Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

The young man halted the guard and the carriage with a raised hand, his sharp brown eyes scanning the tarp-covered figures. "Hold on a bit," he said, his voice calm but firm.

The group of trainees ahead turned briefly, but he waved them off. "You all go ahead. I'll catch up later." With curious glances, they nodded and continued through the gates.

The guard hesitated. "Is something wrong, sir?"

"What's this about?" the young man asked, pointing at the cart.

The guard straightened, replying with the practiced tone of a soldier. "Farmer here says he found these people unconscious near his farm. We were going to escort him to the Hunters' quarters to report it."

The young man nodded thoughtfully, his sharp gaze never leaving the cart. "I see. You've done your part, Mr.Guard. I'll take it from here. You can return to your duty."

The guard blinked, hesitant. "Are you sure, sir? It's protocol to—"

"I'll take responsibility," the young man cut in smoothly, his tone leaving little room for argument. "You've got your duties to tend to, and I've got mine. Return to your post."

The guard hesitated, then saluted stiffly. "Understood, sir." He turned to leave, casting one last glance at the mysterious cargo before heading back toward the gate.

The young man stepped toward the old farmer, his demeanor softening. "You've done well to bring them here, sir. But you look tired. Let me take the reins from here."

The farmer looked startled. "Oh, I couldn't possibly trouble you—"

"Nonsense," the young man interrupted with a polite smile, gently taking the reins from the farmer's hands. He slipped a small pouch of coins into the man's calloused palm. "Take this and buy yourself a new carriage. You've earned it."

The farmer stared at the pouch, his eyes wide. "Young Hunter, this is too much... I don't know how to thank you."

"No thanks needed," the young man replied, his smile still in place. "Go home and rest. Leave the rest to me."

The farmer stammered a few more words of gratitude before bowing deeply and departing, clutching the pouch tightly. The young man waited until the farmer was out of sight before turning back to the carriage.

He guided the cart into the city, his expression neutral, but his mind was clearly racing. As he turned into an empty alley, he stopped abruptly, his brown eyes narrowing as he scanned his surroundings.

Something felt off.

Before he could react, a dome of darkness enveloped the carriage and him, swallowing them whole.

The alley was silent the next second, as if nothing had happened.

____ ___ _

The young man and the carriage reappeared in a medium-sized hall, lit dimly by flickering torches. The air was heavy, and the faint hum of mysterious energy lingered in the space.

The young man sighed in relief, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly. "How long are you going to keep pretending to be asleep?" he asked aloud, his voice carrying a hint of impatience.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a low chuckle broke the stillness. One of the figures beneath the tarp stirred and rose slowly, revealing a young man with silver hair and deep blue eyes. His smirk was as sharp as a blade. "You're as good as always, Adrian."

The brown-haired young man frowned deeply, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you people? My name is not Adrian; my name is—"

"Brother Adrian!" a golden-haired young woman's voice interrupted him, filled with emotion. She threw herself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug.

The young man froze, stunned by her sudden embrace. Then, as if something deep within him broke through, his lips curled into a soft smile. "You're here, little sister."

"Mmm," the girl nodded, her golden locks brushing against his shoulder.

As the moment lingered, the other two figures beneath the tarp began to stir. A black-haired young man and a pink-haired young woman slowly sat up, their eyes scanning the hall before settling on the brown-haired young man.

He smiled warmly at them. "You're here too. Long time no see."

The pink-haired young woman crossed her arms, nodding subtly. "Hmm."

The black-haired young man chuckled softly, his voice deep and steady. "It's good to see you again, old friend."

Adrian stood still for a moment, his gaze sweeping across all of them - Aurelius, Aurelia, Ren, and Lyra.

The main cast has finally arrived.

____ __ _

"So, that's how you are here, huh?" Adrian muttered after hearing their story he already knew.

"Right," Aurelius nodded with a frown. "But it seems we arrived 2 weeks later than you guys according to what you said... Strange."

"Well, it's probably related to the time difference between this world and ours or some other thing." Adrian replied 'pondering'.

In fact, there was another reason - they arrived here because of the marks that would instantly teleport them into this world while these guys had to experience the distance between the worlds coupled with the time difference. Honestly, it was a vague topic but this was the gist of it.

"Yeah, that's possible..." They nodded at his words.

"Can you tell us what is happening and where we are? The current situation?" Ren then asked a frown forming on his face as he looked around the empty hall.

"I was planning to do that, and right now, we are in one of the secret underground chambers of the Avengers." Adrian replied.

"Avengers?" They asked puzzled.

"Yes, they are the rebel force made of people like us, the kidnapped," Adrian explained. "And they will help us in returning our home. Anyway, let me tell you the general knowledge you need to know and the situation."

They nodded their heads, as they literally knew nothing about this world. They have done the foolish act of coming here with no definitive answer of returning back. But now they have heard Adrian, their hopes rose by a high margin.

Without waiting further ado, Adrian started explaining everything, from the story of the three cities to how he got involved with the Avengers.