The Extra's Rise

The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of the lamp hanging overhead, casting soft, flickering light across the polished floor. The Ophelia dorms were known for their luxury—high-end living spaces tailored for Class A's elites—but tonight, the room felt smaller.

Maybe it was because Kali Maelkith was sitting across from me.

She looked different outside of the battlefield—no armor, no poised stance, no blood staining her clothes. Just a second-year in a dark academy jacket, arms crossed, gaze sharp, still analyzing, still dangerous. But there was something else now, something settling in her, like a cornered beast realizing it was no longer in immediate danger but still unwilling to lower its claws.

"So," she said, voice low, almost amused despite herself, "this is the part where I seal a deal with the devil, is it?"

"Devil is a strong word," I said, tilting my head. "I prefer 'strategist with long-term vision.'"

Her lips curled slightly. "That's what makes it worse. You don't even have the decency to be an obvious villain. Just a guy moving the pieces around while smiling like it's all just a game."

I didn't deny it.

"Relax," I said, leaning back in my chair. "I don't plan to abuse the oath. The tasks I'll ask for won't be meaningless. No personal errands, no petty favors."

Her red eyes narrowed. "Then what?"

"I'll only call on you for things that will help the world."

Kali scoffed, shaking her head. "And what, exactly, do you think helps the world?"

"A lot of things," I said simply. "Stopping wars before they start. Keeping certain people from tipping the balance of power in the wrong direction. Securing lost knowledge before it falls into the wrong hands."

Her jaw tightened at the last one.

"That includes," I continued, watching her carefully, "your family's lost Grade 6 art."

A silence stretched between us. Heavy, thick, weighted with meaning.

"When?" she asked, her voice quieter now.

"When I reach Radiant-rank."

Her gaze snapped back up to me, searching my expression for deception, arrogance, foolishness. Anything.

I kept my expression neutral.

A long breath escaped her. "You really think you'll reach Radiant-rank?"

I smiled. "I don't think I will. I know I will."

Kali's fingers drummed against the desk once. Twice. Then she exhaled, pushing herself off the chair, standing tall despite her exhaustion.

"A mana oath, then," she said.

A pulse of mana flared around her, crackling like a chain being forged in midair.

I stood as well, lifting my hand. Our mana resonated, intertwining as we spoke.

"I, Arthur Nightingale," I began, voice steady, "swear to uphold this agreement. I will only request Kali Maelkith's aid for matters that contribute to the greater good. In return, I will seek out and ensure the restoration of her family's lost martial art upon reaching Radiant-rank."

She inhaled deeply. "I, Kali Maelkith, swear to fulfill my end of the oath. I will aid you when called, within reason."

Our mana swirled together, bright and binding. The oath took hold.

The moment it settled, the weight of it pressed into my core, like an invisible chain. Unbreakable, irreversible.

Kali rolled her shoulders, exhaling sharply. "And just like that, I've officially signed my soul away," she muttered.

"Don't be dramatic," I said, amused.

She held my gaze, then sighed. "Your mind is dangerous, Arthur."

I shrugged. "That's what people keep telling me."

Kali scoffed, then smirked. A small one, but there. "At least you're aware of it."

She turned toward the door, stretching out her arms with a satisfied sigh, as if she had just concluded a business deal rather than locked herself into an unbreakable magical contract.

Then she paused, one hand on the door handle. "So, tell me something, Arthur."

"Hm?"

"You came in first place in Island Survival. Then second place in this event. You do realize that means people are starting to notice you, right?"

I didn't respond immediately.

Because she wasn't wrong.

In two consecutive events, I had placed higher than most people expected.

Lucifer was expected to be the best.

But me?

I wasn't supposed to be here.

And yet, I was.

I tilted my head slightly. "Is that a warning?"

"It's an observation," she said smoothly. "But if you keep pulling stunts like today, you won't be able to stay in the background much longer."

Her smirk widened slightly as she pushed the door open. "Good luck with that."

And then, she was gone.

I sat back down, staring at the now silent room.

Kali was right.

Attention was inevitable now.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

Well.

I'd just have to plan accordingly.

__________________________________________________________________________________

It was the right choice.

Kali told herself that, over and over, as she walked through the quiet corridors of the Ophelia dorms, the weight of the mana oath still pressing against her core like an iron brand.

She hadn't hesitated. Not really. It had felt… instinctual.

To trust Arthur.

And that was the part that unsettled her.

Kali Maelkith did not trust people. She used them. She broke them. She outplayed them. But trusting someone—especially someone younger, someone technically beneath her in rank and status? That was madness.

And yet, her instincts had screamed at her to take the deal.

Maybe it was the mana oath itself. The fact that such a contract couldn't be sealed on false terms. Arthur couldn't lie. Not about the art, not about reaching Radiant-rank. The very fabric of mana itself had acknowledged his claim as possible, as truth.

That was enough.

And yet, her mind wouldn't stop turning.

Had he planned it all? Down to the exact moment Tenebris Rex was unleashed? Down to the injuries she sustained—just enough to make her vulnerable, just enough to push her into a corner where his offer was the only logical escape?

If he had…

Kali touched her bottom lip, thoughtful, eyes glinting as a slow shiver ran up her spine.

That level of tactical manipulation was not normal. That wasn't just a strategist's mind at work.

That was something else.

Something monstrous.

She stretched her arms, shaking off the lingering tension as she stepped into the dorm lounge, only to pause mid-step.

Rachel Creighton was standing there, waiting.

The future Saintess.

Brilliant, beautiful, holy in a way that made Kali's very existence itch. The golden girl of the Creighton family, blessed with light magic that could erase darkness itself.

Kali, a dark magician, had spent years loathed by people like Rachel.

Not because of who she was. But because of what she was.

Light and dark. Two forces meant to clash.

Rachel's sapphire eyes locked onto her immediately.

"Kali Maelkith," Rachel said smoothly, the edge of curiosity in her voice just subtle enough to be polite. "What were you doing in the first-year dorms?"

Kali studied her.

No hostility. Not yet. But there was an expectation in that question, a hint of suspicion beneath the surface.

She wondered if Rachel even realized how intimidating she could be when she wanted to.

Not in a loud, aggressive way.

Rachel didn't loom the way warriors like Ren or Orson did.

She simply stood—and people took notice.

But Kali wasn't just anyone.

She leaned against the nearest wall, arms crossed, voice casual. "I was with Arthur."

Rachel didn't react immediately.

She didn't widen her eyes or gasp or demand an explanation.

She simply tilted her head, watching her with a patience that was far more dangerous than open hostility.

"With Arthur?" Rachel repeated, slow, measured. "Why?"

Kali could already see the thoughts behind her eyes.

Rachel was intelligent. And she was suspicious for a reason.

Kali never interacted with first years.

She should've expected this reaction.

Still, she found herself irritated by it.

"Stop being nosy," Kali said, rolling her shoulders as she pushed past Rachel toward the elevator.

She didn't need to look back to know Rachel was still watching her.

And the weight of that stare lingered long after the elevator doors shut behind her.