Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

The room still hummed with the weight of shock and fear, blood pooling around the bodies of those who dared challenge Evangeline. Her cold gaze swept over the remaining elites, watching them with amusement, as if they were little more than insects trapped in a web of their own making.

A soft chuckle escaped her lips, sharp and deadly as the tension hung thick in the air.

"Now," she said, her voice steady and commanding, filling the hall with an eerie calm. "I'll make this simple for you. Surrender to me… or share the same fate as those lying dead at your feet."

Several of the elites instinctively glanced at the corpses, blood-soaked and twisted in unnatural ways, their arrogance and pride stripped away by death's hand. Murmurs of fear rippled through the crowd, but still, a few stood firm, their expressions hardening in defiance. One or two of them opened their mouths as if to argue—but then, a sound stopped them.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed from the shadows, growing louder, heavier.

The room seemed to tremble with each step, the temperature dropping as if death itself approached. And from the shadows behind Evangeline, three figures emerged, their silhouettes monstrous and grotesque, yet unnervingly human.

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The first was tall and thin, its skin stretched taut over a skeletal frame.

Long, spindly arms dragged along the floor as it walked, its elongated fingers tipped with sharp claws. A patchwork of twisted muscles and veins pulsed underneath its skin, and its face was a grotesque mockery of a human's—a single, baleful eye in the center of its head, unblinking and glowing with an eerie light.

The second was broader, built like a giant, its body rippling with unnatural muscle. The creature's head resembled that of a beast, with sharp fangs poking out of its mouth, and its arms were encased in strange armor that gleamed ominously in the dim light. It exuded strength, raw and terrifying, like a living weapon waiting to be unleashed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The third was a woman—no, an abomination shaped like a woman. Her body was almost human, but her skin was pale, almost translucent, with veins that pulsed with aether.

Her eyes glowed a deep crimson, and her face was marked with strange, angular patterns, as though etched into her skin by some forbidden magic. Her presence was haunting, ethereal… but it was the malice in her gaze that struck fear into the hearts of those present.

They moved to stand behind Evangeline, forming a wall of terror at her back, their eyes fixed on the elites with a predatory focus. But what truly caused the room to fall into a stunned silence was the aura that radiated from them—each one emanated a power equal to that of Abby which was a peak Arcane Conjurer Beast.

The elites could feel it—a suffocating pressure that clawed at their lungs, made their hearts race, and froze them in place. They knew, deep down, that these creatures were just as deadly—if not more—than Abby. And they were all under Evangeline's command.

A ripple of dread swept through the room as those who had been preparing to argue now found their voices stolen by fear.

One of the merchant kings, a portly man known for his wealth and ruthlessness, exchanged a look with his bodyguard, a slim figure clad in dark armor, an assasin.

The merchant's eyes gleamed with a flash of desperation and greed. He thought he could overpower her. He could send his assasin guard, strike her down, and claim control over her creations for himself.

His hand twitched, signaling his intention.

But before the bodyguard could even react, the female abomination—the one with the crimson eyes—turned her gaze directly toward him, her lips curling into a sinister smile. Her voice, cold and dripping with venom, rang out, "Master, that insect over there… tried to harm you."

The merchant king's eyes widened in horror, his heart nearly stopping as he realized she had somehow read his thoughts. He stumbled back, his legs trembling, his mouth opening and closing in a wordless gasp.

How?

Evangeline chuckled softly, watching the panic spread across the merchant's face.

"Surprised?" she asked, her tone mocking, her eyes gleaming with sadistic amusement. "Did you really think you could plot against me?"

She gestured toward the female abomination, whose eyes still bore into the merchant like daggers. "She can read your thoughts—every vile little intention that crosses your mind. If you so much as think about betraying me, she will know."

The merchant king froze, sweat pouring down his face. He looked at his bodyguard, then back at Evangeline, realization dawning on him that there was no escape. No one could outmaneuver her.

Not with these monstrosities by her side.

Evangeline's smile widened as she took in the room—everyone paralyzed with fear, none daring to even think of defiance now. "So," she said softly, "I ask again. Will you surrender… or will you die?"

The room fell into utter silence for the umpteenth time.

No one dared to answer.

"..."

Just as the silence in the room grew unbearable, a soft creak echoed from the entrance. All eyes snapped toward the door as it slowly swung open. Standing in the doorway was a beautiful elven girl with long, golden hair cascading over her shoulders, her skin as pale as moonlight. Her face was serene, almost gentle, but her presence carried a weight that unsettled the air around her.

In her arms, she cradled the unconscious body of a silver-haired young man, limp and barely breathing. His clothes were torn, and several traces of blood stained his pale skin and clothes.

A bright smile broke across Evangeline's face, a twisted mix of joy and malice.

"My sweet little sister, Rhea," Evangeline purred, her eyes sparkling with a dangerous glee. "You're here!"

The elites watched in stunned silence, their hearts pounding with dread and confusion as the final piece of Evangeline's plan fell into place.

"Big Sister, I have brought him as you requested."

"The final piece."