Path of the Extra

Yelena sat next to Lumine, who had his eyes closed, sitting cross-legged on the dirt.

If someone were to observe closely, they'd notice the air around him subtly shifting, being drawn toward him.

He was absorbing the mana in the air.

'Even now, he still chooses to train…'

Yelena smiled faintly, glancing at the other cadets. Nothing had really changed.

Except… for a few people who weren't here.

And the strangest part?

This entire time, she felt like someone had been watching her every move, making her skin crawl.

But when they all left... so did the gaze.

It was uncomfortable.

Why did they leave?

No one had noticed yet, but soon they would.

And where did they go?

So many things didn't make sense about this void dungeon trip.

Yelena's eyes drifted toward Jasmine, now chatting with some of the cadets.

Why was she even here?

A guide only allowed to act after the second day, following the first group and then permitted to guide anyone else, speeding things up.

But why?

None of it added up.

It didn't matter now though, not with the trip getting canceled.

Yelena prided herself on her ability to read people, a skill she had developed since childhood as Lumine's best friend.

Lumine always saw the best in people, which often made him a target for those with bad intentions.

She felt like it was her responsibility to protect him.

She trusted Jasmine—Jasmine seemed like a good person.

But her brother?

Her thoughts clouded when it came to Azriel.

She couldn't decide whether he was good or bad. It hadn't even been a week, but in that time, Lumine and Azriel had grown close.

And yet... she couldn't bring herself to trust him.

Then, there was the silver-haired boy who caught her eye, walking casually.

Nol.

He was smiling as if nothing was wrong.

Just like Azriel, she didn't trust him either.

Something about him felt... off. It was different from Azriel, but there was an eerie similarity she couldn't pinpoint.

It had become a habit, silently observing Azriel.

She tried to figure out who he really was, but there was nothing explicitly wrong about him.

And Nol?

She barely knew him, having never spoken to him directly.

Lumine always had to play the middleman with anyone that approached the two of them.

Without him, Yelena probably wouldn't talk to anyone.

'Hmm?'

Her brow furrowed as she noticed Nol walking toward Instructor Alicia. Glancing at Lumine, still deep in his trance, Yelena quietly stood up, moving closer to them, unnoticed.

"…Instructor, I... I don't feel so well…"

Nol's voice was weak, his hand clutching his stomach as he swayed on his feet. Alicia furrowed her brows, concerned.

"You're Cadet Nol, right?"

Nol nodded weakly, his face grim.

"I… I'd like to request to go back to the surface... I don't think I can handle this anymore…"

Alicia's expression softened with concern as Nol grew paler.

"Unfortunately, I can't take you. Could you hold on until the second group arrives? It should only be a day or so, unless they split up, which seems unlikely."

Nol shook his head, pain clear on his face.

"P-please, Instructor… I don't think I can wait that long…"

A troubled look crossed Alicia's face. If she let Nol go, others might want to leave too.

And with everything going on…

"What if I escort him to the surface, Instructor?" a voice interrupted.

Both Alicia and Nol turned, their gazes landing on Jasmine. Her eyes flickered from Nol to Alicia, who looked taken aback.

"But…"

"Technically, my presence isn't required here, and the situation seems under control now. It's fine if I take him to the surface, right?"

Yelena swallowed nervously.

Jasmine's voice, her expression—it wasn't a request.

Alicia hesitated, but seeing no other option, nodded reluctantly.

"Alright... but be careful."

Jasmine nodded, stepping forward.

Nol, still pale, followed behind. But then Yelena noticed something—something small but impossible to miss.

'Huh…?'

Just as Nol passed the distracted Alicia, his hand moved swiftly—so fast it was almost a blur.

He took something from her pocket. Yelena's eyes widened slightly.

She watched Nol walk away, but then… he looked back.

Their eyes locked.

A smirk crept onto Nol's face, and he pressed a finger to his lips before his expression turned pained again.

Yelena blinked, watching as he and Jasmine approached the platform.

Then… they were swallowed by the small black hole.

*****

"You'd better start explaining what's going on, Nol."

Jasmine stood in front of Nol, her gaze sharp, as they faced the boss gate of the first floor.

It was still closed, meaning the second group hadn't arrived yet.

Nol smiled, casually playing with the device in his hands—the same one that Instructor Benson and Instructor Kevin had.

Jasmine's eyes narrowed as she watched him, her patience clearly thinning. With a sigh, Nol sat down cross-legged on the ground, his expression thoughtful.

"Where to begin…"

He scratched his head, furrowing his brows as if deciding where to start.

"Well... let's say there's a little terrorist organization called Neo Genesis that's trying to kill all of us. Master was assigned a mission by the headmistress… a few members of Neo Genesis managed to stay hidden in the void dungeon. They've been waiting in the tunnels leading down the cliff on the second floor.

Master anticipated that, so he climbed down ahead of time, acting clueless and scared since Instructor Benson was watching him."

Nol paused, his tone casual despite the gravity of what he was saying. Jasmine remained silent, but her posture stiffened.

"Cadet Kanae, the one who died—that was because of one of Neo Genesis' abilities and her death was intended as a signal. Instructor Benson, one of the traitors, had to rethink his plans since Instructor Kevin decided to follow Master, who isn't a traitor, by the way. Meanwhile, Benson made sure the rest of Neo Genesis stayed hidden.

What Instructor Kevin didn't realize was that this sort of device"—Nol held up the small contraption—"had been slipped into his pocket. Same with Instructor Alicia. It allowed every Neo Genesis member on the same floor with such a device to track each others exact location."

Nol took a deep breath, letting his words sink in before continuing.

"Master knew Benson and his men were tailing him, so he led them to a place to deal with them. By now, he's probably taken them out. We, on the other hand, should be getting ready for Phase Two of the plan."

Nol smiled up at Jasmine, who was still processing everything he had just told her.

"Does that give you the gist of what's happening, my lady?"

Jasmine's face went pale as the gravity of Nol's words sank in.

"You... are you telling me Azriel just led multiple members of a terrorist organization and Benson, who's a Grade 3 Advanced—a fighter even I'd be cautious of—into some random place to fight on his own?"

Nol blinked, then a bright smile spread across his face, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly! As expected of you, my lady—your brilliance knows no limits!"

Veins bulged on Jasmine's forehead as she snapped, "Clearly yours and Azriel's does! Have the two of you, along with Freya, lost your minds!?"

A wave of panic washed over her.

"We need to go back... Azriel can't handle Instructor Benson and those others all by himself!"

Nol looked at her, puzzled.

"Why not? Master has been planning this for a long time. Instructor Benson and his lackeys' deaths are inevitable—if it hasn't already happened. You should trust Master more."

Knowledge is power.

Only those who possessed it and wielded it wisely would come out on top.

"Nol."

Nol froze at the sudden change in her tone.

"...Y-yes?"

An awkward smile crept onto his face.

"You speak of trusting Azriel more, but shouldn't he be doing the same? Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he ask for my help? I thought we'd gotten closer since he returned. His death broke me and Mom. Dad...

he acted like he didn't even care, just kept working like always, being the indifferent king he is... acting like it didn't matter."

Jasmine clenched her fists.

"When Azriel came back, everything finally started to heal again. Mom's been trying to be better... and Dad... I realized he's just terrible at showing emotions. But thanks to Azriel, he's been trying again. I've made peace with them, all thanks to him.

But then Azriel himself... why does he always keep a certain distance? Why doesn't he talk about his nightmares? Does he even care..?"

She looked into Nol's eyes. There were no tears.

She just looked... sad.

The smile on Nol's face faded, replaced by an unreadable expression as he listened quietly.

After a moment, he spoke.

"Master never wanted you to be in harm's way because of his plans. He still doesn't. You coming on this trip... that was something he didn't expect, just like the floor shifts that have happened. But that doesn't mean he doesn't trust you."

Jasmine's confusion deepened as Nol continued.

"The moment you came here, Master knew I'd use it to our advantage. He could have stopped me from being here with you—I could've picked Lumine instead. But he didn't. He knew I'd have to tell you most of what's going on. And yet, he never approached me. He allowed it all to happen...

because he trusted both of us to handle it."

"..."

"Right now, the second group is infiltrated by Neo Genesis members. They're going to kill all the cadets on the second floor. We're here to stop them and take them down. Honestly, I could've handled it myself... but I wouldn't miss the chance to fight side by side with the person Master cares for most in this world."

"...Azriel cares most for me...?"

Nol smiled.

"Of course. Surely you've noticed. Knowing Master, he must've told you in his own way."

Jasmine furrowed her brows. Azriel telling her about Neo Genesis? About how much he cares?

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

She remembered that day—when Azriel fell asleep on her lap, muttering about doing something... stupid. And whether or not she'd hate him...

'He warned me... before it even began.'

She felt a strange surge of happiness. It was stupid, how happy she felt, but then—

A sudden shiver ran down her spine. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

'Just... how much did he predict?'

Did he know every step that would be taken today?

She didn't know how to feel.

But she didn't have time to process it, because—

A crushing pressure forced her to her knees.

"!?"

She couldn't stand. Her body felt impossibly heavy. She managed to lift her head, barely, and saw Nol.

He was still seated, cross-legged, but he struggled to raise his head, a troubled smile on his face.

"...He's here."