Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Adrian moved silently through the chamber, his steps barely making a sound as he made his way toward Gaston's new position. It had gone smoother than he'd anticipated—almost too smooth. He'd expected a bit more resistance, especially from someone as arrogant as Gaston. But now here he was, carrying Gaston's limp body, who had passed out after a few well-placed punches.

Well, there was the help of poison too, but still...

"So much for acting high and mighty," Adrian muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips. 'I guess he is a third-rate villain after all, but to lose to an extra... Hahaha...'

He was about to head for the artifact when he felt a sudden, strange sensation. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he stopped, glancing around warily.

'Crap, I forgot about the assassins since I didn't hear anything.'

Righ, it couldn't be this easy.

'Gulp... Should I use 'it' again?'

Turning his gaze forward, his eyes widened as he spotted three figures standing just ahead, waving at him.

'...?'

One of them was Aria, her bright smile practically glowing in the dim light. And next to her, much to his surprise, were two very familiar faces—Tessa and Lenny, the couple who had somehow ended up "stalking" them during his first date with Aria.

"Eh?"

'What the hell…?' Adrian blinked, dumbfounded by the unexpected reunion.

Aria beamed and waved enthusiastically. "Adrian! Over here!"

Tessa and Lenny waved too, grinning like they were meeting an old friend at a casual gathering, not standing in the middle of a dark chamber surrounded by assassins, either dead or unconscious.

'...'

For a moment, Adrian just stood there, holding Gaston's unconscious body like a sack of potatoes, utterly perplexed. Then, without thinking, he raised his free hand and waved back awkwardly, his mind still trying to process what was happening.

"Uh... hey," he said, his voice betraying his confusion.

In the back of his mind, Adrian couldn't help but think, 'I'm not under an illusion, right?'

He pinched his skin, but it felt too painful to call this an illusion. He even punched Gaston to hear his painful growl. Anyway, he couldn't let his guard down.

"..."

"Pffft-!"

Lessy and Tessa laughed out loud, holding their stomachs.

"Y-Your boyfriend is really funny, girl."

"Hahaha! Look at his face, lol."

Even Aria was giggling while looking at him.

'...' Adrian's mind raced with confusion. 'What... the actual hell is going on?'

He took a slow breath, trying to gather his thoughts.

This was supposed to be a tense, climactic moment, but somehow, it had turned into something absurd.

The situation felt completely surreal—Aria and the others casually standing there as though this was just a normal day, with assassins unconscious all around them and Gaston still limp in his arms.

But then again his instincts told him something was off, even if the scene seemed harmless.

But his doubts disappeared once he saw Aria smiling at him while pointing her fingers at the golden ring on her hand.

'!'

Adrian's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered the deal he had made with Aria during a similar situation back at the Seductive Serpent's Ruin. They had devised a secret code for situations just like this, where they couldn't trust their surroundings or what they saw. Aria's signal was always her golden ring.

A slow smile spread across his face, and he raised his hand, pointing to the silver ring on his own finger. "Aria?"

Her smile widened as she nodded, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "It's me, Adrian."

Adrian didn't even have to glance at his ring to verify. He knew the truth the moment he saw her gesture, a weight lifting from his chest as relief washed over him. He threw away Gaston's unconscious body without any care and took a step forward, his arms opening slightly as he moved toward her, ready to pull her into a hug.

The surreal tension of the moment melted away as the absurdity of the scene began to feel like a twisted dream.

But before Adrian could close the distance, Tessa's voice shattered the mood.

"Hold up, hold up! What are you two doing?" she asked, her voice laced with playful suspicion. "Is this some kind of secret code between you two?"

"Eh?"

Adrian froze mid-step, his outstretched arms hanging awkwardly in the air. He turned toward Tessa, blinking, as if suddenly aware of how odd the whole situation must have looked.

But he couldn't care about being embarrassed since everything was already absurd.

Aria, on the other hand, burst into a giggle, clearly amused by Tessa's question. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," she teased, shooting a hidden wink at Adrian.

Adrian let out a resigned sigh, running a hand through his hair which he thought made him look cool. (N: It did, right?)

"You could say that," he said, shooting an exasperated look at Tessa and Lenny, who were both still grinning like kids who'd caught their parents doing something suspicious. 'Who are the adults here anyway?'

"Hehe," Tessa tilted her head, her grin widening. "So, are we interrupting a romantic moment, or should we be concerned about the guy lying unconscious at your feet?"

Lenny nudged Tessa. "Hey, it could be both. You never know with youth these days. They are even bolder than we were. Especially boys."

'Can you make it more obvious?'

Adrian rolled his eyes but couldn't help the faint smile tugging at his lips. "It's neither," he muttered, glancing down at Gaston, who let out a groggy groan. "I've still got some unfinished business with this one."

"But..."

"He can wait till I hear your explanation."

"Why are you guys here?"

"...And what did you do?"

The casual air vanished in an instant, replaced by a sharp tension that he hadn't expected. Aria's once playful expression darkened, her bright smile fading as she turned her gaze to him, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"It's because of you, idiot!" she said coldly, her voice cutting through the air like a blade. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel, her back facing him, arms crossed over her chest as if sealing off any further communication. The tension in the room became palpable.

Adrian stood there, stunned, the words hanging in the air like a heavy weight. "W-What?" he stammered, completely taken aback.

'Wait, what did I do?!'