Path of the Extra

"I thought you said you weren't told to meet the Headmistress today?"

At Lumine's question, Azriel merely shrugged nonchalantly. The three of them—Lumine, Yelena, and Azriel—stood in front of the Headmistress's office door.

"I wasn't," Azriel replied, "until after lunch break."

Lumine accepted the explanation with a casual nod, but Yelena's mood wasn't as calm. She looked visibly anxious, shifting uneasily in front of the door.

"Why do you think the Headmistress herself asked to meet us? Did we do something wrong?"

Azriel glanced at her and offered a faint smile as he adjusted his sleeves.

"And what exactly have we done wrong?"

'Except for killing an instructor—which only I did.'

At his words, Yelena pursed her lips and quickly averted her gaze. From her perspective, the three of them had done nothing to warrant trouble. So logically, there was nothing to worry about... right?

Yet, despite that reasoning, both Lumine and Yelena couldn't help but feel tense.

First, they had been near the Crimson King. Though there had been no direct interaction, just his presence was overwhelmingly oppressive.

And now, they were about to meet the Headmistress of the academy herself. To speak with her.

Both figures loomed impossibly large in their minds, leaving them cold with anxiety.

Of course, Solomon would have evoked the same kind of unease if not for his disarming demeanor. He didn't act like someone in a position of immense power, suppressing his presence so thoroughly that interacting with him almost felt like talking to an ordinary human.

Suppressing a chuckle at their expressions, Azriel suddenly stepped forward and knocked on the door. Both Lumine and Yelena flinched simultaneously, staring at him in muted horror.

They weren't ready yet.

But alas, a chilling voice with no trace of mercy resounded from inside the office.

"Enter."

Without hesitation, Azriel opened the door and stepped in. Lumine and Yelena scrambled to follow him, nearly tripping over themselves before the door shut behind them with an almost eerie finality.

Azriel's features shifted, his expression replaced by a mask of impassive calm. His gaze swept across the room, taking in the people present. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

Freya sat behind the desk, her blank face giving away nothing as she skimmed through a stack of files without sparing them a glance.

Juliet stood to her left, her expression neutral, betraying neither warmth nor hostility.

And then there was Solomon. He leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, his serene smile in place and his eyes closed, as if lost in thought.

'...I've been seeing this clown far too often these days.'

Did Solomon have nothing better to do than appear wherever Azriel was? Not that it mattered much—it was just exhausting to deal with him.

"You three can sit."

Freya's voice was devoid of emotion, her attention still fixed on the documents in front of her.

While Lumine and Yelena hesitated, Azriel moved without pause, taking the middle seat. Lumine followed reluctantly, sitting to Azriel's right, while Yelena quietly took the seat on his left.

With a relaxed posture, Azriel leaned his right cheek against his balled fist. Meanwhile, Yelena and Lumine sat stiffly, barely daring to breathe.

Azriel paid them no mind, his gaze shifting to Juliet.

Their eyes met, and he offered her a polite smile.

"Instructor Juliet, though this isn't our first meeting, I must admit I'm disappointed not to have you as one of my instructors this semester."

Juliet's expression betrayed no particular emotion as she responded evenly.

"I feel the same, Cadet Azriel. Teaching a talent like yours—and, of course, Cadets Lumine and Yelena—would have been quite the honor. At the very least, I'm reassured to know you are in the capable hands of Instructors Solomon, Salvator, and Ranni. They'll ensure you three are shaped into proper heroes for the future."

Azriel's smile widened slightly at her words.

"You speak as if you have no role in shaping the future. That's not true, is it? Everyone has their part to play. We all have a role we must follow."

For the briefest moment, Juliet's brow furrowed before her expression smoothed over again.

"Of course, everyone has their part to play. But, Cadet Azriel, the way you phrased that is something I cannot agree with."

Azriel raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Solomon finally opened his eyes, his serene gaze flickering with amusement, while Lumine and Yelena exchanged nervous glances.

Was it just them, or had the room grown colder?

Juliet didn't let him wait long.

"You speak as though everyone's role is predetermined, as if it's inevitable. But I don't believe that to be true. We create our own roles, and in doing so, we shape the future. Nothing is set in stone."

For a moment, Azriel regarded her silently, his fingers drumming absently on the armrest of his chair. Then, with a faint smile, he finally spoke.

"Perhaps you're right, Instructor Juliet. The future can be changed..."

Juliet's lips curved into a small smile, seemingly satisfied with his concession. But then his next words made it falter.

"...The future can be changed. But can the same be said about fate?"

Suddenly, the air around them grew tense.

Juliet didn't hide her expression, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

"I don't follow. Could you explain?"

Feeling the weight of every gaze on him, except Freya's, Azriel nodded slowly.

Smacking his lips thoughtfully, he paused for a moment before speaking in a tone that seemed unsure.

"I believe you are right; we can shape the future with our actions. It's like building a path. We've been given a certain number of blocks, and for every step we take, we place one down, creating our future. If we wish to change direction, we can use those blocks to shift our path—turning it to the right, or wherever we choose. In doing so, we change both our path and our future. But… there's only a limited number of blocks we're given. Once we run out, won't we still end up at the same place we were always meant to stop? Isn't that our fate?"

"And what is that fate, Cadet Azriel?"

Azriel didn't falter, locking eyes with her as he answered.

"Death."

"...."

Juliet stared into Azriel's eyes a bit longer than she should have before speaking again in an even voice.

"...That is an extremely flawed way of thinking, Cadet."

Lumine and Yelena exchanged glances, unable to shake the truth of Juliet's words. It may have been accurate, but even so... it was a sad and flawed thought.

Solomon remained silent, observing Juliet and Azriel with unreadable eyes.

Then, before anyone could say more, Freya sighed, leaning back in her chair. She locked her cold gaze on the three in front of her, making Lumine and Yelena straighten up immediately.

Azriel met her gaze, and for a brief moment, their eyes held. Then, Freya closed hers.

She spoke in a chilling tone, sending a shiver down the spines of the two cadets on Azriel's sides.

"Do you know why I called you three here?"

Hastily, Lumine and Yelena shook their heads, while Azriel remained silent, watching her.

Freya waited a few seconds, letting the tension build, before she spoke again.

"I summoned you here because of your outstanding performance during the Void Dungeon incident—your protection of the cadets. After discussing this with the higher-ups, we have concluded that a reward is in order."

At her words, Lumine and Yelena's eyes widened in surprise, while Azriel's expression remained unchanged. He had already known this was the reason they were called here.

Before Freya could continue, a trembling voice interrupted.

"Excuse me... Headmistress, may I ask something?"

Freya's eyes snapped open, locking with Lumine's. A chill ran through him. She spoke indifferently.

"Ask."

"...Are we the only ones being rewarded? I mean, there were other cadets who risked their lives to protect the others... I feel it would be unfair to them."

The moment his words sank in, all eyes turned to him. He froze, his face paling.

Yelena smiled warmly at him, while Solomon's expression showed keen curiosity. Juliet, however, looked at him with a new intensity.

Freya and Azriel narrowed their eyes.

'What a selfless guy... asking for others to be rewarded in front of these big shots so shamelessly... He's still far from being that hero, though.'

Too young, too undeveloped.

But despite himself, Azriel couldn't help but reflect on what kind of hero was standing in front of him:

A selfless, shameless, and compassionate hero.

A hypocrite.

Freya kept her gaze on Lumine, who was squirming uncomfortably under her scrutiny. Then she sighed, breaking the silence.

"Of course, we won't be unfair to those who contributed to the safety of the cadets in the Void Dungeon and the citizens on the surface. Everyone will be rewarded equally, based on their performance."

A relieved look washed over Lumine's face, which only seemed to draw Juliet's gaze more greedily.

Azriel clicked his tongue inwardly.

'Great, now she's got her sights on him.'

Perhaps it was inevitable. Even if he wasn't the apex, he was bound to catch attention like a pure light to these people.

Azriel sulked internally as a bitter thought crossed his mind.

'I still won't give you, Jasmine...'

If he dared...

He dies.

His thoughts shifted as he remembered what happened earlier this morning when he entered class.

Just last night, they had a sleepover—Celestina, Jasmine, and Iryndra. Now, when Azriel asked Celestina what they'd done, she seemed... off. Stiff, perhaps, was a better word.

And at the same time, he felt her eyes on him more than usual today.

'Did Jasmine or Iryndra say something to her? But what?'

Freya, unaware of Azriel's inner turmoil, continued.

"After careful consideration, I've decided that Cadet Lumine and Cadet Yelena, the two of you will become my disciples."

""!!""