Path of the Extra Chapter 2: Azriel Crimson

"'...Where exactly am I?'" Leo murmured to himself while surveying his surroundings.

Only moments earlier, he had been in his own apartment, yet now he stood amidst a deserted urban ruin.

"'Could this be some elaborate joke?'" he pondered aloud.

Perhaps he had fallen prey to those ruthless social media trolls targeting unsuspecting folks.

"'Yet it all seems too genuine to the touch and sight... so probably not.'"

The agony enveloping his frame grew fiercer by the moment, turning increasingly intolerable.

"'Damn, what in the world is happening to me!'"

Frustration boiled within him over the chaos, but upon inspecting his form, an peculiar detail caught his eye.

"'Have I grown taller?'"

His limbs throbbed with an unusual sensation alongside the ache. No trace of blood marred his back; instead, something unexpected emerged.

"'Muscles? I never hit the gym or anything...'"

Exercise had never appealed to him, whether gyms or athletic pursuits.

The sole physical exertion in his life came after losing his family, compelling him to labor nearly seven hours daily.

While reflecting, his gaze landed on his image mirrored in a derelict, shattered vehicle parked on the barren road.

Spotting his likeness in the fractured glass, he went rigid.

The image staring back showed a youthful lad with raven-black locks, so inky they devoured any illumination, tumbling wildly past his shoulders.

His gaze held a vivid scarlet hue, like gleaming rubies under sunlight, both alluring and fierce.

His skin gleamed with the pallor of moonlit powder, standing in stark opposition to his ebony tresses and fiery orbs.

His visage was chiseled to perfection—a refined nose, prominent cheeks.

To sum it up, his allure was nothing short of enchanting, capable of ensnaring the attention of every soul he encountered.

And that encompassed truly everyone.

Leo felt as though he had gazed into that pane for an eternity before jolting back to reality, tripping over his legs and tumbling down.

"'W-what on earth! That can't be me!'"

He was certain the figure in the glass bore no resemblance to his true self.

His locks were brown, his eyes green!

He wasn't anywhere near that striking, painful as the truth stung.

"'What the heck is occurring here!?'"

As panic began to surge, his pulse hammered wildly in his ribcage once more.

Before he could steady himself, a sharp stab invaded his skull.

"'A-ARGH!'"

He howled, writhing on the pavement as if a blade pierced his mind and twisted relentlessly.

The torment proved excruciating when abruptly, foreign recollections surged into his thoughts.

Recollections belonging to another.

A elegant, stunning lady with golden strands and scarlet eyes cradled a small lad resembling her tenderly following his night terror.

The little one dueled across a verdant meadow with a girl who mirrored a youthful edition of the lady, though the girl sported ebony hair akin to the boy and crimson eyes matching the mother's.

A striking gentleman with dark mane and gaze instructed him patiently in swordplay; regardless of errors, the man remained ever tolerant.

Various recollections continued pouring into his consciousness, blending seamlessly with his own.

His chest warmed from their essence.

Emotions alien to him began to feel native.

Strangers turned familiar.

Events unknown became personal history.

The final influx of recollections and sentiments that overwhelmed his mind were... agonizing.

The striking man and the now-older boy journeyed to the frontier between Europe and Asia.

Upon arrival, numerous phase 3 void rifts materialized, plunging all into pandemonium.

Mankind faced hordes as the boy's sire battled the void beasts alongside the local military forces.

Inhabitants scattered in terror, slain and devoured in the frenzy.

The boy, however, stayed rooted, witnessing the horror unfold.

His ultimate recollection depicted the boy's father slaughtering the monsters, drenched in their ichor with a manic grin, prior to darkness claiming everything.

Eventually, the cranial torment eased, allowing the recollections and sentiments to settle more manageably.

"'...I understand now,'" he whispered.

The radiant glow from the volume he perused in his apartment.

Abruptly appearing in this forsaken metropolis without warning.

The figure glimpsed in the vehicle's reflective surface.

A stunned exhale slipped from him as comprehension dawned on the events.

"'I've entered the novel Path of Heroes...'"

His declaration rang hollow even to his ears.

"'And this vessel I occupy... I'm no longer Leo Karumi. Rather—'"

"'I am Azriel Crimson.'"

*********

Azriel Crimson.

A figure utterly absent from the novel's pages.

No details surrounded him, and he held zero bearing on the storyline.

Simply an extra.

Or so it appeared, not wholly accurate.

His sole purpose likely served as a narrative bridge for the lead to approach a key female lead: Jasmine Crimson, heir apparent to the Crimson lineage and among Earth's premier prodigies.

She also chaired the student council at the hero academy and ranked as a central figure in Path of Heroes.

Indeed, Azriel's older sibling who, within the tale, initially appeared aloof toward all after grief-stricken seclusion following the demise of a cherished one.

The lead, inherently compassionate, sought to console her and aid in overcoming that profound bereavement, ultimately capturing her affection through persistent efforts.

It seemed that vital loss was her sibling, Azriel Crimson, since the identity remained undisclosed by all, including the Crimson kin.

The Crimson lineage stood as one of the four mighty clans dominating the Asian landmass.

The Crimson head at present was Joaquin Crimson, wed to Aeliana Crimson.

As Leo—now more aptly Azriel—recalled his newfound sister falling into the protagonist's romantic circle, revulsion twisted his expression.

He despised harem setups, viewing them as signs of disloyalty and shallow affection.

Moreover, the lead drew peril like a magnet, blessed and cursed by fate alike, inviting threats at every turn.

"'No way in hell will I allow him near her,'" he swore, rising once more and loosening his limbs.

No sibling would wish constant peril upon their kin.

Absorbing the prior inhabitant's sentiments and past, they fused into his core.

He had transformed into that individual.

"'I regret what befell you... I realize this may ring as a feeble justification for us both, but I vow to safeguard our kin,'" Azriel declared, addressing his present and past selves.

A droplet traced from his right orb, which he swiftly erased.

All ties and figures from his former existence had vanished.

Irrevocably.