Extra's Ascent

As he walked through the halls, eyes trailed him. Whispers fluttered like the wind, murmurs carried from one mouth to another, and curious stares clung to him with persistent intensity. They studied him, measured him, sizing him up like he was some newly discovered creature.

At first, he bore it in silence. Then came the weariness. Every step he took along this overly familiar path chipped away at his patience, but he had no choice. This route led to his classroom, and unless he intended to miss yet another of Professor Marianna's notoriously unforgiving lectures, he had to endure the unwanted attention.

"You know," said the figure walking beside him, voice playfully casual, "I'm seriously thinking of getting your autograph framed and putting it up on my media feed. You down for that?"

Aldrich didn't even glance his way. "Keep teasing me like that, Trevor, and trust me, an autograph won't be the only thing I'll be sending your way."

He didn't have the energy for this. Not after dealing with the relentless stares. The last thing he wanted was to receive more of the same from his closest friend.

"Oh, come on, Aldrich. Don't pretend you aren't enjoying even a tiny bit of this attention."

"Nope," Aldrich snapped, without hesitation. "Not one teeny, tiny bit."

He meant every word. He'd never been one to seek the spotlight. A little recognition for his effort? Sure. But this constant barrage of looks and whispers especially two weeks after the event, it was beyond exhausting.

By now, they should've moved on.

But they hadn't.

"Say what you will, man," Trevor continued with a grin. "You faced a second-year. A reputable second-year with Banquet experience. You really thought that wouldn't put you in Eldora's spotlight?"

He walked alongside Aldrich like a proud manager, basking in the reflected glory of his friend's newfound fame.

It had been two weeks since that defining moment in the Veilbourne arena, two weeks since Aldrich Aldaman stood opposite Kyle Dandada, one of Eldora Institute's celebrated prodigies.

The result?

"Ahem. Let's not go spreading false stories now," Aldrich said, giving Trevor a side glance. "I didn't win. The duel ended without a clear victor."

Technically, he was right.

The match never reached its natural conclusion. The exchange between him and Kyle had intensified too much. Their spells clashed violently, unleashing destruction in every direction. It had escalated so rapidly, so chaotically, that one of the viewer, Callumn, had stepped in to forcibly stop it. The safety of the surrounding students and perhaps the two duelists themselves had been at risk.

(Come on now folks, it's just a duel. No reason to get all serious over it). Was what Callum said, standing in between with both hands stretched out to stop with the deadliest offense they both could offer. Aldrich for certain.

But that detail didn't seem to matter.

"No one cares about the technicalities," Trevor shot back with a smirk. "You're a first-year fresh out of the gate and you held your own against a seasoned second-year with a solid track record. That's the only story people want to hear. That's the story that made you a legend overnight."

He wasn't wrong.

The story had taken a life of its own, growing taller by the day. Each retelling added a new detail, a new exaggeration. Some now claimed Aldrich had Kyle on the ropes. Others swore he unleashed a forbidden spell. There were even rumors that he was hiding some deeper, untapped potential that terrified even the instructors.

"See you later, Mister Famous. I gotta bolt," Trevor said, peeling off as he reached his own classroom, leaving Aldrich to continue his walk alone.

Aldrich moved forward, but his thoughts began to drift. His gaze fell to his open palm.

"I… I really did that?" he whispered, slowing his steps.

Two weeks had passed, and still the memory of that battle clung to him, vivid, electric, undeniable. He remembered the desperation. The drive. The raw instinct to survive, to match Kyle blow for blow, to dig deeper than he ever thought possible.

And somehow… he hadn't fallen short.

He didn't win. He knew that. But he didn't lose, either. The duel had ended without a winner, but to Aldrich, the result still felt surreal.

As for the conclusion that began the Veilbourne? It was decided that since one couldn't beat the other, the duel would be annualed.

A blatant unfairness but Aldrich is just glad he can continue to stay at Eldora.

Him? Aldrich Aldaman? Drawing with Kyle Dandada?

It sounded impossible, even now.

"No," he muttered, shaking his head. "That wasn't because I was strong. Kyle went easy on me. That's the only explanation."

He repeated the thought like a mantra. He had to believe it, the assumption that Kyle did not show all his cards.

Kyle never revealed his summon, his companion creature. Aldrich's own familiar had only just hatched, barely capable of much. But Kyle? His summon had matured, fully developed and more than capable of turning the tide in a serious duel.

Yet it never appeared.

That had to mean something. That had to be a sign Kyle wasn't going all out.

And if he wasn't, then the outcome of the match was nothing but a courtesy. A mercy.

"Still… it doesn't matter," Aldrich whispered, clenching his fist. "Easy or not, I stood there. I fought. I lasted."

There it was, that lingering taste. That spark. He had felt it, if only for a moment the intoxicating pull of being someone who mattered. For once, he hadn't just watched the main characters perform.

He was the main character.

He had always thought of himself as an outsider in this world. A spectator. Someone destined to watch others grow, overcome obstacles, and shape the future of Eldorado the Human continent.

He was supposed to remain in the background, observing all of that unfolding.

But not anymore.

That moment in the Veilbourne had changed everything.

He had proven to everyone and to himself that he didn't have to stand on the sidelines.

He could fight.

He could grow.

He could belong.

No longer just a visitor to this world, Aldrich had made his decision. He wasn't content to be a passive observer. He wasn't here to watch geniuses rise. He was going to rise with them.

He would no longer fear the spotlight, nor shy away from challenge.

He would earn his place not through whispers and exaggerations, but through effort. Relentless effort. Determination. Grit.

Even if the path ahead seemed impossible abd even if Kyle had gone easy on him, what mattered now was that Aldrich had found a reason to try.

And he wasn't letting that go.