Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

"..."

[Kill her.]

Adrian had a dull, cold expression. Standing in front of him was his sister, looking at him with hatred and fear.

[Kill her.]

The voice sounded once again.

Adrian slowly raised his sword and... stabbed Aurelia.

Adrian watched with a cold detachment as his sister, Aurelia, gasped and staggered backward, her eyes wide with shock and pain. Blood seeped from the wound, staining her clothes and the ground beneath her. The hatred and fear in her eyes began to fade, replaced by a heartbreaking look of betrayal.

[Good job,] the voice whispered, dripping with satisfaction.

Aurelia's knees buckled, and she fell to the ground, her breaths growing shallow. Adrian's grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles turning white, but his expression remained stoic. He didn't flinch, didn't waver as he stood over her, watching the life drain from her body.

The world around him began to blur, the edges of his vision darkening until everything went black.

Suddenly, Adrian's eyes snapped open, and he found himself lying in a tent, his body drenched in sweat. His heart pounded in his chest, and his breaths came in ragged gasps. He sat up, massaging his temples in an attempt to calm himself.

'Damn you, Dream Stalker,' he cursed inwardly, the lingering horror of the nightmare still clinging to his mind. 'Making me kill Aurelia, even if it was in a dream... an illusion...'

Adrian ran a hand through his damp hair, trying to steady his racing thoughts. The Dream Stalker had been tormenting him more frequently, the nightmares becoming increasingly vivid and cruel. Each one felt more real than the last, pushing him to the edge of his sanity.

'But, that was probably the last 'test' in the dreams, so I can take a little break...'

He glanced around the tent, the faint light of dawn filtering through the fabric. Ardel was still asleep nearby, unaware of the torment Adrian had just endured. Taking a deep breath, Adrian forced himself to calm down. He couldn't afford to let these nightmares affect him. He had to stay focused and strong.

Silently, he slipped out of the tent, careful not to wake Ardel. The cool morning air hit his face, a welcome relief from the suffocating darkness of the nightmare. He walked a short distance away from their camp and found a small, secluded spot where he could gather his thoughts.

Sitting down on a flat rock, Adrian closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to center himself. The image of Aurelia, bleeding and dying at his hands, haunted him. He clenched his fists, anger, and frustration boiling within him.

"I will pay you back tenfold once this is all over," he vowed quietly, his voice filled with burning determination. "Just you wait, you damn psychopath..."

____ __ _

Adrian and Ardel reunited with the others after an hour they woke up and had breakfast. All the students had dark circles around their eyes, evidence of a restless night in the valley. The grueling night session and the cold winter night had taken their toll on everyone.

Seeing them well and healthy, many cast envious glances at them.

Ignoring them, Adrian headed to Aurelius and Ren who were busy discussing something.

Emeric was sitting not far away from them. As soon as he sensed their presence he looked at Adrian, his eyes emitting a killing intent, but he quickly turned away.

Adrian naturally noticed it but didn't say or do anything. Instead, he greeted Aurelius and Ren.

"Good morning you two, how did the night go?"

"Ah, Adrian, you are here." Aurelius exchanged a handshake with both Adrian and Ardel. Ren did the same.

"Don't mention the night. We were attacked by a hoard of beasts four times. Nobody could sleep properly. It seems your idea of going off on your own was smarter after all," Aurelius said with a wry smile, rubbing his tired eyes.

Ren nodded in agreement, looking equally exhausted. "Yeah, it was brutal. We barely had time to catch our breath between attacks."

Adrian chuckled softly, though his eyes remained sharp and focused. "We had our fair share of trouble too, but at least we managed to find some peace."

Aurelius added, "Yeah, but let's not get too comfortable. Who knows what Professor Doome has planned next?"

Ardel shook his head. "That old man is truly relentless. I heard he's planning another surprise in the next lesson."

Ren groaned. "Haha, great. More surprises. At this rate, I will end up disliking surprises."

"Speaking of surprises, he said there would a big surprise awaiting for us once we reach the center of the valley." Adrian muttered. "Let's check it out after everyone takes a good nap. Or else the old man will find a way to send the trouble itself to us."

"Right, he did like that one lesson ago, right?" The three recalled their experience two weeks ago.

They were dropped in a desert and the old man told them there would be a surprise if they could find a well hidden in that little desert. But they didn't search for it and coincidentally ended up finding it at the end of the day, however, they were met with a large hoard of Black Desert Scorpions. They had to fight for an hour to kill them all.

Adrian's suggestion was immediately met with weary nods. "I don't think any of us will argue with that," Aurelius said, stretching his arms. "We definitely need some rest before facing whatever he has in store for us."

Ren added, "Yeah, a nap sounds perfect right now."

"Ah, if it doesn't sound bothersome, can you keep watch while others take a sleep?" Aurelius turned to Adrian and Ardel.

The two exchanged glances and nodded. "Ok, but you guys will take care of us at lunch and dinner."

"Ok, that's a deal." Aurelius agreed with a smile. "Let me tell the others, you just have to wake us if there are monsters. If you can't handle them that is."

"Are you saying I won't be waking you up?" Adrian chuckled at Aurelius's words.

"Haha, you always get what I meant." Aurelius laughed and left with Ren leaving them alone.