Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Kalin's voice continued, oozing with mocking amusement, his tone smooth as silk and twice as cold. "Do you want to hear something interesting?"

In the darkness that had swallowed her vision, Evangeline could do nothing but listen, a captive to his whims. Every word he spoke coiled around her like a trap she couldn't escape.

"Alright, I'll tell you. After all, I'm your 'ally,' aren't I?" A soft, malicious laugh echoed in her mind. "Well... Where should I start from... He's… quite the peculiar entity, you know? Perhaps even more peculiar than myself."

Evangeline's blood chilled at the thought, confusion and a sense of foreboding clawing at her. Kalin continued, his voice becoming a murmur that seemed to dig into her very bones. "Oh, I know how harmless he seems, even weak at times. But make no mistake… he's stronger than you could ever imagine. Capable of things you can't even dream of."

Images of their encounters flashed through her mind—his odd, lingering glances, his fascination with her creations, the strange ways he'd reacted to her ambitions and goals. "As for all those little moments between you two—his 'interest' in your goals, the time you spent together, his fascination with your lab and creations…"

Evangeline felt something icy and sick twist in her stomach, but she didn't dare give Kalin the satisfaction of interrupting him. He continued, each word a dagger she couldn't deflect.

"Him 'falling' for you… All of that…" Kalin let his voice trail off, then laughed softly, the sound drenched in cruel amusement. "Well, let's just say those experiences… belonged to you alone."

"What...?" She whispered in the darkness, her voice barely audible even to herself.

"Oh, amusing, isn't it? How each little interaction, each smile, was crafted solely for you? How utterly blind you were, convinced he shared in your reality." His laugh grew louder, richer, a sound that felt like it could fracture her mind. "Though I must pity you, dear Evangeline. I'll admit… that little kiss you shared earlier was real, at least.

But the 'darling' you kissed…" His words lingered, heavy with malice, "…was probably not the same darling you thought he was."

The ground beneath her seemed to sway as the full weight of his words settled over her, their meaning unfathomable, yet clawing at her insides. She gritted her teeth, her jaw aching from the pressure, but she remained silent, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing her break.

Kalin laughed again, pleased with her silence. "Ahh, you really are pitiful," he continued, savoring every word. "But now, I'll grant you a front-row seat. You might as well witness how I'm about to use that precious masterpiece of yours."

As his words faded, the inky darkness filling her mind fractured, splitting apart like shards of glass under pressure. Light poured in through the cracks, her vision slowly returning until everything around her burst into a blinding whiteness, stealing her breath. Evangeline blinked against the sudden brightness, her senses jolted back to reality. Experience tales at empire

And then, as her sight refocused, she saw it.

Her eyes went wide, both of them.

"!"

Kalin's voice rang in her mind, incredulous and shaken, breaking the cold, mocking tone he had so enjoyed. "What—how…?"

Evangeline's vision refocused, her eyes widening as the blinding whiteness resolved into a sharp, unexpected sight. There, standing before her glass coffin artifact, right beside her precious masterpiece, was a young man.

His hair was short brown, his eyes a dark, intense shade of brown as they bore down at something small, dark, and twisted in his hand. The black eye—Kalin's creation to control over her creation—now sat firmly in his grip, its power twisted into nothing more than a clenched, useless form.

She felt a gasp catch in her throat, her heart pounding, and a word slipped out, almost against her will. "D-Darling?"

The young man's head snapped up, his eyes hardening as he fixed her with a cold, unreadable gaze. For a moment, his expression didn't shift, then, his brow furrowed slightly in irritation.

"I don't know how messed up your brain is," he said icily, his voice as sharp as a blade, "but I'm not your 'darling,' okay? I already have someone I love, so don't ever call me that again."

Evangeline felt the breath leave her lungs as his words struck her, a jagged mixture of humiliation and crushing realization. The tenderness she'd seen, the admiration she'd felt—all of it was nothing but an illusion.

And now, her 'darling,' the figure she had trusted and adored in her mind, turned away from her. He looked directly into her black eye, as if he knew Kalin was watching.

"Sorry to ruin your plan," he muttered, a mocking edge in his tone, "actually, forget it, I'm not sorry at all."

The words hit her like a storm, leaving her teetering between relief and devastation.

Relief that her creation, her masterpiece, was spared from Kalin's vile grip; but also a crushing sadness, an emptiness as she realized she had been played from the beginning. The person she had fallen for was nothing but a projection, a hollow, crafted lie designed to keep her disillusioned.

Then, a strange, detached numbness settled over her. Her lips parted, and though she had not meant to speak, a voice—Kalin's voice—slipped out, chilling and calculated.

"Did you think I wouldn't prepare a countermeasure?" the voice drawled, speaking through her. Against her will, her gaze shifted to the left, her body turning as Kalin controlled her movements. She watched her arm slowly rise, her hand pointing toward a dark shadow near the edge of the room.

Her heart pounded in recognition, a memory snapping into place as she saw it—another black eyeball, identical to the one in Adrian's grip. A spark of terror and clarity jolted her mind.

Right, there was another eye that was missing.

And the direction, the person 'he' was pointing was the final piece, that boy: Aurelius.

Kalin's voice laughed softly through her, laced with satisfaction. "Let's see how well you're prepared for this."