The Extra's Supremacy-Chapter 58: Meeting

"I am Alvin Vaelcrest"

"Nice to meet you all."

The words echoed across the coliseum, and the effect was instant.

Gasps. Whispers. Disbelief.

But I didn’t listen to any of it. I simply walked down from the stage, calm and composed, and stood beside Lesley, who was smirking, and Bob, whose mouth was still half-open in shock.

’I’m ready to face my identity.’

***

In the VIP guest room...

Silence.

Not a single word was spoken as the screen flickered, showing Alvin Vaelcrest standing proudly on stage.

They had assumed the boy was dead, lost, missing, or killed somewhere in the chaos of the past.

But now?

Alive. Strong. And standing at the top.

The room was filled with powerful figures, but none spoke until Erwin Vaelcrest slowly exhaled.

He looked down, his voice low as he muttered,"...He returned after learning his sister was gone."

He turned, facing the heads of the other great families.

"I believe it’s time to initiate Operation Fresta."

Oliver Noctis’s eyes widened. "Are you serious? You were the one who said no, just hours ago."

Erwin nodded. "I did."

He looked back toward the screen, his gaze settling on Alvin.

"But now that he’s back... my role in this is over."

Confusion spread among the others, but no one questioned him out loud.

"...Then let’s meet Lady Eleanor," said David Slypar quietly.

The others rose from their seats.

The air had changed.

And something was about to begin.

***

"Can’t you drive faster? At this rate, the ceremony will be over."

I leaned forward in the backseat, glaring at the driver.

If I missed this, we’d lose our chance to snatch up the most promising student of the year.

The driver nodded stiffly. "Yes, Lady Alice."

I sat back with a sigh, lips curling into a sly grin.

I already know how to get him onto the Student Council.

He had no idea what he’d stepped into. Offending one of the Great Seven? He either had guts or no sense of self-preservation.

But as long as I offered protection... he’d have no choice but to accept my invitation.

The minutes crawled by, and finally, we reached the academy gates.

I didn’t wait for the car to stop properly, I threw the door open and ran.

The guards saw me and opened the gates without a word. No ID check. No hesitation.

Idiots. One day, someone will walk in wearing my face and blow this place up.

I shook the thought away and rushed into the Student Council wing.

Throwing my bag onto a chair, I scanned the room and spotted Sera in the distance.

She stood like a statue, dazed as always. That lost-puppy look on her face never changed... but something about her confusion felt different this time.

"Hey, Sera. Is the ceremony over?"

She nodded slowly, still not fully registering my presence.

Is she broken today or what?

I walked over and nudged her shoulder, just enough to bring her back to reality.

"Huh? Alice! I—I was just about to tell you—"

I cut her off with a wave. "We’ll talk later. What rank did that newbie get?"

Sera hesitated, then answered softly, "...First."

Just as I thought.

"Perfect. Let’s go. We need to get to him before the Disciplinary Committee does."

I didn’t wait for her reply and headed straight toward the first-year dorms.

"But—but Alice—"

Not now.

I sighed and grabbed her hand, dragging her along behind me.

This wasn’t the time for hesitation.

***

Everbright Academy doesn’t care about fairness.

It doesn’t treat students as equals. Not even close.

If you’re talented, they roll out the red carpet. Luxurious dorms, elite training facilities, and access to high-tier mana stones.

If you’re average? You get "okay-ish" everything, and a pat on the back if you’re lucky.

Background means nothing here. Even the heirs of the Great Seven have to follow the rules like everyone else.

And the rules are brutal.

The first-year dorms are split into three categories:

Third Category: Ranks 700 to 201. Five hundred students, crammed into two hundred fifty rooms. Two per room, minimal facilities. You’re just another body in the system.

Second Category: Ranks 200 to 21. One-eighty students. Private rooms with small training spaces. Still decent, but nothing special.

First Category: The top 20.

Private rooms, massive training halls, and most importantly, thicker mana density. Every breath feels like you’re absorbing power.

I knew exactly where his room was.

After all, it used to be mine.

Dragging Sera behind me, we made our way through the pristine corridor of the first dorm.

No hesitation, no nerves.

When we reached the door, I stopped and lifted my hand.

Then I knocked.

The door creaked open slowly.

And what greeted me was... definitely not what I expected.

A black-haired girl stood there with a bright smile.

"Hello!"

A girl? In a boy’s dorm room?

My brain short-circuited for a second.

"What—who are you? What are you doing here?"

She gave me a quick once-over and raised an eyebrow.

"How rude. You knock on my door, and now you’re interrogating me?"

Was I in the wrong room?

I looked down the corridor. No. This was the right place.

I sighed and asked more calmly, "Do you know where the first-ranker’s room is?"

She nodded. "This one."

...This girl was testing my patience.

"Then why are you here? You do know boys and girls aren’t supposed to stay in the same room, right?"

She folded her arms, not flinching at all.

"Really? Is that an actual rule, or just one you made up?"

I opened my mouth to argue and stopped.

Damn it. There was no such rule.

I exhaled through my nose, reluctantly backing off.

"Fine. You win. Just let me meet him."

But of course, she wasn’t done yet.

"Wait," she said with a smirk, "didn’t you just say a boy and a girl shouldn’t be in the same room? And now you want to come in?"

I stared at her. Speechless.

This girl was so petty.

She giggled, clearly enjoying every second.

"I’m Reyna Lucas. Adore me and I’ll be your bestie. Hate me and I’ll be your baddie. Hi hi hi~"

Then she stepped aside, gesturing inside.

"Please. Come in."

The moment I stepped inside, the smell of coffee hit me.

And not just regular coffee. Fancy, cinnamon-infused.

Reyna plopped herself on the couch like she owned the place and gave us a smug look.

"Would you like some coffee? I made it five minutes ago. Cinnamon and a bit of mana, it’s practically art."

I stared at her.

"Cinnamon? Are you brewing coffee or casting a curse?"

She gasped like I’d insulted her ancestors.

"Excuse you, this is premium-level stuff. A refined palate would understand."

Sera raised her hand like we were in class.

"Um... I’ll try some. If that’s okay."

"Of course, my sweet baby angel," Reyna said, already pouring her a cup. "At least someone here has taste."

I rolled my eyes.

"Don’t blame me if she starts seeing spirits. I’m not dragging her to the infirmary."

Sera took a sip, and then her eyes lit up.

"Mmh... this is actually really good."

"Of course it is."

Reyna smirked at me like she’d just won a national tournament.

"Would you like to apologise now or later?"

I crossed my arms.

"I’d rather swallow raw mana stones."

"Ohhh," she grinned. "That sounds painful. Just like your pride right now."

Reyna kept talking, something about cinnamon and pride, but her voice faded into the background. I wasn’t listening anymore.

I don’t know what it was. Maybe the scent in the air shifted. Maybe it was the sudden hush that fell over the room.

Or maybe... it was just instinct.

My gaze wandered to the door behind Reyna. Something pulled me there, like a thread tugging at my chest, one I hadn’t felt in years but never truly forgot.

It was quiet for a heartbeat too long. Then,

CLICK

The door creaked open, slow and unhurried.

A voice called out casually from behind it.

"Wait... did you make coffee or something? The whole place smells like cinnamon."

My breath caught.

’That voice...’

My heart skipped a beat, then picked up its pace, wild, erratic.

Why does that voice sound so familiar?

The door opened the rest of the way, and he stepped into view.

Not the blue-haired boy I’d imagined seeing again.

No.

Black hair. Tall. Calm. Blue eyes—his eyes.

Exactly like Father’s.

Our gazes met. And everything around me slowed to a crawl.

He froze too. I could see it, the way his shoulders stiffened, how he hesitated as if unsure what to say next.

My chest tightened. That look... that face...

I turned to Sera, needing confirmation that I wasn’t dreaming.

She met my eyes, her expression soft. Then she gave a small, quiet nod.

A nod that shattered something inside me and mended something else all at once.

That nod meant only one thing to me.

’It’s him.’

I didn’t wait for him to speak.

My legs moved on their own as I crossed the room, every step heavier than the last.

Stopping in front of him, I reached out, my fingers trembling slightly, and touched his cheek.

Warm. Real.

"Where were you, all this time?"