Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

"..."

Under the turbulent skies of the Lightning Territory, the purple-winged monster hovered in the air, its glowing eyes fixed on the horizon. Far in the distance, a black dot streaked across the terrain, vanishing into the chaos of the storm. Its speed was almost unnatural, a speed that defied logic and made even the predator doubt their eyes.

An irritated, low growl escaped the creature's throat, the storm seeming to echo its frustration.

"How... how is he so fast?" it muttered, its voice tinged with disbelief.

The wings flared briefly, sending out a ripple of purple energy as the figure landed softly on the charred ground below. The disguise flickered, and the truth was revealed—a female student with silver hair and deep purple eyes.

It was Aria.

Her usually calm demeanor was shaken, her mind racing as she replayed the brief clash that had just taken place. In those fleeting moments, she'd felt his strength—a power that rivaled the peak of the Lunar Tier.

What's more, the boy didn't have an Aether Core but a similar thing.

Yet that wasn't what disturbed her most.

"He's not human," she murmured under her breath, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her sword. "Not an elf... not a beastfolk... no race I recognize in this world."

A slight chill ran down her spine as the realization dawned on her. Her voice dropped to a whisper, the words heavy with certainty.

"He's not from this world."

The thought hung in the air, oppressive and weighty. Aria's sharp instincts warned her of the potential threat this boy posed—not just to the examinees, but to the very stability of the exam itself.

She didn't waste another moment. Raising her wrist, she pressed a small, glowing sigil etched into the bracelet on her arm. A faint hum signaled the activation of the communication channel.

"This is Aria," she said, her voice crisp and commanding. "There's an intruder in the exam. A black-haired boy with a scythe. He's highly skilled, possibly at the peak of Lunar Tier. Non-human. If you see him, watch out. Do not engage recklessly. Try to catch him if you can."

She didn't wait for a reply. Snapping the channel off with a flick of her fingers, Aria lowered her wrist and glanced back at the horizon where the boy had disappeared.

Her violet wings unfurled once more as she muttered to herself, "I hope nothing will bad happen... And..."

'I need to find Adrian.'

The storm surged around her as she reactivated the disguise, the faint shimmer enveloping her form once again. The wings faded into shadowy outlines, her humanoid features replaced by the intimidating visage of the purple-winged predator.

With one last glance at the direction he had fled, Aria took to the skies. She wasn't about to let this mysterious figure roam unchecked. Whatever his purpose here, it couldn't be good.

Things had just taken a dangerous turn, and Aria intended to make sure it didn't spiral further out of control.

Far ahead, the boy with the scythe continued his relentless march, unaware—or perhaps entirely unconcerned—that a predator had marked him as her quarry.

_____ ___ __

Two hours later.

Under the searing sun of the Earth Territory's arid desert, Adrian moved steadily across the cracked and scorched terrain. The ground beneath his boots crunched with each step, and the dry wind whipped against his face, carrying faint whispers of distant skirmishes. His eyes scanned the horizon as he considered Aria's message.

The message had been clear: a black-haired boy with a scythe, possibly at the peak of Lunar Tier, and a non-human entity. Adrian had pieced together a plan based on logic and probability.

The Lightning Territory, two zones away, was too far for him to reach in the short time allotted for the exam. Even if he wanted to investigate immediately, leaving his current territory was not feasible without wasting precious time. That left him with two possibilities.

The scythe boy would either head to the other side of the Lightning Territory to evade pursuit or make his way toward this side of the map. He also needed to gather the required tokens to enter the central zone.

Adrian's boots ground to a halt as he crouched behind a jagged rock, brushing his hair back and letting out a soft breath. The likelihood of encountering the boy in this direction, according to his calculations, was slim. After four hours of the exam, there had been no sign of him—not even a trace.

That left only one logical conclusion.

"The center zone," Adrian murmured to himself, eyes narrowing. "That's where we'll meet. It's the only place where all examinees who've gathered enough tokens will gather. And..."

It was also the place where the incident would take place.

"Alas, the academy is a bit strict.

Unfortunately, the location of the central zone wasn't provided to the predators - the second year. Each predator had to rely on their instincts and deductive skills to find their 'prey', it was a deliberate task given by the academy.

However, the academy probably wasn't aware of the intruder, or at least, Adrian assumed they weren't. They likely viewed this as another trial for the students, a dangerous but not entirely unexpected variable.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

But Adrian knew better.

He could've sent a warning to the academy beforehand. He had the means to do so. Yet, he had chosen to keep the information to himself.

Not out of recklessness. Not out of pride. But because he had a reason—a good one.

Continue your story on empire

Adrian adjusted the strap of his blade, its familiar weight grounding him. "If the academy finds out," he muttered, "they'll send enforcers to handle him. But enforcers can't solve every problem. Since he's not from this world…"

His voice trailed off as his mind pieced together the potential chaos that could ensue. The academy's interference could escalate the situation, pushing the scythe boy into a corner. Desperation was dangerous, especially when it came from someone as mysterious and enigmatic as the scythe boy.

And there was something else.

'This has to happen, one way or another.'

'As this incident will be the first step to the future events.'