Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

"I can say it now…"

She finally purred, her voice low and velvety, her eyes locked onto Adrian's with an intensity that made his pulse race uncontrollably.

"I like this face the most," she whispered, stepping closer, her breath almost brushing his skin. "I..."

Her lips curved into a mischievous smile, her eyes still gleaming with that dangerous mix of desire and amusement. Her body pressed closer, her breath hot against Adrian's skin as she whispered the words that sent a cold shiver down his spine.

"I love you."

"!?"

Before Adrian could even react, Evangeline closed the remaining distance between them, her lips hovering mere inches from his. Her predatory smile softened into something more intimate—more dangerous—as she moved to claim what she wanted.

'Shoot-!'

Adrian's eyes widened in shock.

'N-No-!'

He tried to pull away, both his body and mind screaming at him to move, to get away, but something was wrong.

'M-My body!'

His limbs wouldn't respond, immobilized as though an unseen force held him in place. He tried to speak, to protest, but his voice was trapped in his throat, his mind spiraling into chaos.

And then, her lips touched his.

"!"

The moment their lips connected, instead of a sweet taste or feeling, a wave of disgust and fear started to surge through Adrian's body, strong and violent, making his heart pound uncontrollably.

'Urgh...'

His mind screamed in protest, but his body remained frozen, paralyzed under her control. The touch of her lips was soft, sensual—yet all he could feel was a deep, unsettling wrongness coursing through him.

'What is this...?' His thoughts scattered as a strange, visceral reaction took over. An impulsive fear and discomfort gnawed at the core of his being, as if some long-buried instinct, a trauma had been triggered.

And then, in the darkness behind his blank eyes, images began to flash—distorted, fragmented. He found himself in a dimly lit room, an oppressive, suffocating atmosphere hanging heavy in the air.

A shadowed figure stood before the figure he was seeing from, a woman whose face was blurred, unclear yet eerily similar to Evangeline's. She also leaned in, kissing him with a strange familiarity, one that filled his very soul with dread.

The kiss wasn't sweet or tender.

It was overwhelming, suffocating, as though it drained the very life out of him. And the images changed, their positions... She did the deed with him, or the figure he was seeing from... But, she was the only one who was enjoying...

And just like that, the pain hit—sharp and excruciating, tearing through his skull like jagged shards of glass.

'W-What's happening? W-What are these?'

Adrian's body trembled uncontrollably, his muscles seizing under the pressure of the foreign sensation. His heart raced faster, his breathing becoming shallow and ragged. But no matter how much his mind screamed to move, to push her away, his body remained paralyzed.

Meanwhile, Evangeline, oblivious to the torment raging inside him, seemed to savor every moment, her eyes fluttering shut as she deepened the kiss, her hand sliding down his neck with a languid caress. Her touch was possessive, slow, as if she were relishing every second of control she had over him.

But Adrian...

Adrian was drowning in a flood of strange memories, sensations he couldn't place. That shadowy figure—the woman in his mind—it all felt so familiar yet so distant, like a nightmare long buried.

His eyes blurred, his vision darkening as the pain in his head intensified, pounding with such ferocity that he thought he might pass out. His mind swirled with confusion, images flashing faster, more violently, until they became too much to bear.

And then, suddenly, a brilliant light cut through the darkness.

The silver ring on Adrian's hand began to glow, bright and pure, its light pushing against the oppressive force surrounding him. It pulsed with an energy that broke through the haze, piercing the suffocating fog that had immobilized him.

His vision filled with darkness became empty, pure white in a moment.

"Stop!"

A voice, sharp and anxious, cut through the tension like a blade.

Adrian's breath came in ragged gasps as his vision slowly returned, though it was still blurred by the pain searing through his skull. The sharp ache clouded his thoughts, and the voice—whoever had just shouted—sounded muffled, distant. His body was no longer frozen, but weak, trembling under the strain of what he'd just experienced.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

His vision was blocked by Evangeline's body, her silhouette casting a shadow over him.

He could barely make out her face as she pulled back from the kiss, her eyes still half-lidded, filled with a lust that sent chills down his spine. But something shifted in her gaze—her lustful expression was slowly being replaced by a cold, calculating ruthlessness.

She had felt the interruption, the sudden force that shattered the control she had over him. Her lips parted, not in surprise, but in annoyance, her brow furrowing in displeasure.

"Who dares..." she hissed under her breath, her voice laced with venom as she turned to see who had intruded on their precious moment.

Adrian, still dazed and barely able to focus, blinked through the haze of pain. His chest tightened as guilt welled up within him. He had a feeling he knew exactly who had arrived—and that thought alone made his heartache, regret and guilt clawing at him.

Evangeline stood, her body turning with irritation as she faced the intruder.

At the entrance to the room stood a mature girl, her long silver hair cascading down her back like moonlight, and her deep purple eyes filled with intensity. She held a small hedgehog-like creature in her arms—a creature Adrian recognized immediately.

It was Noxy. So...

So, his guess was right...

The girl's expression was grim, her features set in determination as she stared down Evangeline without flinching. For a brief moment, Evangeline's cold gaze softened into recognition, her lips quirking in amusement.

"Well, well… I didn't expect you," she murmured, a sly grin creeping across her face. "But what's with that? Bringing a pet to a fight?"

But as she recalled what the newcomer had done to disrupt her, Evangeline's amusement faded, and her fury returned full force. Her eyes narrowed into sharp slits, filled with simmering rage. Without a word, she flicked her wrist, her fingers swiping through the air.

A sudden, violent current of wind surged toward the silver-haired girl, sharp and fast, like a blade slicing through the room.

"A-Aria-!"