Extra's Descent

"You? Why…?"

Brandon stood dumbfounded, hearing Bellion's sudden revelation.

"Will you believe me if I tell you it was for a good cause?"

A good cause, huh?

How could killing his own sister and her husband be for a good cause?

"Yeah, I understand your reaction. You have a sister as well."

Brandon was snapped out of his thoughts as he unclenched his fist.

"Let me explain."

Thus, Bellion began to recount how the events transpired.

"My sister…."

Bellion's expressions cracked.

"She was turning into a Wraith."

"...."

***

Brandon roamed the halls, recalling Bellion's story just now.

It all matched whatever he saw in Raven's memories.

Humans, tainted, slowly turning into lesser versions of Wraiths.

These Wraith, or even Wraithbounds…. tainting a person's mana core. That, or appearing in a weak minded person's vision, whispering promises of a better life.

"Huu…."

This was something Reinhard should never find out.

But….

If it were related to the issue, then why was he meeting Lianna?

He had no answers to such questions.

The conversation they had…. The information was withheld.

After all, Bellion couldn't begin to explain how or why it was even possible for a human to turn into a Wraith, rather than a Wraithbound.

To think it happened early on…. Ten years ago at that.

Shortly after emptying his thoughts, he halted in his steps, standing in front of his new classes' door.

"I'm late."

Bellion was talking for quite a long time. As soon as he finished his story, Brandon was already twenty minutes late.

For that reason, he was soon dismissed. They would continue their discussion later.

Shortly after, he entered the room. The lecture seemed to be ongoing. However, paused as the instructor and his classmates fixed their attention on him.

"Uh…."

"So you're the new addition. No worries, I just received word from the Headmaster that you would be late. Please find an empty seat."

"Okay, thank you."

At least that was the end of that.

The situation felt rather nostalgic. The time when he was still quite new to this world.

Several eyes followed him as he looked for an empty seat.

As he looked around, his gaze landed on Amelia—seated right next to Belle.

The two waved their hands at him and Brandon responded with a wink.

Then, as Brandon's gaze shifted towards an empty seat—beside the seat, he could see Raven—waving his hand.

Brandon smiled and sat right next to him.

"Hey."

"Yo."

"This class is kind of crazy. I'm having a hard time following…."

"What's the current topic?"

"They're already discussing zone creation."

"Oh."

This was a topic he needed to listen to. While he could see Raven's zone in the memories, zones varied from person to person.

After all, zones correlate to the physical manifestation of a person's soul.

"External zones are what most people imagine when they think about zones. Picture it as an isolation zone, a territory that expands outward, creating a space that reflects the nature of your soul."

The instructor paused, letting the class process the information.

Scanning their expressions and realizing that the cadets were taking notes of his lecture, the instructor continued.

"Inside that space, the rules are yours. Reality bends. It's like building a little world of your own, and anyone who steps inside is at your mercy. Your emotions, desires, even your intentions—all of it leaks into that area."

He took a step forward, scanning the faces in the room.

"Now, internal zones? That's where things get personal. This type doesn't extend out to the world—it stays close, clings to you like a second skin. It enhances your abilities, gives you powers that just don't make sense by human standards."

The instructor smirked, leaning against his desk.

"You could say it's more subtle, but far more potent because it directly alters you. Speed, strength, reflexes—even reality-warping abilities—it all happens within your immediate body."

He looked around the room, his purple gaze meeting everyone else's eyes.

"But all of you might be asking. Just how exactly are we able to trigger this phenomenon?"

Of course, everyone was well aware how mages triggered their zones.

Mostly, by pressing their fingers.

But that gave them the question.

Just how did it correlate to triggering zones?

While there were prodigies such as Oscar, one of the committee members during his time in Astrea—who had manifested their zones early on by the time they reached the fifth tier.

"Triggering a zone isn't just about mental focus or raw power. It's about creating a link between your body, your mana, and your soul. Think of it like muscle memory."

He pressed his fingers together more deliberately, and the class leaned in.

"Pressing your fingers together acts as a trigger, training your body to recognize it as a signal for your mana to flow. Like muscle memory, the motion becomes second nature over time, helping your mana respond and contort in alignment with the stimulus."

He paused, locking eyes with a few students.

"With practice, the motion becomes instinctive, allowing you to access your zone almost instantly with this small gesture. But this is just the start—the real challenge lies in controlling the immense power you unlock."

Shortly after, several questions emerged.

Of course, there were some who were quite indifferent to the introductions of zones. For reasons being—they had most probably already manifested their zones, and were trying to improve on it.

Shortly after, the lectures were adjourned. The students flocked towards the exit, engaging in conversation—about the lecture that was just discussed.

They all seemed to be in a jovial mood, excited for the next [Zone Creation] class tomorrow.

After all, one of the most exciting parts of reaching tier five was the possibility of manifesting their zones.

Brandon—who was walking right beside Raven, was just about to start a conversation, when he felt something pressing on his shoulder.

As he turned around, two blue eyes looked back at him.

It was Amelia.

"Hey."

"Hey, we're finally in the same class. And you are Raven, correct?"

"Yes, nice to meet you, Miss Amelia. I've heard a lot about you."

Raven looked at Amelia, then alternated his gaze on Belle, who had just left the lecture hall.

Thereafter, returning his attention back towards Amelia, who was about to respond to him.

"No need for honorifics. Any friend of Brandon's is a friend of mine. Hope we get along. Hehe~"

"Ah, Haha. Okay."

Raven seemed slightly embarrassed, scratching his cheek.

"Hey, Sis."

Belle had just joined them, walking side–by–side with the group of four. Currently walking right beside Amelia.

"Hey, I didn't know you would be in this class. It was quite a surprise to me….."

"Didn't Amelia tell you?"

"No, well….. She did say there would be a surprise today….."

"Hehe~"

Amelia chuckled.

Brandon then shifted the topic.

"What's the next lecture?"

He asked. He had yet to check his new curriculum.

The one to have responded to his question, was none other than Raven.

"It's [Affinity Maximization]."

"Oh."

The group of four engaged in conversation as they headed for the next lecture. The two girls tried to help Raven ease his tension around them.

Shortly after, they arrived in the lecture hall.

The entrance bustled with activity as cadets began pouring in.

However, as they entered the room, the situation was rather peculiar.

None of the cadets had settled in their seats and stood frozen.

Brandon's curiosity sparked.

For what reason were they—

"...."

It was then.

A beautiful woman stood on the podium. Purple locks cascaded down her shoulders and she tucked the strand behind her ear.

She tilted her head, looking rather confused. Her azure gazes scanned, and eventually met Brandon's gaze.

"Ah."

Now he understood why they were all frozen.

Who wouldn't be under the presence of someone hailed as the second coming of Lucian Frost?

And to think she was in the academy, teaching cadets.

It was an opportunity no one would ever want to miss.

That being said, it was none other than….

"Miss Evelyn?"