Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

"Come on, follow me."

The children hesitated, but seeing the expression in Adrian, they slowly followed him. Lily clung to his side, her small hand gripping his tightly. As they walked away from the village, the cries and pleas of the villagers faded into the background.

Adrian led the children through the forest, his heart heavy but resolute. They deserved better than what that village had to offer. He had to find them a safe place.

After what felt like hours of walking, the scenery around them began to shift. The dense forest gave way to a well-trodden path, and the sound of bustling activity reached their ears. Adrian looked ahead and saw the outskirts of a town. Relief washed over him as he continued leading the children forward.

They soon found themselves standing in front of a large, well-kept building with a sign that read "Orphanage." Children were playing in the yard, their laughter filling the air. It was a stark contrast to the fear and darkness they had just left behind.

Adrian approached the entrance and knocked on the door. After a moment, a kind-looking woman opened it. She took in the sight of Adrian and the children, her eyes widening with concern.

"Please," Adrian said, his voice tired but determined. "These children need a safe place. Can you take them in?"

The woman nodded, her expression softening. "Of course. Please, come inside."

Adrian and the children were ushered into the orphanage. The warm, welcoming atmosphere provided a stark contrast to the horrors they had experienced. The woman introduced herself as Matron Elara and quickly set about making the children comfortable.

Adrian watched as the children were given food and blankets, their faces lighting up with hope. Lily stayed close to him, her grip on his hand never loosened.

Matron Elara approached him, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you for bringing them here. We'll take good care of them."

Adrian nodded, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. "Thank you. They deserve a chance at a better life."

As Adrian finished speaking, the world in his vision started to fade away slowly...

'So, did I pass the illusion...?' Adrian thought and soon found an answer to his question.

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...

Adrian blinked as the world around him shifted once more. He found himself standing in a vast, desolate landscape. The sky was an oppressive shade of crimson, and the ground beneath his feet was cracked and barren. There were no signs of life, no landmarks, just an endless expanse of wasteland.

'Where am I now?' he thought, glancing around warily. 'Is this the final illusion?'

As he took a step forward, a voice echoed through the air, cold and unyielding. "Welcome, Adrian. You have proven yourself resilient and determined, but this is the final trial. The hardest of all."

Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Show yourself," he demanded, his grip tightening on his sword.

The air shimmered, and a figure materialized before him. It was a mirror image of Adrian, but with a dark, sinister aura.

"A doppelganger, huh..." Adrian muttered not expecting the final illusion would be a cliche mirror(doppelganger) type of trial.

The doppelgänger smirked, its eyes filled with malice.

"I am your greatest adversary," it said, its voice an eerie echo of Adrian's own. "I am your fears, your doubts, your darkest thoughts. To pass this trial, you must defeat me."

"So, I have to defeat myself," he muttered not a bit affected by his other self's words. "Well, that will be a bit difficult."

"Exactly," the doppelgänger replied, drawing a shadowy version of Adrian's sword. "Let's see if you have the strength to face your own darkness."

"Haha, you misunderstood me, I said it would be a bit difficult to defeat myself, not you." Adrian chuckled as he looked at his copy. "I can't hit myself but I can hit you. That makes it easier to defeat you."

The doppelgänger sneered, raising its shadowy sword. "But I'm you. I know you, how you fight, how you move. We are the same."

Adrian chuckled, his grip on his sword tightening. "Thankfully, I've read a lot of scenes about this type of situation in many novels and comics. So I know the easiest way to defeat you."

The doppelgänger's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Adrian took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on his shadowy counterpart. "You're right, we may be the same in many ways. But that's also your weakness."

The doppelgänger narrowed its eyes, gripping its sword tightly. "What do you mean?"

"You see, I know myself better than anyone," Adrian said, a confident smile spreading across his face. "I know my strengths, my weaknesses, my tendencies. And that means I can anticipate your every move as well. And there's one thing you can't replicate."

The doppelgänger tilted its head, puzzled. "And what's that?"

"My creativity," Adrian replied, an odd glint in his eyes. "You might know how I fight, but you can't anticipate everything I can come up with."

Without warning, Adrian lunged forward, his sword clashing against the doppelgänger's. The two figures moved in perfect sync, their blades meeting in a flurry of strikes and parries.

As the battle raged on, Adrian began to notice subtle differences in the doppelgänger's movements when he used a different, unorthodox fighting style.

They continued to fight and used movement techniques, the sword technique, and close combat. Everything ended up with them being almost equal.

However, Adrian managed to confirm a few things. The doppelganger still copied him, but Adrian knew it was always just a fraction of a second slower, a slight hesitation in its strikes.

Adrian seized the opportunity, feinting to the left and then striking with a powerful blow to the right. The doppelgänger stumbled, its sword clattering to the ground. Adrian pressed his advantage, his blade poised at his counterpart's throat.

"It's over," Adrian said, his eyes narrowing. "You may be my shadow, but I'm the one in control."

"..." The doppelganger looked at Adrian speechless. "That was not cool."

"...I know."

Swish-!

Adrian's sword sliced through the doppelgänger, causing it to dissolve into a cloud of dark mist. The oppressive atmosphere around him began to lift, and the desolate landscape faded away.

He found himself back in the heart of the Ruin of Illusions. The ancient stone walls loomed around him, but now they seemed less menacing. The final trial had ended.

"It ended... Right?"