The Extra's Rebellion
Chapter 108: Prelude to Limbo

Chapter 108: Prelude to Limbo

"So you are really doing this huh". Merin sighed as she stared at Zephyr who was sitting close to her.

Zephyr was wearing a large silverly black trench coat, with a black turtleneck underneath with black pants and brown leather boots.

They were sitting on a bench in a large field as they waited for one of Merin’s squad mate to arrive.

"You know, you can still back out. I have learnt that stepping back doesn’t always make you a coward, it can also serve as a preservative for your life".

He had somehow convinced her to allow him got to Limbo, but she won’t stop bugging him to change his mind.

"I will tell you what I have been telling you ever since— no!". Zephyr stared at her deadpan.

"Okay, okay I am just saying that if you want to back out, nobody will shame you". She said while kicking a pebble nearby.

Zephyr rolled his eyes as he sighed, she has been trying to make him drop Limbo and even restorted to bribery. But he declined, saying he felt a connection with Limbo.

To others, it might’ve seemed like he was being reckless. Even Merin had called him crazy— why would anyone walk into a storm when there was warmth indoors? Why search for pain when comfort was offered?

But Zephyr had his reasons. His wounds weren’t healing among people — they were festering. Every crowd felt like a cage. Every footstep around him made his chest tighten. Every black uniform sent phantom pain through his body like static.

He needed distance and he needed silence from humanity odour. And Limbo was perfect.

He was still thinking this when a footstep rang out behind them.

Tap.

Zephyr flinched — violently. His spine went rigid, his muscles locking tight like a snapped wire.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He was on his feet before he realized it, breath catching in his throat.

His hands trembled. Not from fear, but from the ancient instinct to flee. His mind was already playing tricks — shadows growing darker, sounds louder, time slower.

’Run.’

That was the first word that thundered through his skull, it was so loud that for a moment, one could consider the possibility that he could have gone deaf.

Merin stood beside him now, confusion turning to sharp awareness. She turned.

From the western arch, Roland approached.

He was tall — too tall — with a coat the color of dying stars draped over his long frame. His slicked-back hair shimmered like poured ink under the light. And his eyes—sapphire blue, glowing faintly with the unmistakable signature of DuskFall blood.

Power clung to him like perfume. Space itself shifted around him. Zephyr saw it — folds, bends, tremors in the air.

He couldn’t breathe, he legs start to turn to jelly. Roland was after all the leader of Merin’s squad and was a grade 1 Beta.

Although they were enchantment to hold back their aura, Roland had just broken through and his aura was spilling out of him.

Zephyr felt his legs turn to jelly, he was about to fall on his knees when Merin placed her hand on his shoulder and enveloped his body with her Aura to help him.

He breathed out a sigh of relief as his body begin to loosen up, he flashed Merin a smile of gratitude.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Merin said, the edge of a smirk curling her lips.

Roland scratched the back of his head sheepishly, walking with the lazy grace of someone who’d never needed to hurry.

"You know how it is. Got caught up again—lost track of time indulging in my fantasies."

Then he waved his hand. "Anyway less about me. You said something about me opening a road to Limbo".

Merin took a quick glance at Zephyr who nodded, with a sigh she replied. "Yes, my boy here is going to hunt for his source".

Zephyr blinked. ’Since when am I your boy?’ He didn’t say it aloud— she was getting him a ticket to Limbo. No point seeming ungrateful.

"Hmm. Hey, kid." Roland turned his gaze to Zephyr, studying him up and down with curious amusement. "Tired of living?"

’You could say that,’ Zephyr thought—but what he said aloud was—

"Not really."

The words came out half-pondering, as if even he wasn’t sure how he felt. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, which only made Roland laugh harder.

"Hah! He’s a funny one."

With a flick of his wrist, Roland pulled a plain dagger from his belt and infused it with a gleaming sapphire Aether. The blade shimmered unnaturally, like it was phasing between dimensions.

"Here," he said— and tossed it.

Merin caught it before Zephyr could even blink.

"Just cut the air with it. It’ll take you to Limbo."

"Any limitations he should know?" Merin asked, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah— he gets four slashes in total. One’s keyed to Limbo, another’s set to return here. The other two are blanks. Use ’em wrong, and... well, good luck."

"And you didn’t think to mention that before throwing it at him?"

Roland coughed, rubbing the back of his head again. "Well, I forgot? Hmm and also the rift has a time limit"

Before Merin could snap back, he vanished.

Not a sound. Not a blink. Just— gone.

Zephyr blinked rapidly, stunned. He could have sworn he didn’t blink, Roland just vanished under his gaze and his senses.

"Tch. Roland’s always forgetting the important things". Merin muttered. She turned back to Zephyr, holding out the dagger.

"You heard him. Lose this, and you’re as good as dead." Zephyr accepted it.

Then Merin started fussing.

"Do you have your soldier pills?" she asked, digging through his satchel tied vertically across his back. "What about your secondary blade? No, let me see— did you clean it properly? Do not go into Limbo with grit in your sheath."

Zephyr rolled his eyes, raising a hand to stop her. ’You packed it yourself, Merin’.

"Merin." He smiled faintly. "I’m ready."

She paused, then sighed, brushing some of his white hair off his collar. "Yeah. I know you are. Doesn’t mean I have to like it".

They were interrupted by rapid footsteps.

Samantha approached—along with the rest of his squad.

One by one, they greeted him.

Victoria and Cynthia smiled softly. "Stay safe," they said in tandem.

He nodded in appreciation.

Gary stepped up, and they exchanged a firm handshake that turned into a brief, brotherly half-embrace.

Peter followed, pulling him into the same grip. He held Zephyr’s hand longer than expected.

"When you come back," Peter said, voice low, "and you need anything— hit me up. We watch out for our crew. Right?"

Zephyr smiled a soft smile. "Right."

Peter stepped back, slipping something into Zephyr’s palm. He glanced down—a vial of Kokaine.

He chuckled softly and tucked it into his satchel. Typical Peter.

Then Samantha came forward.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," he echoed.

They stood in silence just staring at each other.

’this is awkward’. Then he sighed before saying. "I’ll be going now."

She didn’t answer. Instead, she unwrapped the orange scarf from around her neck and stepped forward, gently tying it around his.

Then she said softy into his ears. "Know that you are loved. You are not alone". She was talking about the incident a previous day, she could see that he was mentally scared, and she said to him what she would have said to any other person. Or so she thought.

She turned and walked away.

Zephyr watched her go. And for once, he wasn’t distracted by her giggling assets

He touched the scarf.

Behind him, Merin’s voice cracked the silence. "My baby boy’s first real friends... and girlfriend? I’m gonna cry."

Zephyr didn’t respond. He just stared at them. His squad. His people. Affection wasn’t their strength—yet here they were.

He entered a brief memory lane as he recalled alm their ups and downs. Samantha— ever serious. Victoria— the teaser. Cynthia— the embodiment of shyness. Gery— always eating. Peter— the drug dealer.

He turned back toward the field, raising the dagger, he slashed the air.

The sky tore.

A rift opened, revealing a swirling starfield. A void of constellations. Darkness and light melting into a cosmic veil.

"It’s beautiful," he heard Merin whisper. The others gasped.

Zephyr stepped forward, already moving— clearly trying to slip away without a real goodbye.

’gods, I hate goodbyes’.

But then— Merin grabbed his wrist.

"Promise me". She said. "You won’t die."

He paused, then—he grinned.

"Don’t make me laugh... I’m immortal."

And with that, he stepped through, the tear sealed behind him.

And he was gone.

Samantha watched from a distance as she saw the tear close. She felt a dull ache in her chest, just like when she lost her parents.

’he is family’. They had been staying together in the same home for a year now, they had a close bond despite the fact that they didn’t agree on everything, or anything at all.

She turned, and walked away. If he could face the fear of the unknown, the fear of death. Then she wasn’t going to fear her clan.

’Am going back’. If even a coward like him was able to transverse space to head to the unknown, then she could go back to her clan.