[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-extra-s-rise":3,"chapter-the-extra-s-rise-the-extra-s-rise-chapter-415":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Extra's Rise",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1513150,1965,"Chapter 415 415: Prelude to Exchange Program (5)","the-extra-s-rise-chapter-415",415,"\u003Cp>Morning came with gentle insistence, sunlight spilling through the windows to paint patterns across the bed. I woke to find Seraphina already alert, propped up on one elbow, studying me with her usual intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good morning,\" I said, voice rough with sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your sleep cycles appear restful,\" she observed by way of greeting. \"No evident nightmares or stress responses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled. \"Good morning to you too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slight smile curved her lips. \"Morning,\" she conceded, leaning down to press a brief kiss to my lips. \"We should leave within two hours to return to the Academy at an appropriate time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Always practical, always planning—even in moments like this. It was oddly endearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We have time for breakfast, then?\" I asked, stretching carefully beneath her watchful gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. I've already instructed the chefs to prepare something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We ate on the terrace, watching the morning sun sparkle on the ocean. Seraphina was quieter than usual, seemingly absorbed in her own thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Regrets?\" I asked finally, when the silence had stretched long enough to become concerning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her head snapped up, ice-blue eyes focusing sharply on mine. \"No,\" she stated firmly. \"None.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're quiet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm processing,\" she corrected. \"Last night was...\" She paused, searching for the right word. \"Significant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coming from Seraphina, this was equivalent to a passionate declaration. I reached across the table, taking her hand in mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For me too,\" I assured her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded, apparently satisfied with this mutual understanding. \"We should prepare to leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The return journey was the reverse of our arrival—a brief warp travel that compressed space and time, depositing us back at Mythos Academy's Warp Gate 13 by mid-morning. As we stepped off the platform, it was like reentering a different world—one of responsibilities, rivalries, and impending challenges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we walked back toward the dormitories, Seraphina's hand brushed against mine—a subtle gesture that might have seemed accidental to anyone observing, but which I recognized as deliberately seeking connection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I caught her fingers with mine, giving a brief, reassuring squeeze before letting go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After we reached Ophelia dormitory, we parted ways, heading to our respective floors. A glance at the clock told me we were running a little late, so I changed into my uniform quickly—black jacket, white shirt, black pants, golden trim glinting faintly under the ceiling lights. I combed my hair back with my fingers, grabbed my satchel, and made my way out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Classes were more or less what I expected—similar to last year, only tuned to a sharper, harder edge. Higher level spell theory, enhanced combat analysis, mandatory mock battle simulations. Mythos Academy wasn't in the business of raising average students after all. It was a grind, but a familiar one, and I slipped back into the rhythm without much trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time the final class ended and the halls began to thin out, I felt my phone buzz against my thigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled it out, half expecting another reminder from Nero or some academy-wide alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, it was a text.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just one word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coffee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starlight Brew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was from Clara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at the screen for a moment longer than necessary, the corners of my lips tugging upwards despite myself. I tucked the phone away and headed towards the cafe she mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starlight Brew was nestled in one of the newer wings of the Academy grounds, tucked between a sleek bookshop and a tech-enhancement store. The cafe had wide glass walls, letting the late afternoon sun pour inside, casting the polished floors and metal-and-wood tables in a warm glow. Soft, lazy music drifted through the air, blending with the scent of roasted coffee beans and sweet pastries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed open the door, the tiny bell above it chiming softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There she was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slumped over a table near the window, chin resting on her arms, Clara Lopez looked exactly like she always did. Drowsy. Half-asleep. Entirely too relaxed for someone sitting in public.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her soft navy blue hair was tied messily to the side, strands slipping free. Her violet eyes, heavy-lidded and almost stubbornly half-shut, shifted lazily toward me as I approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yo,\" she said, lifting a single hand in a half-hearted wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat down opposite her, raising an eyebrow. \"Good to see you're as energetic as ever.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shhh,\" she muttered, sliding a coffee cup toward me with her other hand like a bribe. \"You'll ruin the cafe's vibe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled, taking the cup without protest. I took a sip. Rich, strong. She remembered what I liked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn't know you missed me enough to drag yourself out of hibernation,\" I teased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She made a noncommittal noise, something between a hum and a scoff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You were gone for, like, a year,\" she said after a moment, voice a little less sleepy now. \"And not even a single text. Or call. Or psychic message.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wasn't dead,\" I pointed out, setting the cup down. \"Just... busy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Busy almost dying,\" she corrected, peeking at me from under the curtain of her hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scratched the back of my head. \"Minor details.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara just sighed—a long, suffering sigh—as if I was personally exhausting her just by existing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're a dumbass,\" she muttered. \"But... glad you're back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was simple. Clumsy. Exactly the kind of thing Clara would say without dressing it up in anything fancy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah,\" I said, leaning back in my chair. \"It's good to be back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a while, we just sat there. No rush to fill the silence. No need to impress or explain. The sun dipped lower outside the window, casting golden streaks across her hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn't the type to nag or demand attention. She was just... there. A steady, sleepy presence. Always had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somehow, that made it easier to breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know,\" she said eventually, lifting her head slightly, \"you missed a lot of boring crap while you were gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. Meetings. Mandatory lectures. Some group projects. One guy even tried to declare himself new Rank 1.\" She yawned. \"It was hilarious. He got bodied by Lucifer in, like, thirty seconds.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed, the sound easing out of me naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sounds like I missed all the fun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You did,\" she said, her smile slow and genuine. \"But it's fine. You're here now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took another sip of coffee, savoring the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was here now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not everything in the world was broken yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You better stick around this time,\" Clara said, her voice drifting toward sleep again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced out the window, where the stars were just beginning to peek out from the evening sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll try,\" I said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across from me, Clara's head dipped forward slightly as she dozed off at the table, her coffee untouched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Typical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I leaned back, closing my eyes for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for the first time in a long while, it felt like things might just be okay.\u003C\u002Fp>",1140,"2026-06-06T05:13:22.849Z",1,"novelbin.me","749a282ae16c7f4a227704d1b48f032b7b355fa9190ecb67a8b8346c20047b9b","the-extra-s-rise-chapter-416","the-extra-s-rise-chapter-414",1100,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-extra-s-rise-cover.jpg"]