Extra's Descent

"Get out of here."

He was serious.

Brandon looked down at Rian's immobile body, then back to Rose.

It was faint, but he had seen the slight ripple of his mana, slowly contorting into a mass of dark energy.

"P–Please, don't hurt me."

Rose pleaded. Brandon only stared back, then sighed.

"Just go before you're going to regret it."

"...."

Rose flinched. But the horror overtook her body, causing her to stay frozen.

"Don't say I didn't I—"

"You…!"

Rian's body jerked. Dark mana surged and exploded, eliciting the floor to crack.

However, Brandon's foot was implanted on his body.

It had always been like this. These Wraith cultists wouldn't stay down so easily.

Brandon, indifferent to it by now, saw it as an opportunity.

"Here, look."

He gestured. Rose's eyes followed his direction, tracing Rian's figure.

It was then when she realized.

"W–What's happening….?"

"He's a cultist."

"Fucker!"

Rian, coughing up blood, tried to nudge Brandon out of the way with his magic.

However, Brandon's weight continued pressing down on him.

Rian couldn't move at all, despite exerting a significant amount of magic power.

Rian tried pushing his body up. Then, realizing it was to no avail, raised his head and tried gnashing Brandon's leg with his teeth.

It was then.

Thwack!

"Disgusting."

Brandon kicked his face. While Rian couldn't see his face under the mask, he could more or less tell the expression Brandon was making.

Blank.

Thwack!

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"Repulsive."

Thwack!

Blood splattered on the ground, a few teeth flew in the air.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Rose could only stare in horror. Each disturbing sound that escaped Rian's mouth only added to the uneasiness creeping inside her.

"P–Please…. Just kill—"

Rian pleaded, but it all went to deaf ears.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Brandon relentlessly kicked his face. He was too repulsive to even use his hands for the job.

He had led this woman all the way here, and she was completely oblivious to his true nature.

"Hm?"

Brandon turned his head, facing the Rose.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Moving back, Brandon grabbed Rian's head by the hair, and raised him up for the woman to see.

"Can't you see he's not human?"

Rian's face looked grotesque. Blood dripped from his nose, mouth, eyes, and there were a bunch of missing teeth.

Rose's stomach churned from the sight. But truth be told, she couldn't tell at all as she alternated her gaze between the two.

Who was the real monster?

***

The entire party, Katarina kept clinging onto Raven.

It was a contrast to Reinhard. For some reason, the idol he was guarding, Yizhuo, kept asking about someone else instead.

—By any chance, are you close with Brandon Locke?

Her pestering started off like that. Reinhard, who seemed taken aback, nodded his head belatedly.

'Brandon, huh?'

Raven couldn't even be shocked anymore. Brandon was probably the most controversial person in the entire world at the moment after his stunt during his trial.

He had exposed the Elders, divulged the truth of the real masterminds behind the scenes.

But what surprised Raven even more was the fact that his long–time friend, whom he had met during his labor years, was actually an Elder in disguise.

It was truly baffling, and ever since then, Isaac had stopped replying to his messages.

"What about you?"

Katarina asked, her brilliant eyes sparkling.

"Yes?"

"Are you close with Brandon Locke?"

"Ah, yes. We're very close actually."

"Hmm…. I did hear you were an Imperial Army student…. I'm envious."

Katarina sighed, leaning on the table.

"I wish I was talented in magic…. Then I wouldn't have to become an idol…."

There was an unspoken bitterness in her tone.

"What's being an idol like?"

Katarina sighed again, glancing around the hall. Her gaze lingered on the decorations and the guests laughing without a care.

"Being an idol isn't as glamorous as everyone thinks."

She murmured, tracing her finger along the edge of her glass.

"...."

Raven wasn't sure how to respond.

He understood that almost everyone had a story behind the persona they presented to the world.

But this was the first time he'd seen someone openly admit discontent at a celebrity event.

"Isn't it…. what you wanted?"

"Sure, at first."

Katarina looked at him, her eyes suddenly tired.

"But it's exhausting, always having to be perfect, always under the spotlight, with no time to be yourself. The only freedom we get is…"

She trailed off, giving him a pointed look.

"Sometimes, I wonder what it'd be like to live in that world—the Imperial Army, powerful connections, actual freedom. Instead, I'm here, fulfilling someone else's expectations."

"...."

This girl….

At first, Raven found her quite spoiled.

She was too vibrant for him—causing him to think of how different the world is between ordinary citizens, and rankers or officers who fought to maintain peace.

There were often days when Raven felt lost.

Especially with the sorrowful atmosphere around him at the moment.

And now, seeing Katarina, an idol, who was only two years older than him, admired by the public, yet was just as lost as him.

It was strange.

"Miss Katarina."

"Yes?"

"Do you want to get away from this place?"

"Ah?"

Katarina's eyes widened slightly, surprise evident in her features.

"You mean…. right now?"

He nodded, a small, almost mischievous smirk pulling at his lips.

"Right now. Just for a change of scenery. Somewhere without all this noise."

For a moment, she looked hesitant, glancing around at the guests.

But then, as if deciding something in her mind, she set her glass down and looked at him with a small smile.

"Okay, but on one condition."

"Yes?"

"Drop the honorifics. Call me Katarina."

***

"Can you introduce me to him?"

"Uh…."

Cold sweat beaded on Reinhard's face. Yizhuo had been pestering him about Brandon non–stop.

Out of respect for his friend, he hadn't divulged any private information regarding Brandon at all.

Wait.

There was a way to end this by pouring cold water all over Yizhuo.

"Ah, there's something you should know."

"Yes, yes? Tell me?"

"He has a girlfriend."

"...."

And that was it. The broken expression on her face told Reinhard enough of what he needed to know.

"Ah, haha. Is that so? Of course, he would. Haha~"

Yizhuo repeatedly sipped on her wine glass, her eyes darting around the hall.

Reinhard shook his head. No wonder Yizhuo had chosen him as her bodyguard.

"You."

Suddenly, someone tapped on his shoulder.

Turning around, what greeted his sight was a man wearing a similar outfit as him.

His entire figure seemed to be drenched in sweat, and his chest heaved continuously.

"Sir?"

It was another bodyguard for a celebrity—contracted with VN Entertainment.

"Have you seen Miss Rose anywhere?"

"No, why?

"Rose?"

Yizhuo's voice cut in.

The man looked panicked.

"I've been looking for her everywhere. She told me she was going to the bathroom, but she hasn't returned since."

"Wait, where's Katarina!?"

Yizhuo looked around, panic laced in her tone.

Reinhard followed her direction. Indeed, they were nowhere to be seen.

Ah, what the hell.

***

Sirens and alarms rang out.

Rian's lifeless body lay sprawled across the plush carpet.

Scattered around him, Brandon had left a set of gathered documents—statements, witness testimonies, and damning evidence linking Rian Velante directly to the Wraith cult.

Each paper pointed to his crimes—accounts of missing persons traced back to his associates, secret meetings, and even details of cult gatherings he'd allegedly attended.

The documents were enough to raise suspicion, enough to make sure this wasn't swept under the rug as a simple homicide.

But that was exactly the challenge for those who'd find themselves involved in the investigation.

The hotel security, unsure of how to handle the situation, immediately contacted upper management.

By the time police arrived, higher–ups from the hotel were already in discussion with private officials.

For an A-list celebrity, bad press could be disastrous, not just for his career but for everyone involved in the industry.

The decision was quick and ruthless.

To the public, Rian's death would be reported as a tragic accident—a case of sudden illness or accidental overdose, anything to avoid the details and public scandal.

Brandon watched from a rooftop close to the scene, eyes narrowing as he observed the commotion below.

"Same story every time."

He muttered.

"They never learn."

The officials moved efficiently, escorting people out, speaking to witnesses, and controlling the narrative with calm precision.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Still covering up for the Wraiths…. as if they can control it."

In the distance, he saw the news vans arriving, reporters trying to get a glimpse of the action.

But he knew they'd be fed the same script.

Rian's tragic "accident," a clean story that would leave the true horrors buried.

"Showbiz, huh?"

Brandon massaged his chin.

"So even cultists had managed to infiltrate that much."

Additionally, he had asked Zedd to do a background research on the woman from back then.

"Rose Morgan, an up—and—coming actress contracted with VN Entertainment."

But something else caught his eye as he further surfed the web.

"VN Entertainment, owned by Lianna Venice."

It may have been coincidental, but once again, Lianna's name was brought up.

"Hmm…."

It would've made sense, knowing how wealthy Lianna was.

But the fact that Raven and Reinhard were at the party raised his curiosity.

"Lianna…. Raven…. Reinhard…."

Knowing Reinhard, most probably, he was at the party due to his connection with Lianna.

Seeing the outfit he was wearing, it looked like what bodyguards who were around celebrities wore.

"Hmm…."

Meaning, it was all connections. While he might've been off, he knew there was a link somewhere.

"Raven's close with Reinhard. Reinhard is working for Lianna. So…."

That meant, Raven seemed to work for Lianna now too.

"Strange."

For some reason, Lianna started appearing around him.

"Lianna Venice…. Reinhard…."

It was then when he remembered.

"How did Lianna and Evelyn meet?"

He dove deeper into his thoughts.

"Reinhard asked me a while back if he could meet Evelyn…."

In the end, he had come to a conjecture riddled with theories.

Theories he needed to confirm.

"Reinhard must've been the linkage for Evelyn and Lianna to meet. Evelyn did say they had recently become friends. This…. Lianna woman seemed to be forming relationships with people around me."

Furthermore, he had seen Lianna and Amelia together during New—Year's Eve.

"Yet whenever I'm around, she barely strikes a conversation with me."

It seemed as if she was avoiding him…?

He had to get to the bottom of this.