Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra-Chapter 568: Veils and Voids

"Good night, little lady."

"Good night."

Leah replied with a smile, soft and polite, nodding at them in passing.

But inside—

'I'm so sick of this.'

The moment she moved past them, her expression dropped, the warmth draining from her eyes like a dying ember.

'I'm sick of acting.'

'I'm sick of pretending to know nothing.'

Their voices—their thoughts—buzzed at the edges of her mind, a constant hum of admiration, devotion, blind ignorance.

She turned a corner, her footsteps light as ever.

The perfect daughter.

The treasured jewel of the fortress.

A title she never wanted.

'I'm sick of you, 'Father'.'

The words pulsed through her like a quiet, seething force.

She could hear him, even now. His disgusting thoughts, still clinging to her like an unwanted touch.

'You were never my father.'

Her fingers twitched.

'You adopted me to raise me as your lover.'

Even in his warmth, his kind words, she saw it—the possessiveness lurking beneath, the twisted attachment disguised as care, like filth she couldn't scrub away.

'Those possessive eyes… Those disgusting thoughts…'

She knew what lay beneath his gentle words, beneath his affectionate voice.

A quiet scoff left her lips, barely audible.

"I can't wait to get rid of you."

______ ____ _

Darkness.

Harry walked through an abyss of endless black, each step heavy, cold, and weightless all at once. There was no ground beneath him, yet he moved forward. There was no sky above, yet he felt as if something loomed over him. A void stretched in all directions, swallowing everything.

His breath came slow, steady. His fingers twitched, the phantom sensation of strangulation still lingering on his throat. His mind was filled with emptiness, but his body moved instinctively, following some unseen thread leading him forward.

Then—

A voice echoed. Cold, deep, and absolute.

[The Nightfall Cull has begun.]

A surge of unseen energy rippled through the void. A low, distorted whisper slithered against his ears, as if a hundred voices were murmuring in the dark. And then—

The world flashed into existence.

"!"

Harry's eyes shot open.

—A dark, endless sky stretched above him. The world was no longer empty. Instead, he lay on the cold ground, staring at the vast nothingness beyond.

The sky was black. Not the comforting black of night, but an abyssal shade darker than death itself. And there—hanging above, suffocating in its ominous glow—

A blood-red moon.

Harry's breath hitched, but he didn't move yet. His body felt strangely cold.

Then—just as he was about to lift his head—

A pair of round, glowing red eyes appeared.

His body froze.

A shadowy, blackened figure loomed over him, its shape twisting unnaturally, its form shifting between solid and smoke. It was hunched, face inches from his own, staring directly into his soul.

It didn't blink.

Neither did he.

Harry's muscles tensed, his heartbeat hammering against his ribs. But his expression didn't falter—his eyes never betraying his feelings.

He met the creature's gaze head-on.

The Nightborn narrowed its eyes, its gaze squinting, as if… confused by him.

Seconds passed.

Then—

The creature suddenly recoiled, twisting away as if startled. But before it could retreat—

BANG!

A fist smashed into its head.

Harry's eyes widened slightly as creature's skull exploded into dark fragments, dissipating into the wind like ash.

His turned his head—

And there, standing beside the remnants of the Nightborn, was Max.

His fist was still raised, his expression blank but his presence radiating raw strength.

Harry blinked once. Then, with a swift motion, he did a quick acrobatic flip to get back on his feet.

"Woah." He dusted himself off, now fully returning to his usual self. "How did you do that?"

Max, still looking at the monster's fading remains, slowly turned his head. The coldness in his eyes faded as he scratched the back of his head. "I used my skill."

Harry's curiosity immediately flared. "Which one? Demon Destroyer Fist?"

"Yeah, that." Max nodded. "And I think that thing was probably a demon. My Demon Slayer skill got activated too."

Harry's brows shot up, his curiosity shotting up. "Wait, that was a demon?!"

Max nodded. "Seems like it."

Then, after a pause, his gaze sharpened slightly. "But… you weren't afraid just now, were you?"

Harry tilted his head. "What do you mean? Are you trying to mock me? Heh, you are too green for that."

"Well…" Max hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "You looked… really different just then. And the voice said the monsters will attack the moment they sense fear of their targets."

Harry's eyes widened—just for a split second.

'Oh. It did say that, huh.'

Then, with a sudden, almost too-natural shift, Harry let out a sheepish laugh. He scratched his cheek, forcing a grin. "Yeah, you are right. I was really terrified inside! I litterally froze seeing two glowing eyes staring at me. My heart nearly burst out of my chest you know. But thankfully, you saved me, or else I'd be a goner."

Max squinted slightly

Something about this didn't sit right.

If Harry had really been scared… the monster should have attacked instantly.

But instead, it had hesitated. It had… stared at him.

Even the monster had seemed confused.

Yet, looking at Harry's easygoing grin, Max could only sigh and let it go.

'Maybe I'm just doing the overthinking thing Harry told me about…'

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'Yeah...'