Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

The King stood motionless, his face a mask of stunned disbelief. But his eyes burned with raw, unfiltered killing intent, directed squarely at Adrian. Yet Adrian neither flinched nor blinked. He stood his ground, his posture relaxed, his smirk intact, as if daring the King to act.

"That's right," Adrian said, his voice smooth and unbothered. "I also know who Aurelius's real father is. And I know the truth about you: that you were nothing more than a temporary king—a placeholder—until Aurelius turned eighteen."

The King's lips parted slightly as though to retort, but no words came. The weight of Adrian's words seemed to press down on him like an iron chain.

Adrian stepped closer, his expression one of mock innocence. "Would you like me to tell the whole story, Your Majesty?" he asked, his voice laced with mock politeness.

And he didn't wait for a response.

"It begins, as all tragedies do, with betrayal," Adrian said, his tone almost conversational. "The previous Crown Prince—your older brother, the rightful king—suddenly returned one day, carrying a child in his arms. That child was Aurelius. Shortly after, your brother died under… questionable circumstances. Convenient, don't you think?"

The King's fists clenched at his sides, but he remained silent, his expression darkening with each word Adrian spoke.

Adrian continued, undeterred. "On his deathbed—or so you claimed—he entrusted you, his younger brother, with two sacred tasks: to raise his son as your own until he came of age and to safeguard the throne in his absence. You, being the second prince with no real power, readily accepted. After all, why wouldn't you? A chance to wield the throne, even temporarily, was too good to pass up."

Adrian's voice grew colder, more cutting. "But then came the twist. You discovered the child—the future king—was gravely ill, destined to die young. And that's when your… darker nature revealed itself, didn't it?"

The King's breathing grew heavier, his jaw tight as a steel trap.

"You planned to hide the truth," Adrian said, his words slicing through the tension like a blade. "To bury the past alongside your brother. You became the king, proclaiming Aurelius as the Crown Prince while concocting a story about his mother dying in childbirth. Perhaps you did it out of guilt. Perhaps some twisted sense of duty. But even then, it was all for show. You brought in doctors and healers, yes. But only enough to ease your conscience, not enough to truly save him. And the rest…" Adrian shrugged, his smirk returning. "Well, the rest is history all know, isn't it?"

The King's silence was deafening, his expression a tempest of fury and desperation. But it was the flicker of fear in his eyes that Adrian focused on—the fear of a man whose carefully constructed facade was beginning to crack.

"You…" the King finally managed to speak, his voice low and trembling with barely restrained anger. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Adrian chuckled, his tone light and mocking. "Don't I? Funny how your reaction tells me otherwise."

The King took a menacing step forward, his presence radiating raw power. "Do you think you can threaten me with this… this nonsense?"

Adrian held his ground, his smirk unfaltering. "Threaten you?" he said, feigning innocence. "Oh no, Your Majesty. This isn't a threat. It's simply… the truth."

The tension between them reached a boiling point, the atmosphere thick with unspoken challenges. And yet, Adrian remained calm, his confidence unshaken.

The King's expression twisted into a dark scowl, but he said nothing more.
Experience more on empire

Adrian watched as King raised his hand and tapped his ring.

"You don't have to call your 'Shadows', they can't help you, not now or in the future." He said causing the King to stop and look at him with wide eyes. He was probably thinking, how did he know?

The King's face was a mix of fear and curiosity, his composure slipping with each passing second. He clenched his fists, staring at the ring on his finger as if willing it to work. But no answer came. The Shadows—his most trusted, secretive guards—were silent. It was impossible. They had always been there, lurking in the darkness, ready to eliminate any threat. And now, they were gone.

"You…" he began, his voice barely above a whisper, trembling with a mixture of disbelief and suppressed anger. "Who are you…

really

?"

Adrian's innocent smile was a perfect contrast to the malice that laced his earlier words. "Huh? Don't you know? I'm Adrian, heir of the Lighthaven Family."

The King's lips curled into a snarl, his teeth grinding audibly. "Don't toy with me," he spat. "My Shadows are all peak Stellar Magus Awakeners. There's no way you could control them… unless…" His voice trailed off as a horrifying thought wormed its way into his mind. His throat bobbed as he gulped, internally completing his realization:

Unless there's someone stronger backing him. A Lunar Tier Awakener.

Adrian watched the internal struggle play out on the King's face, letting him stew in his own thoughts. He offered no explanations, no reassurances—only silence. It was a weapon in its own right, a calculated move that further unbalanced the King.

Finally, after a long, awkward silence, the King asked the inevitable question. "What do you want?" His voice was low, almost desperate. The sweat beading on his brow glistened in the moonlight as he searched Adrian's face for an answer.

Adrian remained silent, his expression unreadable.

The King's composure continued to crack under the weight of the silence. His breath quickened, and his hand twitched toward his ring again, though he knew it was useless. "What is it? Tell me!" he demanded, his voice rising in pitch. "No one does this without reason. Everyone has

something

they want! If I can give it to you, then ask!"

Adrian finally looked at him, his expression softening slightly, though his eyes held no warmth. He sighed, the sound almost pitying. "Not everyone is like you," he said calmly. "I don't want anything from you—at least, not for now."

The King's face twisted in frustration, and he gritted his teeth. "No way… don't kid with me. Everyone wants

something

. What is it, power? Wealth? A title? Tell me, and I'll give it to you!"

Adrian shook his head slowly. "I told you," he said, his tone carrying a faint edge of weariness. "I came here to confront you about this matter—not to ask for favors. I wanted to remind you of something, Your Majesty." He stepped closer, his piercing gaze locking onto the King's. "The truth always comes to light. Evil will pay the price."

The King took an involuntary step back, but Adrian advanced, his presence overwhelming despite the lack of malice in his voice. "And," Adrian added, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper, "I wanted to make sure you abandon any idea of messing with my sister, my family, or me. If you even

think

about it…" He didn't finish the sentence, but the unspoken threat hung heavy in the air.

The King swallowed hard, his breath shallow as he struggled to maintain the facade of control. He opened his mouth as if to speak but found no words. For once, the man who had ruled an entire kingdom with iron authority found himself at a loss.

Adrian's expression softened slightly, though his unwavering gaze held the King captive. "I will leave the handling of this matter to you," he said, his tone calm yet brimming with unspoken weight. "After all, I'm just an outsider in most of this—except for the part involving my parents. That, I will never overlook. But we both know that Aurelius, and this kingdom, deserves the truth."

'Though I doubt you know who he really is as well...'

He took a step closer, his voice dropping slightly. "The people deserve a ruler they can trust, not a throne built on lies. And Aurelius—he deserves to know who he truly is."

Adrian paused, letting the silence stretch for just a heartbeat before delivering the final blow. "He's still 17, which means you have one year to set things right. To own your mistakes and fix them before it's too late. I hope, for your sake and the kingdom's, you make the right decisions."