Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

"A-Aurelius," she called softly.

He glanced down at her, concern flickering across his face. "What is it? Are you ok?"

Rhea smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She leaned up quickly, closing the distance between them, and before Aurelius could react, her lips pressed against his.

The kiss caught him off guard, his eyes widening in shock. But in the same instant, he felt something strange—something warm and foreign sliding past his lips.

It was a liquid.

Aurelius, still stunned, couldn't move. The shock of the kiss, the unexpectedness of it, held him frozen. By the time he realized what had happened, it was too late.

Meanwhile, the vial was empty. And the liquid she had passed into him was already sinking into his system.

Rhea pulled back, her face flushed once more, this time with a mixture of real and feigned embarrassment. Her lips curled into a soft smile, but her eyes—those cold, calculating eyes—watched him closely, waiting for something.

Aurelius blinked, still dazed, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

However, suddenly, Aurelius's vision started to blur, a wave of dizziness crashing over him. His heart pounded in his chest, but his limbs felt heavy, unresponsive. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. The liquid Rhea had forced into him was spreading fast, clouding his thoughts.

"Rhea…" Aurelius murmured, his voice slurred. His body faltered as he staggered, trying to steady himself. "I—something's wrong. Help me."

But when he glanced down at Rhea, his heart lurched.

Her once gentle and beautiful eyes filled with kindness and shyness, now cold and devoid of emotion, met his. There was no fear, no concern—only a chilling detachment. A moment passed between them, silent and tense. Then, her lips parted, and she whispered, almost too softly to hear.

"Sorry."

Before Aurelius could react, Rhea's hand moved with startling speed. Her fist struck the back of his head with precision, and his already clouded mind shattered into darkness.

"W-why?" Aurelius gasped, his voice barely a breath as his body collapsed. His arms loosened their grip on Rhea, and she slowly slipped from his grasp. The world around him dimmed as he crumpled to the ground, his vision narrowing to a pinprick of light.

Rhea stood over him, watching his consciousness fade, her face unreadable.

Aurelius's world went black.

---

Rhea remained still, her gaze locked on Aurelius's limp body. Slowly, she straightened, brushing the dirt from her clothes. Her expression was calm, controlled—yet a strange emotion flickered behind her eyes as she stared down at him. Not regret, not sorrow—but something else.

Something darker.

The ground trembled beneath them, and the abominations were closing in, their hulking forms ready to strike, their monstrous roars filling the air. Their twisted limbs and grotesque figures moved with terrifying speed, intent on claiming their prey.

Rhea's eyes flickered, and she turned sharply to face the oncoming creatures. A sudden and unnatural glow ignited in her irises—a deep, violent shade of violet-red. The air around her seemed to shift, as though her very presence had grown heavier, more menacing.

The abominations froze in their tracks.

Their glowing, soulless eyes became blank, as if something—or someone—had seized control of them. For a moment, the entire street fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the distant crackling of fire and the distant screams of the city's collapse.

Rhea's voice, calm but laced with authority, cut through the stillness. "Get lost," she commanded, her voice unnaturally cold. "I'll take him to her."

The abominations hesitated for only a heartbeat before they obeyed, retreating with unnatural speed, their hulking forms disappearing into the shadows. Whatever force had held them in check was far stronger than their bloodlust, and they vanished as quickly as they had come.

Rhea watched them go, her glowing eyes narrowing in silent satisfaction.

Then, slowly, she turned back to Aurelius. His body lay still, vulnerable on the ground. For a moment, her expression softened, an odd tenderness creeping into her features—but it was mixed with an undercurrent of coldness, almost like a predator observing its prey.

She crouched beside him, her fingers brushing a lock of hair from his face as she whispered, "Don't worry. You'll understand soon enough."

Her eyes, still glowing faintly, lingered on him for a moment longer before she stood again, her cold resolve returning.

Slowly, a small smile spread across her face as she crouched beside him, effortlessly slipping her arms beneath his limp form. With an ease that defied her earlier claims of injury, she lifted him into a princess carry, cradling him against her chest as if he weighed nothing at all.

Her "leg injury" from earlier, which had caused her to limp in front of Aurelius, was gone, as though it had never existed.

Rhea straightened, shifting Aurelius's weight comfortably, then paused. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, as if feeling the air or sensing something only she could detect.

When she opened them again, she started walking without hesitation, her steps firm and unyielding. She moved through the dimly lit streets, heading in one clear direction—the Valerian Hall.
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At a large mansion surrounded by lush gardens, the atmosphere was tense. Inside the vast yard, two girls moved hurriedly between groups of people—men, women, and children of all ages—who had sought refuge in the estate. The mansion belonged to Tessa and Lenny, who had graciously offered their home as a sanctuary for those fleeing the chaos outside.

The two girls, Aria and Aurelia, worked tirelessly among the people, tending to their needs and offering whatever help they could. Aurelia's usually bright face was now shadowed with worry, her hands moving mechanically as she handed out supplies and guided the children to safer parts of the mansion.

Her mind, however, was elsewhere, filled with worry for two people—her brother, Adrian, and Aurelius. Her heart raced every time she thought of them.

Aria, standing nearby, mirrored Aria's concern, her expression tight as she helped a young mother calm her frightened child. Then she paused in her work, glancing up at the sky with a faraway look in her glowing eyes.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she saw flashes of the situation Adrian was in through her ability. She has been using it to check on him every minute or so.

"He's in trouble again, isn't he?" Aria whispered under her breath, her worry intensifying.

Aurelia, who had overheard her, nodded slowly. "He is always getting himself into situations like this," she said, her voice tight with unease. "But... it's not just him. Aurelius—" She broke off, her hand gripping the edge of the table in front of her. "He contacted me a little while ago, but the connection was cut off."

Aria turned to her, sensing the depth of her concern. "Did he say what was happening?"

Aurelia shook her head. "No. I could hear monsters in the background—loud, awful noises. And then the call was off. I don't know what's happened to him."

The two stood in a tense silence for a moment, their shared worry hanging heavy between them. The mansion bustled with activity around them, but both girls were lost in thoughts of the dangers their loved ones were facing, unaware of the fates unfolding far from them.

Aria sighed trying to calm her emotions down. She looked at the golden ring on her hand, rubbing it with gentle care, the images of those sweet moments passing through her eyes.

'I need to see everything...'

'Only then can I help him...'