Chronicles of Forgotten Extra - Chapter 296

Capítulo 296: I… Like Leaves.

Alden glanced around the stage and let out a long, suffering yawn.

Damn… when is this thing even starting?

He kept the complaint locked safely inside his head, the only place he could vent while he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with representatives from the other academies.

Meanwhile, a sea of participating students packed below, buzzing with excitement for the tournament.

Only the top three from each academy were supposed to be on stage but of course he was the lone one from his academy today.

Amyra had somehow skipped a supposedly mandatory event and Nyx… well, Nyx was running late as usual.

So yeah, all he could really do was yawn while cameras clicked countless pictures from every angle like a swarm of insects.

And on top of that, he could also feel the many glares drilling holes into him from his sides but he just ignored them with a shrug of his shoulders.

Tsk. These stalkers.

I know, I am handsome but can’t they control themselves?

Just then, a familiar figure appeared onto the stage.

Nyx.

She looked way too cheerful for someone who had just cried her hearts out yesterday like a child denied candy.

“Hey, Nyx,” Alden greeted casually.

Nyx’s hand moved slightly upward instinctively but she stopped herself at the last second. Her expression shifted into a bored disinterested one as she pretended not to notice him at all.

Only when she reached his side did she finally acknowledge his presence.

“Oh. Hey, Alden. Didn’t see you there, good morning.”

Alden’s lips twitched.

This girl…

Did she seriously just pretend I was invisible?

He sighed and greeted her back anyway. “Good morning to you too.”

Nyx didn’t even spare him a glance. She just rolled her eyes like he was background noise. “Yeah, whatever.”

…What the hell is her problem now?

Alden felt a hint of irritation rise in his chest.

I sacrificed my sleep yesterday for her and this is how she is acting?

Still, he wasn’t the kind to get mad at such simple things, so he took a deep breath.

Yep. The world is doomed. Completely and utterly doomed.

—

Meanwhile, standing right beside him, Nyx kept her expression perfectly calm… but inside her head she was screaming.

Why did I act like that?!

She didn’t even know herself.

She just… couldn’t help it.

Ever since the events from before, her mind was a mess with every single thought circling back to him.

Alden.

She took a tiny secret glance his way.

His face had that same eternally bored expression he always had… but today, for some reason, it felt strange.

It felt softer, sharper and unreasonably distracting.

Her breath turned rough.

She immediately turned her eyes away, her heart pounding in her ribcage as a blush appeared up on her cheek.

Get a grip…!

What is happening to me today?

Even without looking at him, she could still pick up that faint, fresh scent coming from him… that warm spicy kind of smell which made her stomach feel weird for no good reason.

“Hu~”

A tiny, embarrassing sound slipped out before she could stop it.

Nyx panicked and of course, stole another quick glance at him. But this time, Alden was already looking her way.

Their eyes met.

And her entire brain promptly short-circuited.

I need to say something quick.

“I wasn’t staring at you. I was staring at… uh… air. Very interesting air.”

She stammered those words and regretted immediately.

Damn it.

Alden just stared at her for a few seconds… then he suddenly leaned in.

His scent hit her all at once and her thoughts instantly went blank.

Heat raced up her face, flooding her entire face as his shadow fell over her.

W–what is he doing?

Right here? In front of everyone?!

But her body betrayed her completely.

She didn’t move or speak and just… closed her eyes.

A second passed.

Then another.

“There was a leaf stuck on your head.”

His voice cut through her fantasy.

“I have been trying to tell you for a while,” he continued casually, “but you were too busy making weird faces.”

Leaf?

A leaf?

Seriously?

For a second, she felt disappointment rushing through her.

She barely controlled her expression.

“That was intentional,” she muttered, turning her gaze away. “I… like leaves.”

Without waiting for a response, she took the reddish leaf from his fingers and put it into her pocket.

Alden just stared at her for a second.

“…Sure.”

Then he turned his head away, his lips twitching and the look on his face screaming pure disbelief.

—

Before Alden could even process anything about Nyx, the entire arena fell silent.

A figure materialized in mid-air.

His black hair caught the sunlight and those abyssal eyes swept over the massive crowd with a cold, unreadable calm. The air itself seemed to hold its breath as his gaze moved… then stopped right on Alden.

A faint smile curved the man’s lips.

Alden answered it with one of his own.

After all, that man was his master… and with all these cameras pointed at them, he couldn’t exactly slip up.

Jeremy’s gaze moved past Alden.

“Welcome, students, to the Inter-Academy Tournament.”

His voice echoed effortlessly across the stadium.

“This year, the format has changed slightly,” he continued. “Instead of multiple events, we will be proceeding with direct one-on-one battles, a straightforward PvP bracket, like a traditional tournament.”

A ripple of excitement and shock ran through the crowd.

Jeremy raised a hand, calming everyone down instantly.

“I wish you all the best of luck. Give everything you have got and show us the strength of your academies.”

He paused.

“The lineups will be announced shortly.”

“With this,” Jeremy declared, his voice echoing across the arena, “I officially announce the start of the Inter-Academy Tournament.”

And just like that, his short speech came to an end.

Meanwhile, Alden felt an ominous feeling as if something huge was going to happen soon… but under that uneasy feeling, he felt excited.

Because no matter what was coming…

A new chapter had just begun.