Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

"Wake up, wake up," a faint voice echoed through the void. "Open your damn eyes, kid," the voice grew louder and clearer.

"I'm up, I'm up," Jett's eyes snapped open to a sight he wasn't expecting, freezing him in place. 'What's going on? Why am I back here? Did I die? No that's impossible.' He checked himself to see if he was real or if it was a dream. He found himself in the grand hall where he and the others had gathered before they were reborn.

The hall was magnificent, with towering marble pillars adorned with intricate carvings that reached towards a vaulted ceiling painted with pure white.

Chandeliers of crystal and gold hung down, casting a warm, ethereal glow across the polished obsidian floor. But the throne he had allegedly broken was nowhere to be found. He it was the same place even though most of it looked new to him.

"It's about time. I finally found an opportunity to bring you back." Aurelia appeared before him, scratching his head in frustration and giving a brief sigh.

"What's going on? I remember passing out after... Hold on, did you bring me here?" Jett demanded, stepping back as he began to grasp the situation.

"Well, of course I did, and it took a lot to do so," Aurelia replied, his right hand on his forehead as though he were in despair.

Jett, unmoved by Aurelia's display, only looked at him in disgust. "Cut the bullshit. I know you're faking it. Just tell me why you brought me here."

"Oh? Interesting. I can never figure you out," Aurelia sighed playfully, vanishing and reappearing behind Jett.

"Yeah? You've been spying on me, haven't you?" Jett folded his arms and sat on the floor, defiant.

'How does he know that? I mean, I was, but for some strange reason, I haven't been able to do so directly for two years now. A black fog keeps covering my eyes whenever I try. But I can't tell him that. This kid is too crafty, but that piques my interest even more. I wonder what fun he's been up to,' Aurelia pondered silently.

Jett clapped loudly in front of Aurelia's face to snap him back to reality. "Hey, stop daydreaming, damn it. You're wasting my time."

"Oh, we have all the time in the world, kid. I control this space, and in here, time moves as I want it to. Not just time—anything I can think of is what this space shall be. Welcome to Etheria Reviva," Aurelia explained, his voice echoing with a mix of authority and amusement.

As he spoke, Aurelia flew upwards, revealing his majestic form. Six wings spread apart, each with a span as wide as a full-grown man.

The wings glowed even more intensely as they blocked the golden light from the roof, casting a shimmering aura around him. His presence was both awe-inspiring and intimidating, a testament to his celestial power.

Jett watched in astonishment, his mouth slightly agape, though he quickly tried to mask his expression like the kid he still was at heart. 'Yeah, makes sense, but he won't admit the fact that he was banished here by the big guys because of his behavior,' he thought, nodding his head. "So you basically paused time?" he asked, a hint of relief in his tone.

Aurelia vanished and reappeared beside Jett, now holding a bowl filled with grapes. He sat down, casually eating. "Not really. Just because I can doesn't mean I want to," he replied, his nonchalance adding to Jett's frustration.

Jett jolted, startled by Aurelia's sudden movement. "You are unbelievable. What did you gain from that?" he demanded, trying to regain his composure. 'Don't trust Aurelia. He's a scumbag who will do anything for his entertainment. The fact that you're here means he's got something annoying already planned,' he reminded himself.

"The disappointment on your face, I suppose," Aurelia said, his tone turning serious. "But that's beside the point. I brought you here for one thing and one thing alone."

"Because of how abnormally fast I'm progressing?" Jett asked, smiling internally, taking pride in his rapid development.

Aurelia appeared right in front of him, a wicked smile spreading across his face. "No, silly boy. You, my friend, are not supposed to be here."

*****

Nerissa ran through the forest with Jett slung over her back, her footsteps quick and light despite the burden. Her breaths came in steady rhythm, her determination pushing her forward.

The dense canopy overhead filtered sunlight through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. The air was filled with the earthy scent of moss and pine, the forest beginning to look more familiar and less ominous as she drew closer to Lagia.

"He did all this? Nah, probably those men I just took care of. I need to hurry," she muttered to herself, her mind racing with concern for Jett.

After what felt like an eternity of running, the towering walls of Lagia finally came into view. However, the sight that greeted her was far from comforting.

Corpses of monsters and beasts were scattered around the walls, their forms twisted and grotesque.

There were at least double, no, quadruple the number of bodies she had seen before she left.

The soldiers were cheerfully clearing the battlefield, their spirits high as they collected drops from the fallen creatures. Despite the grim task, there was a sense of camaraderie and relief among them.

Nerissa approached the gate, her eyes scanning the scene in shock. She met up with a group of soldiers to inquire about what had transpired.

One of them, a tall man with a broad smile, turned to her. "There were thousands of them, you should have seen them," he said, spreading his arms wide to emphasize the large quantity.

"Thousands? Don't you think you're exaggerating?" Nerissa laughed nervously, adjusting Jett's position on her back.

"You're only saying that because we've already cleared a lot of them. We thought we were going to die," he sighed, disappointment creeping into his voice as he noted her disbelief.

Another soldier, who had been working nearby, joined in. "Ah yes, good thing Cormac arrived to assist us. Thanks to him, the casualties were kept at single digits."

Nerissa's face lit up like never before, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Cormac was here? Where is he now?"

"He said he had an urgent issue to attend to and dashed out of town," the soldier continued.

"Oh, is that so? I couldn't see him this time either," she murmured, her face falling. She ran past them, her earlier excitement dimming as she headed into the town. The soldiers watched her retreating figure, a mixture of curiosity and concern in their eyes, as she slowly disappeared into the streets of Lagia.

"Wasn't that child behind her Master Jett?" the second soldier asked his colleague.

"Be real, you must be imagining things. It was probably a child that got lost and was unlucky enough to get attacked, but still lucky to be saved by her," he replied dismissively.

"If that's the case, wasn't she supposed to be at the capital right now?" the second soldier pressed, growing more curious.

"Now that you mention it, I think you're right," his friend agreed, the realization dawning on him.

While they conversed, another soldier from afar yelled at them, "Hey, you two, quit slacking off and come help us. Unless you're willing to sleep outside!"

"Yes, sir," they both replied in unison, quickly returning to the task of clearing the corpses.

*****

Nerissa landed softly on the windowsill of Jett's room, glancing around to ensure no one had seen her.

With careful steps, she jumped into the room, her movements silent and graceful. She gently laid Jett on the bed, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead.

"I sure hope I don't run into Mother. Sleep well, baby brother. I have to go back now," she whispered, pulling out a teleportation stone from her pocket.

"Nerissa? What are you doing here? And why come from the window? What happened?" Eva's calm but confused voice came from the doorway.

Nerissa froze, her heart pounding. 'Oh no, what do I do? I can't exactly tell her that he summoned me as a last resort while on the brink of death,' she thought frantically.

Before she could respond, Jett stirred and slowly sat up. "She didn't do anything wrong. I snuck out of town and got into trouble, so I used the item big sis gave me and she suddenly appeared in front of me," he explained, his voice groggy but clear.

'He's awake?' Nerissa wondered, a mix of relief and surprise flooding her. She gave a small, grateful smile to Jett, appreciating his quick thinking.

"If that's the case, then you're in deep trouble young man. I was worried sick. I'll be keeping a closer eye on you from now on, and no more forest adventures for you." Eva scolded, her tone stern but relieved.

All Jett could do was smile silently, winking at Nerissa who nervously smiled back.

As Eva guided Nerissa out of the room, Jett was finally alone, lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. His thoughts drifted back to his recent encounter with Aurelia.

*****

"You're not the one I was supposed to bring here; I was sent the wrong person. The fact that you were able to slip right through me is impressive," Aurelia said, his menacing smile unwavering as he stood before Jett.

"I don't understand what you're talking about," Jett replied, feeling flustered.

"Oh, come on, kid. I know that you know. Remember what I said the first time we met about you all having some knowledge about this world?" Aurelia snapped his fingers, and one of the volumes of WAR BOUND appeared, floating in front of them. The pages flipped on their own before suddenly stopping at a specific section.

"Yes, I remember." Jett watched as text slowly appeared on the pages.

Appearing behind him and pointing at something in the book, Aurelia asked, "So tell me, what was his name? The one that was supposed to be Jett Grift?"

"His name? It was Cain Chester. Why? Why show me this?" Jett questioned, feeling more confused.

"Fate always wants to have the last laugh. Be careful out there. I just don't want my entertainment to be ruined because of a simple mistake," Aurelia replied.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Jett pressed.

"You'll find out very soon. And take care of that ticking time bomb over there." he continues as he points the Egg which he could clearly see and with a snap of his fingers, Aurelia sent Jett back.

*****

Back in his room, Jett had a lot on his mind. Why had Aurelia summoned him and asked about the original character? What did he mean by "ticking time bomb"? He looked at the , brushing off the thought as he gently stroked its surface, his gaze unfocused.

"Fate always wants to have the last laugh?" He pondered those words.

"He might just be messing with me, but there's no harm in being extra careful. I may not know what he's planning, but I'm not going to play by his rules, but he was able to see you so he can't be totally playing me." he resolved.

Attempting to get off the bed, Jett winced as pain shot through his body, so he lay back down, exhaustion finally overtaking him as he drifted into sleep.

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I'm partially back but I'll do my best