Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

As Adrian finished speaking, an eerie silence filled the chamber. The air was thick with tension once more, the only sound the faint echo of the Guardian's last breath. For a moment, neither Gaston nor Adrian moved. Then, suddenly, Gaston threw his head back and started laughing, the sound echoing off the stone walls like a twisted melody.

"Hahaha!"

"Hahaha!"

'Does this guy have a mental issue after all...'

"...Haha... You got me good," Gaston sneered, his eyes glinting with a malicious gleam. "As I thought, you're not like the others. You're not naïve and ignorant... but you really are stupid. Even after figuring out what I'm going to do, you're still acting this cocky.

But it won't be for too long."

"You know what I'll do after I take care of you? I'll start with your—"

"Stop, stop, stop." Adrian interrupted shaking his hands, his tone flat but laced with mockery. "Please, spare me the third-rate villain monologue. I'm fed up with hearing that kind of nonsense all this time. Honestly, it's boring and time-wasting."

Gaston's lips twitched uncontrollably as he fought to maintain his composure. There was something about this boy that really got under his skin, something that made every word he said crawl like a blade under his pride. He had to admit, he was good at pissing people off. But even he had a limit.

And now that limit had been reached.

Taking a deep breath, Gaston straightened, his smile returning as he gestured to the shadows around them. "You heard the kid, guys. He's all yours."

'You are lucky I won't be interfering...'

Swoosh-!

As if on cue, several figures dressed in black robes and masks emerged from the darkness, their movements silent, fluid, and predatory. They circled Adrian like vultures waiting for their prey to stumble. Gaston leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold with a smug grin plastered on his face. Even though he couldn't join them, he could at least watch a good show.

But Adrian didn't move. He stood there, his posture calm, almost bored, as though he were waiting for something. Well, indeed he was.

He was waiting for the last scene from his vision to unfold exactly as he'd seen.

"..."

'!'

Then, he felt it—a subtle shift in the air behind him.

"It's really dark here..." Adrian said, his voice soft but carrying in the silence, "...so let me make it—"

One of the assassins appeared behind him, his daggers inches away from Adrian's head, poised to strike. But before he could finish the job, Adrian smiled widely.

"—Bright."

In an instant, a blinding white light erupted from Adrian, so pure and intense that it illuminated the entire chamber in a matter of seconds. The light surged like a wave, washing over everything, filling every crevice with a searing brilliance that forced everyone to shield their eyes.

The masked assassins recoiled, their movements faltering as the overwhelming brightness swallowed the darkness they had thrived in.

Then came the screams.

"Argh-!"

"Hick-!"

"Thud-!"

Sharp, guttural cries of pain echoed throughout the chamber, followed by the dull thuds of bodies hitting the ground. Confusion grew further as the screams seemed to come from all directions—cries of agony that didn't make sense. No one had moved in the blinding light, and yet it sounded like people were being cut down one by one.

And then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the light dispersed, vanishing into thin air like it had never been there at all.

"Huff..."

Gaston, who had been leaning casually against the wall, was a second too late in reacting.

"Urgh..." He rubbed his eyes furiously, trying to rid himself of the blinding afterimage. His vision blurred, and tears streamed down his face as he blinked rapidly, attempting to clear his sight.

"Damn it..." he muttered under his breath, frustration mounting. "W-What the hell just happened?"

And then, from behind him, a cold voice, laced with amusement, pierced the haze of confusion.

"Surprised?"

"!"

Gaston's mind went blank for a split second as a chill ran down his spine.

'I... I'm gonna die!'

His instincts screamed danger, but his body was too slow to respond. He felt the cold steel of a dagger slice across the back of his neck.

It was sharp, precise—aimed to kill.

'No-!'

But before the blade could finish its deadly path, a gust of wind exploded around Gaston, forming a shimmering barrier that surrounded his body at the last possible second. The wind shield deflected the blade just enough to save his life. The dagger missed its mark, slicing through the air instead of his throat.

Adrian, standing behind him with the dagger in hand, raised an eyebrow, 'surprised'. He hadn't expected a wind shield to appear instead of an earth barrier.

"Heh," Adrian muttered to himself in his mind. 'So you had a life-saving item after all.'

"Urgh..."

Gritting his teeth, Gaston came back to his senses, fury surging through him. He quickly pulled out a scroll from his robes and activated it. The parchment disintegrated in his hands, and in an instant, he vanished from his position, reappearing on the opposite side of the chamber in a swirl of energy.

Adrian turned to where Gaston had teleported, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 'A teleportation scroll too, huh? I guess I shouldn't be surprised.'

'By how I can easily predict...'

He let out a soft chuckle and disappeared from his spot as well, vanishing into the air as he donned an invisible and aura hiding cloack.

As he moved silently through the darkness, his mind wandered to the sounds he had heard earlier—the screams, the painful thuds. There was something strange about them. Why had those assassins screamed like that? Adrian hadn't touched them nor had the intention to, and yet...

'Why did they sound like they were being slaughtered?'

'Did they kill each other because of the surprise?'

'Or did some of them betray the others? Possible...'

He glanced around the chamber, but it was still too dark to see clearly. The light from before had left everyone disoriented, and the lingering darkness now felt heavier, and more oppressive than before.

Adrian's curiosity grew as he moved silently, searching for the answer. He had a feeling this might go easier than he expected...

But...