Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

"..."

Adrian stood outside for a while. He also knew Aria was leaning on the door since he didn't sense any movements from her after she closed the door.

'Whatever, since I said it, there's no need to get embarrassed, I'm not a kid nor a teenager.'

"I cooked your favorite meal, let's eat together. You can come in when you are done." He spoke enough for her to hear. Then waited for a few seconds for her to answer.

"I will be ready in ten minutes." A voice comes over from behind the door.

"Ok." Adrian smiled slightly and entered his own room, intending to prepare the food to serve.

The hall became silent again.

However, they were unaware a figure was watching the two this whole time.

'D-Damn you, bastard!'

'How dare you call her mine-!'

'She is mine, and mine alone.'

'You will regret approaching her, just you wait...' The figure clenched their fists and retreated into the shadows, their mind seething with jealousy and rage. Their eyes, filled with a malevolent glint, were fixated on Adrian's door. They retreated into the darkness of the academy corridors, plotting their next move.

_____ ____ __

Two days later.

Adrian left the dorm and headed to the building where his first class would be. He wanted to go with Aria as usual but she was still somewhat distancing herself from him even though they had a peaceful dinner two days ago.

'Sigh, it seems the talk about girls being difficult to understand was right...' He mumbled in his mind, remembering the funny videos he saw back on Earth.

'I'll give her some space,' Adrian thought as he walked through the bustling corridors of the academy.

....

....

'Why the hell is everyone looking at me?'

Adrian couldn't help but notice the unusual number of stares and whispers directed his way. His classmates' glances were a mix of curiosity, suspicion, and something else he couldn't quite place. As he walked into the classroom, he felt the weight of their eyes following him.

'Do I have a bedhead? No, I just took a shower...'

'Or do I smell bad? Sniff... No way, I smell as good as always.'

'Then is there a problem with my clothes? Nah, I looked in the mirror after the shower...'

'Let's listen to what they are talking about...' Adrian, keeping his cold, calm, and indifferent expression, extended his senses to listen in on the whispers around him. He picked up snippets of conversation that seemed to explain the unusual attention he was receiving.

"Did you hear? Rank 1 student, Adrian's a total playboy..."

"Yeah, they say he sleeps with different women every weekend outside the academy..."

"He then leaves them breaking their heart and not even giving them money! He's a cheater!"

"..."

'What the hell?' Adrian's ears twitched in anger as he heard some of the whispers. 'I am a playboy? I have been sleeping with many women? I am a heart-breaker? What kind of bullsh*t is this?'

"...."

"Really? I thought he was just reserved. But they say he's been trying to seduce the Princess Aria as well!"

"Princess Aria? No way! She's the idol of everyone here. Why would she even look at someone like him? That scumbag!"

"Exactly! But rumor has it that she's been seen entering his room a few times. People are saying she's charmed by some kind of forbidden spell!"

"And here I thought he was just a skilled fighter. Turns out he's got other skills too, huh?"

"Hey, watch your mouth, you boys! He is a total scumbag! We will rescue Lady Aria from his evil clutches!"

"Ok, we will help you since she is the one who can't be owned by anyone!"

"/..."

".../"

"..."

'Should I beat them all up?' Now, not only his ears, but his lips and fists started twitching as well.

Adrian's anger simmered as he took a deep breath, reminding himself that resorting to violence would only make things worse. Instead, he decided to confront the situation calmly. Keeping his expression calm and composed, he walked to his seat, ignoring the murmurs and stares around him.

Once he settled down, Adrian turned his attention to the front of the classroom, trying to focus on his thoughts. However, the whispers continued, growing louder and more malicious.

'This has to stop,' Adrian thought, his patience wearing thin. He didn't know whether he would lash out at any one of them right now. 'But... I need to figure out who's behind these rumors first.'

'The prime and only suspect I have is... probably that guy.' Adrian's eyes briefly landed on Emeric who was sitting not far from him.

Emeric was talking with his friends, smiling brightly unlike his usual sociopathic personality. But Adrian could easily notice the subtle shifts in his expression. He would glance around the classroom from time to time, and grin like an idiot who accomplished something great. He would even look in his direction with proud and sarcastic looks.

'At least try to hide it, will you...' Adrian chuckled inwardly at the sheer transparency of Emeric's actions. It seemed almost too easy to pinpoint him as the source of the rumors. 'Guess, he can't go further than a victim villain, huh? And here I was planning to save him. Should I just let him face his certain fate?'

'...But, I know he isn't the one who came up with this idea. Even though this is an old trick, he usually does confront everything head-on and act on his emotions.'

'Could it be the Dream Stalker's work? Possibile...'

'However, that doesn't mean I will go easy on you just because you are being 'controlled'. Unless you desire it yourself, nobody can completely control you.'

As Adrian was deep in thought, the classroom door swung open, and instructor Lyr entered, his presence immediately commanding attention. The whispers died down, and the students quickly took their seats, eager to avoid the nagging of the instructor.

However, there was still time till the class started and there were still some students who hadn't arrived yet.

Such as...

'Aria, why is she still not here?' Adrian thought as the class was already about to start. 'Did something happen to her?'