Path of the Extra

"...Are you still angry at me?"

After a few seconds, Jasmine shook her head, sighing tiredly.

"I'm not... It was normal for Azriel to go, but I can't help worrying about him."

Especially with the Void Dungeon targeting him.

If it weren't for Instructor Kevin being there to protect him, she would have already chased after him.

But she held back.

She couldn't be someone who shielded Azriel from every danger... not now, at least.

"Still, he's probably even more mad at me after you told him about the tunnel that led to the bottom of the cliff..."

Jasmine gave a wry smile, but Celestina blinked at her in confusion.

"I haven't told him anything, though."

"What...?"

Jasmine stared at Celestina as if she were messing with her.

"You... you didn't tell him about the tunnels? You're joking, right? Right?"

Celestina began to look uneasy.

"Huh, b-but shouldn't he already know about the tunnels...? It's one of the few things we are allowed to know about the second floor."

"As if that idiot ever bothered to learn about the Void Dungeon...!"

Jasmine went pale, and the blood drained from Celestina's face too.

They locked eyes in panic, and then—

They dashed toward the edge of the cliff.

Both squinted, scanning below for any sign of him.

"I-I don't see him."

Celestina exhaled in relief, but her blood ran cold again.

"Wait... if we don't see him, d-don't tell me he climbed all the way down?"

A shiver ran down both their spines.

"What have I done... I was only teasing him, but now I made him climb all the way down... What a terrible sister I am."

Jasmine felt tears welling up in her eyes.

To think Azriel had actually descended the cliff, all because she'd messed with his fears.

She felt like a failure of an elder sister.

"No, but... wouldn't he have the common sense to know this is too much? It's not like he did stuff like that in the Void Realm... right?"

Celestina was in denial, both of them wallowing in guilt over letting Azriel climb down the cliff.

Yet, relief washed over them when they saw no body.

"Huh, what's up with you two?"

Their heads snapped toward the familiar voice.

Lumine approached, glancing down the cliff next to them.

Both bit their lips—they didn't want to admit what they'd made Azriel do.

"Man, it's going to be tough for all of us to climb down this thing..."

""Eh...?""

They looked stunned at Lumine's mutter.

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"I wonder how long it took Azriel to get down. Maybe we should race him when he comes back."

Those dreadful words made Celestina and Jasmine cautiously step back from Lumine.

Lumine noticed their retreat, confused.

"Seriously, are you two alright? You're acting strange."

"Haha, yes, yes, we're strange. Please ignore us, Cadet Lumine."

Jasmine laughed wryly, and the two of them continued backing away, eyeing Lumine warily.

Lumine's frown deepened.

The way they looked at him was as if he were some kind of madman.

Before he could question them further—

"Kanae!"

"What's wrong with you!?"

"Shit! Look at her eyes!"

Lumine's words were abruptly cut off by the shouts of the cadets.

Instantly, their heads snapped toward the source of the commotion.

The cadets had gathered in a tight circle, their expressions stricken with fear.

Something was very wrong.

Without hesitation, Jasmine, Celestina, and Lumine pushed through the crowd.

There, standing alone, was a female cadet.

It was Cadet Kanae.

She was motionless, frozen in place.

Jasmine and Celestina frowned, recognizing her immediately.

"Cadet Kanae?" Jasmine called out, stepping closer.

"Is something wrong?"

No response.

Jasmine's brow furrowed, her confusion deepening as Kanae continued to stand there, utterly unresponsive, like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

Something was terribly off.

The air around Kanae felt... wrong.

"Kanae?"

Jasmine tried again, louder this time.

Still no response.

Before Jasmine could take another step, her body froze.

Just like Lumine. Just like Celestina.

Kanae's eyes...

They were completely white, devoid of color or life, like the eyes of a corpse left too long in the cold.

She stood there, eerily still, her gaze fixed on something far beyond them.

"Kanae, snap out of it!" one of her friends shouted, rushing forward to grab her by the shoulders, shaking her violently.

Still, Kanae did not move.

"We need help immediately!" another cadet yelled, voice trembling, their panic spreading like wildfire through the group.

'What is this...?'

She had never seen anything like it.

Footsteps echoed from behind.

Instructor Alicia and Instructor Benson were approaching, drawn by the growing commotion.

"Step back, all of you!" Jasmine ordered.

"...."

The moment Jasmine took a step closer, those white eyes of Kanae shifted.

"...!"

They locked onto her.

Jasmine's breath caught in her throat.

She couldn't move.

The night sky seemed to collapse around her, her vision narrowing until all she could see were those eyes—those soulless, cold eyes, staring straight into her.

Her body refused to move.

The cold seeped deeper, tightening around her chest like a vice.

She felt as if her very soul was being stripped bare, as if Kanae was staring through her, unraveling her from the inside out.

Chills raced down her spine.

For what felt like an eternity, Kanae stood there, her gaze boring into Jasmine's very core.

And then—

Kanae smiled.

*****

Azriel meticulously explored the landscape around him, planning to map it later.

Instructor Kevin trailed behind, his steps echoing with an unsettling rhythm as they progressed deeper.

The black sand crunched beneath their feet, occasionally disturbed by the bleached bones of unknown creatures.

"My prince, you seriously need to socialize more. With how few friends you have, you come off as a bit of a loner," Kevin remarked, his voice laced with a hint of exasperation.

"I do have friends," Azriel replied without glancing at him, their conversation continuing as they walked.

Azriel had grown accustomed to Kevin's incessant chatter, a sign that Kevin was evidently bored and seeking engagement.

"Seriously? Name them."

Azriel furrowed his brow at the question.

'Who...?'

After a pause, he finally spoke.

"Friends like Lumine, Celestina, and Yelena."

Kevin's skeptical gaze met Azriel's.

"Are you really friends with them, though? From what I see, you only act like acquaintances. You seem closest to Princess Celestina though."

Azriel nodded slightly.

"So... are the two of you together or something?"

A twitch of discomfort crossed Azriel's lips as he met Kevin's eager, sparkling eyes.

'Why is he acting like a teenage girl?'

He sighed.

"We're not together. It's more of a work in progress."

Kevin's curiosity seemed to peak.

"Don't tell me... my prince is in love?"

Azriel's forehead creased in annoyance.

"I am not."

"Huh? Then what do you mean by 'work in progress'? If you're toying with a girl's heart, I advise against it."

Azriel considered Kevin's implication.

'What's he imagining? Actually, he's not entirely wrong.'

"What's so wrong about that? I make her fall for me, and maybe I'll fall for her too."

A heavy silence settled between them.

The wind whispered through the desolate landscape.

"...My prince, I must strongly advise against whatever you're doing," Kevin said finally, his tone darkening.

Azriel looked at Kevin, confusion etching his face. Kevin's head was bowed, a grim expression shadowing his features.

"What you're trying to do is pursue love, but your approach is flawed. Love can't be forced. It requires patience and time."

Azriel opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. They lodged in his throat, stifled.

'Why...?'

He knew Kevin was right, but why did it matter, especially coming from someone so distant?

A heavy silence settled between them, neither speaking as they continued walking.

Then...

"..."

"..."

"...My prince."

"Yeah?"

"Didn't we... already pass this point?"

Both halted, staring at the familiar terrain they had crossed twenty minutes earlier.

'What is happening...?'

A creeping unease enveloped Azriel. Something was terribly wrong.

He licked his lips, only to find them parched. Swallowing, he realized his throat was dry—there was no moisture at all.

'Water... I need water.'

"!!"

A sudden, intense thirst clawed at him.

Azriel's head snapped to the right as he saw Instructor Kevin collapse to his knees, clutching his throat.

"Krhk...! My throat is burning!"

The heat was becoming unbearable.

Azriel could only watch as Kevin writhed on the black sand, his struggle both haunting and pitiful.

A hollow laugh escaped Azriel's lips.

"Ah, this..."

Azriel's throat tightened painfully, his strength waning with each agonizing moment.

Desperately, he fumbled with his storage ring, releasing several bottles of water he had stashed away.

With trembling hands, he threw one to Kevin, who writhed on the ground as though he were on the brink of death.

Azriel couldn't blame him.

Just as they were about to drink from the bottles, an icy wind brushed against their cheeks, freezing them in place.

'What...'

Both Azriel and Kevin felt a shiver of terror as they turned to see a figure standing before them.