A Background Character’s Path to Power

Aeron wasn’t just some side character. He was the protagonist of this damn academy’s drama. If he spiraled, it’d affect everyone—especially Emilia and Livia, who were already caught in his orbit. And if he snapped again like he did during the hallucination incident...

Yeah, no thanks.

The last thing I need is a repeat of his crimson-eyed rampage.

I rubbed my temples.

Fine. I’ll do it.

But not now. Not in the middle of class.

And I need a plan.

Then again... how exactly am I gonna do it?

He probably wasn’t the type to spill his guts over a chat. And if Emilia’s concern couldn’t crack his shell, my sleep-deprived mumbling stood no chance.

Alright, let’s do a brainstorming.

The professor’s voice faded into background noise as I turned the problem over in my mind. My pencil tapped absently against my notebook, leaving a trail of tiny ink dots that vaguely resembled my crumbling sanity.