Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Chapter 59: Desperate Times Calls For Desperate Awakening

"A-Aurelia!" Aurelius's eyes widened in surprise. "N-no, you can't use that! You don't—"

Before Aurelius could finish his sentence, Aurelia's ability activated, enveloping her in a bright, warm light that bathed the area around her in a soothing glow. Her eyes, usually soft and gentle, now blazed with determination as she faced the oncoming horde of creatures.

"Aurelia, stop!" Aurelius called out, his voice filled with concern. He knew very well that she didn't have enough control over her ability yet. If she kept pushing herself like this, she might end up hurting herself even more.

But Aurelia didn't heed his warning. She stood her ground, her resolve unwavering as she used her ability to repel the creatures, pushing them back with the force of her light.

As she continued to channel her power, Aurelius's worry grew. Suddenly, he saw her cough up blood, a small trickle staining the corner of her mouth. Despite the pain and strain evident on her face, Aurelia refused to give up.

Seeing her courage and determination, something clicked inside Aurelius. He couldn't stand by and watch her struggle alone, especially when she was putting herself in danger for their sake.

But just as he was about to step forward to support her, another incident occurred. A group of creatures launched a sneak attack on Aurelia, catching her off guard. With a cry of surprise, she collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.

Aurelius's mind went blank for a moment as he watched Aurelia fall. Then, his expression darkened, his eyes filled with killing intent as he turned his gaze toward the creatures.

Swoosh!

A sudden burst of strong aura emanated from Aurelius, sending shockwaves through the air. His hair turned black as midnight, and his aether's color shifted to match, taking on a dark, ominous hue.

Darkness enveloped his whole being, swirling around him like a cloak as he tapped into a newfound power within his ability, unaware of its true nature.

The creatures, sensing the overwhelming darkness emanating from Aurelius, suddenly halted their movements, trembling in fear. Even if they were darkness-related creatures themselves, they couldn't help but feel an instinctual dread in the presence of such potent darkness.

Aurelius's eyes gleamed with deep killing intent as he faced the creatures. "You all... You all..."

"Deserve to die."

Then he lifted his right hand, pointing at the trembling creatures. Slowly, a dark ball started taking shape in his hand, growing bigger. With effort, he pulled back his arm.

"Be gone," he said in a voice devoid of mercy. Then he thrust out his hand, sending the ball of darkness hurtling toward the creatures.

Upon impact, the ball exploded in a massive burst of darkness.

The explosion ripped through the creatures, sending them flying in all directions. Half of them vanished in the darkness, leaving only shrieks and wails behind. The survivors, their fear palpable, turned tail and fled, scrambling away from the scene as fast as they could.

Aurelius stood there, his eyes following the retreating creatures with a cold gaze. He didn't move to stop them. His focus shifted back to Aurelia, lying unconscious on the ground.

As the last of the creatures disappeared into the darkness, Aurelius staggered, his strength waning. He collapsed to his knees, coughing up blood, his body trembling with exertion and pain. "Pff... Cough..."

But, he didn't collapse, instead slowly stood up, staggering forward on trembling limbs, exhaustion pulling at his body like anchors. Reaching Aurelia's side, he gingerly lifted her head into his lap.

"Aurelia..." Her name came out a hoarse rasp. Looking down, fresh fear gripped him at her pallid complexion. Though breathing, her light seemed diminished from exerting too much too soon.

Cradling her close, Aurelius scanned the treeline for lingering threats. But shadows encroached in his vision, a cold sweat chilling his skin. The last dredges of power faded, black creeping in at the edges of his mind.

"I'm sorry...I let... you get hurt..." he whispered raggedly, lowering Aurelia gently to the earth. There he collapsed, limbs splayed uselessly as darkness claimed him too.

The surroundings became eerily quiet because the others had already lost consciousness when Aurelius awakened his 'darkness'.

"..."

A few seconds later, the sounds of footsteps echoed not from afar. Soon, a figure approached unconsciousness Aurelius and Aurelia.

"Sorry you two, but this needed to happen. You were bound to suffer today. Even if I wanted to help earlier, there was nothing I could do. Well, nothing I could think of... Maybe, it's true after all. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

But, in your case, it should be some sort of awakening." A familiar voice spoke, sounding a bit guilty, relieved, and happy. "But, don't worry, I will help you to finish this mess and save you from a little trouble in the future..."

The figure stopped speaking and turned back.

"This won't change the plot, will it?" The figure muttered to himself as he slowly entered into the darkness once more, in the same direction as the creatures fled. "Well, I hope so..."

____ __ _

Five hours later.

"..."

Aurelius abruptly opened his eyes and sat up.

Aurelius blinked, disoriented, as he found himself lying in the tent. His head throbbed with pain, and his body ached all over. Nearby, he saw Aurelia still unconscious, lying peacefully as if nothing had happened.

Rubbing his temples, Aurelius tried to piece together what had happened. Memories flooded back: the horde of creatures, Aurelia's reckless use of her ability, his own newfound power, and then... darkness.

He glanced around, searching for any sign of danger, but the forest seemed calm now, the only sound was the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze and boiling water.

'Wait?! Boiling water?'

Aurelius pushed himself up, feeling a bit dizzy, and stumbled out of the tent. Outside, he found a small campfire crackling, with three pots of water suspended over it. Nearby, a figure crouched, tending to the fire.

"Ah, you're awake," the figure said, turning to reveal a familiar face. It was none other than Adrian, who had been missing for the whole incident.

"Y-You! You... Where were you this whole time?!"

______

Author: I will be releasing two chapters daily as I finished writing for the privilege. You can buy them and read ahead of time. It will be beneficial for both you and me. (The more, the merrier, hehe)