The Extra's Rebellion
Chapter 83: Keal

Chapter 83: Keal

Zephyr stepped out of the Administration Hall looking nothing like the scruffy soul that had walked in earlier.

Now, he wore long black pants—tailored clean, but not rigid—ending in three deliberate folds that crumpled neatly atop his shoes. The shoes themselves were black with silver soles, sleek but painlessly small. The laces, too short to do a proper knot, were stopped midway and secured by a sleek strap that clipped across the tongue. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked.

His top remained the same as Oliver’s— a short-sleeved silver shirt that was paired with a black cardigan, its hem brushing just above his hips, and stitched neatly on the left side of his chest was the symbol of the Maw—a jagged emblem shaped like the open mouth of something ancient, endless, and hungry. A black tie hung from his neck, slightly loosened, caught somewhere between formal and "I don’t care."

Oliver explined that the Red Sphinx were divided into four district which were— The Obsidian Maw. The Curved Spine. The Furred Tail. The Red Crown

Zephyr had chosen Obsidian Maw. Oliver was there, familiarity mattered. And definitely not because Camelia was part of it too.

"Now where to?" Zephyr asked, secretly hoping the next stop was a dorm. Sleep was fast becoming a fantasy he was desperate to make real.

Oliver rubbed his chin. "Mmm, we’ve got a few minutes before class. Let’s swing by my favorite spot. Well... second favorite."

Zephyr followed, dragging his feet.

They arrived in front of a place Zephyr recognized instantly.

"You’re broke, aren’t you?" Zephyr shot Oliver a flat stare and his tone made it seem like a accusation.

"It’s not broke, per se. I just appreciate good food". Oliver’s eyes twitched at the balant accusations.

’More like pastries’. Zephyr thought, eyeing the familiar storefront.

The door gave a cheerful chime as they walked into the cozy café. They found a quiet booth by the window, where they could see the streets and the morning bustle beyond.

Zephyr collapsed into the seat, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion.

"I’ll be right back," Oliver said, already heading toward the counter. "Gotta take care of something."

Left alone, Zephyr leaned back and stared out the window, his mind drifting. The warmth of the café, the smell of cinnamon and coffee, the muted buzz of conversation—it all felt... peaceful. Until space whispered.

Whoosh.

His hand snapped out, catching something that had slithered near the booth.

He looked down. A snake.

It writhed slightly in his grip, tongue flickering, until a familiar voice came from its mouth.

"Take it easy, Zephyr."

Zephyr’s eyes narrowed. "Keal?"

The snake looked up at him, stilling. "Yeah. It’s me."

Before he could ask how or why, the snake shimmered, splitting into two and spiraling across his palm like ribbons of ink. They wove around each other, then merged again and disappeared beneath his sleeve.

He nearly ripped his sleeve apart but held back—partly out of the faint trust he still had for Keal... but mostly because a student walked past him at that exact moment.

A faint weight settled on his shoulder, just beneath the collar of his shirt. It felt strange—and unwelcome.

Zephyr exhaled, brow raised. "You’ve gotten weirder."

Keal’s voice buzzed near his ear, muffled by fabric. "You’re welcome."

"What do you want?" Zephyr muttered, already eager to evict his unwanted tenant.

"Straight to the point, aren’t we?" Keal said, half-amused before his tone sharpened. "I came to warn you."

Zephyr didn’t interrupt, but his eyebrow arched.

"But it seems I’m too late, seeing as you’ve already joined Obsidian Maw." Keal sighed, disappointed. "Fine. I’ll keep this short. Avoid everyone in that district. You don’t know the major players."

"Wait a sec," Zephyr interjected. "What about Oliver?"

He wasn’t sure if it was the loneliness, or the fact that Oliver’s awkwardness reminded him of Ethan—but the boy was growing on him.

"Oliver? The Mad Titan? Irrelevant." Keal didn’t pause. "And don’t interrupt again—I’m in a bind."

He inhaled, then let it all out in one breath.

"The protagonist, Noctis, is a regressor. He has all knowledge of the future. In his past life, you—a nameless nobody—managed to rape the princess. You were executed for it, sure, but she was scarred. Traumatized and she died chasing purity."

Zephyr stiffened.

"But in this timeline, that never happened. The princess is safe. And yet, Noctis remembers. And he’s petty and he won’t let it go, so avoid him. Completely."

"I’m going to list those you should steer clear of—at all costs."

Keal began reciting— "Noctis. The third and second princess. Seth. Sapphire. Khalifa. Khan. Shit—!"

His voice cut off.

The snake evaporated into a sudden hiss of steam, leaving Zephyr stunned, arm halfway raised and mouth slightly open.

Oliver walked in the next moment with a guilty expression on his face.

"Mmm... there’s a slight problem." Oliver scratched the back of his neck. "The café owner said I can’t order anymore. And, um... he banned you too. By association."

Zephyr blinked slowly.

’Mad Titan. Irrelevant, huh?’

This academy was becoming less of a school and more of a battlefield.

"Aren’t you gonna say something?" Oliver asked, voice stiff.

Zephyr shrugged. "I’ve got money."

’i don’t need this’.

And just like that, he stood, brushing past Oliver and heading for the exit.

Outside, the air was cooler. Calmer. Zephyr slowed his steps just enough for Oliver to fall into stride beside him again, no words needed. Instinctively, Oliver resumed the role of guide, taking the lead.

The building they approached was just plain white, with some black here and there. Their assigned classroom lay at the top of a winding flight of stairs. As they entered, the class room Zephyr blinked in surprise.

Only ten people. Including them? Twelve.

The class was practically empty.

Zephyr scanned the room, instincts prickling. The others weren’t ordinary students.

Near the window sat a tall girl with glossy pink hair, her posture flawless, her expression sharper than glass. Her features were royal—undeniably so. Zephyr recognized her immediately— Seralyn, the Third Princess. The same one from that night. From that bathhouse. Besides sat a dark skinned girl, she had silver hair and silver eye.

Zephyr’s eyes narrowed.

A person sat nearby—a brooding boy with dark hair and eyes like onyx, face unreadable, back straight. He didn’t wear emotion. He wore silence like armor.

Across from the brooding boy was member of UmbraFen Clan, a student with dark black violent hair sat with their legs crossed, fingers covered in rings that flickered with faint shadows. His smile was absent, but his gaze danced across his body.

Directly behind him sat a girl they were all too familiar with — Camila as she excitedly wazed at them. Beside her lounged another girl, her lilac-colored hair cascading over one shoulder like moonlight. Her gaze was unreadable, but her aura pulled attention like gravity. Lunethra, the second princess.

Two others bore the dusk gold insignia of the DuskFall Clan—one a tall girl with a sleepy expression and stormy eyes, the other a smaller girl who sat with perfect posture, her every movement calculated.

Finally, two students from the Vermilion Clan, one boy and a girl. The boy had a long hair and a mischievous grin; the other wore a long braid and kept tapping her pen like a ticking clock. Their aura was cold and impatient.

Ten students. Seven girls. Three boys. Now, Zephyr and Oliver made it twelve.

Oliver let out in a low voice. "Try not to respond to any provocations".

Zephyr didn’t respond. His eyes were locked on the pink-haired girl, Seralyn

She met his gaze briefly. And she wasn’t the only one they all turned to stare at him and from the feedback from his eyes he could sense a lot of malicious intentions.

Zephyr let out a quiet sigh and took an empty seat, deliberately placing himself an entire row away from the rest of the students. Oliver hesitated, clearly torn, before finally joining him.

They had barely settled in when the instructor entered. He was a middle-aged man with a thick black beard and a wide-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over his eyes. Zephyr couldn’t quite see them.

Without even glancing up from arranging his equipment, the man spoke.

"Get out." His voice was calm, yet absolute.

Zephyr didn’t need to guess who the command was aimed at. The moment the instructor had walked in, Oliver’s body had stiffened. And now, at his words, Oliver was already on his feet.

He took a step forward, eager to escape before things got worse—again.

But Zephyr reached out and grabbed his wrist. His expression was firm— Sit.

"It’s fine," Oliver whispered with a forced smile. "This isn’t my first time."

Zephyr hesitated. He hadn’t wanted to get involved, but the situation echoed something his brother once told him about that made him repeat an entire year— never piss off the instructors unless you’re ready to pay the price.

The instructor’s voice cut through the room again. "Are you overriding my command?"

Oliver flinched. "N-No, sir. I’ll be out in a moment. My... my clothes just got stuck on the chair."

He glanced at Zephyr and mouthed. ’It’s okay. I’ve got something cooler to do anyway’.

But then Zephyr spoke, tone low and confused. "Why?"

The room fell still. For the first time, the instructor looked up. His piercing yellow eyes locked onto Zephyr like a predator sizing up prey. "Because I said so."

A wave of pressure slammed into them. Zephyr barely had time to register the warning from his spatial sense before an invisible force wrapped around him. In the next moment, both he and Oliver were hurled out of the room. The door slammed shut behind them with finality.

Zephyr stood there, his mood soured and jaw clenched.

Beside him, Oliver muttered with a hollow chuckle. "And people wonder why I cry"

Zephyr turned. "What did you do?"

Oliver winced. "Nothing. Really. It’s just... one of my cousins has it out for me. And he’s got pull."

Zephyr didn’t think about anymore, he wasn’t the type to overthink, he was the type to push it to his future self.

"So where’s that cooler place you were talking about".

Oliver grinned and led the way