least."

Tomorrow, the final piece of his plan would be set in motion, and Adrian wouldn't see it coming until it was too late.

As Gaston turned away, the flames of the campfire flickered brighter for a moment, casting his shadow long and dark against the ground. And somewhere, just beyond the light, a dangerous game of life and death was about to unfold.