Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Adrian's mind whirled in confusion and anger, his eyes narrowing at Veda. "What the hell are you doing?" he thought, though his lips couldn't move to form the words.

Veda, her face now devoid of the emotions she had shown earlier, turned her gaze toward the entrance.

The sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway beyond the door—slow, deliberate, each step resonating ominously.

Adrian's pulse quickened once again, a chill creeping up his spine as seconds dragged on like hours. This scene was eerily similar to those horror movies. Whoever was approaching was taking their time, each footfall ringing out like a death knell in the suffocating silence of the room.

Finally, the door creaked open.

A figure stepped inside, veiled in dark, flowing fabric, their presence instantly filling the room. The figure's posture was poised, their movements graceful yet dripping with cold malice.

The veiled beauty stopped in the center of the room, a smile barely visible beneath the shadow of their hood. Then, in a soft, chilling voice that sent a shiver down Adrian's spine, they spoke.

"Long time no see, Master."

Veda's eyes darkened, her lips tightening into a thin line. "I don't have a disciple like you," she responded coldly, her voice steady but edged with something dangerous.

The woman, Evangeline, let out a soft, sinister snicker. The sound was almost musical, yet it echoed with a malice that made the air in the room feel colder. She tilted her head ever so slightly, her movements graceful but unsettling, like a predator toying with its prey.

"What are you talking about, Master?" she replied, her voice dripping with feigned innocence. "Didn't you once say I was your one and only disciple?" Her tone twisted the words into a taunt, each syllable intentionally provocative.

Veda's brow furrowed, a flicker of frustration flashing across her face. "That was a long time ago," she said, her voice low but firm. "After that incident, I no longer considered you my disciple."

At this, Evangeline's expression shifted ever so slightly beneath the veil. She tilted her head further, as if genuinely puzzled by Veda's words. "Incident?" she asked, her voice soft, almost childlike in its innocence. "What incident are you talking about, Master?" She placed a hand on her chest, the gesture exaggerated and mocking. "Have I done something wrong?" Your adventure continues at empire

Adrian could feel the temperature in the room drop further, the weight of Evangeline's words hanging in the air like poison.

He could sense Veda's resolve wavering, a storm of emotion brewing behind her usually stoic facade. For the first time since he had known her, Veda appeared vulnerable—haunted, even—by whatever past the two women shared.

But Evangeline wasn't finished.

She took a slow step forward, her eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "Come now, Master. You of all people should know that incident had nothing to do with me."

"In fact..."

"It was all your-"

"Shut up-!"

Veda's voice was icy, but beneath the coldness, Adrian detected an uncharacteristic edge—a tremor in her usually unshakable composure. He frowned, the gears in his mind whirring. 'Was there a more hidden story behind that incident?' he wondered. 'What could have happened between them that still haunted Veda like this?'

His instincts screamed at him to move, to break free from the immobilizing magic, but Veda's spell held him firmly in place, forcing him to remain a silent observer to the confrontation unraveling before him.

Evangeline, however, was unfazed.

Her amusement didn't wane. If anything, it only deepened, her lips curling into a predatory smile beneath the veil as she took another slow step forward. Her voice, now stripped of its earlier feigned innocence, turned sharp and biting, dripping with venom.

"Why?" she asked softly, mockingly. "Are you feeling guilty, Master? Ashamed, perhaps, for hiding the truth this whole time?"

Veda's eyes hardened, her posture rigid, but Evangeline wasn't done. She tilted her head, her tone growing darker with every word, pushing Veda further toward the edge.

Adrian also calmed down and listened intently to their conversation. He knew he was going to learn the truth now.

"Are you still denying the fact that it was all your fault?"

Veda's hands clenched into fists, her body tense, but she didn't speak.

"You can't run from the truth forever," Evangeline continued, her voice lowering to a whisper, as if sharing a secret. "You know exactly what happened, don't you? The truth you've kept buried—does it still haunt your dreams, Master? Does it burn at your conscience?" She paused, her eyes gleaming with twisted satisfaction.

"Because you and I both know, no matter how hard you try to forget, it will always be there. Just like I am here now."

The weight of her words lingered in the air, suffocating, heavy with unspoken history and pain. Adrian's frown deepened. Whatever this incident was, it had clearly scarred both of them in ways he couldn't yet understand.

But Evangeline wasn't just dredging up the past for the sake of cruelty—there was something deeper at play, something personal, and the sharpness of her accusations suggested there was a wound still festering between them.

Adrian's heart raced as he watched Veda's usually calm expression crack, her cold exterior slipping. A flash of something close to guilt passed through her eyes, but it vanished just as quickly, replaced with steely resolve.

"No more lies," Veda hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm not responsible for your madness. You chose this path, Evangeline. You embraced it yourself. Stop trying to manipulate me."

"Huh, did I?" Evangeline's voice turned chillingly soft, her mocking smile never leaving her face. "Or..."

"...did you push me toward it?"

Adrian watched as Veda's facade began to crack under the pressure of Evangeline's words.

"I-I..." Veda stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper, as if the weight of those buried memories was pressing down on her. Adrian could almost see the tumult within her, the hidden pain or shame bubbling to the surface, forcing her to relive moments she had tried so hard to forget.

Evangeline's eyes glimmered with a cruel satisfaction, and she stepped closer, her presence an unsettling shadow. "Ah, there it is—the hesitation," she cooed, her voice dripping with malicious glee. "It's funny, isn't it? How the past can resurface so unexpectedly?"