Extra's Abyss-Chapter 26: Banquet[4]

Noctis Looked at the two newcomers. Both of them were twins from the Vaeloria family.

Lena Vaeloria and Rain Vaeloria.

Trisha, beside him, waved her hand towards them as they sat opposite the trio; Ethan nodded his head as a gesture to them.

'Both of them are blessed by the Divine Beast of Ocean Leviathan, although why is Rain still at E- rank?'.

While Noctis was thinking about their status, others just stared at him with a confused look on their face. Lena spoke first, breaking the silence, "What? Don't tell me you're that shocked to see us after nearly 2 years, Mr. Nox", she said with a smirk on her face, her eyes twitching.

Hearing his name called out, Noctis spoke quickly.

"H-huh? Oh, sorry..."

Noctis was still nervous about meeting new people, and it took him a while to get to know Brad, Lira, and his Aunt Ericka.

And having spent months with them made him feel more at ease talking to them.

Now around him sat the main characters of the game; they have similarities, but they differ from a game.

In the game it was just choosing an option or choice while talking to them; he did that easily with a click of a mouse.

Speaking with them in person, a real person—now that's what he wouldn't be able to do.

Noctis bowed his head a little. He spoke nervously, hoping they would forgive him, "I-I'm sorry, everyone. I am sorry for ignoring everyone for more than a year. I am sorry for just leaving. I am really sorry..." He said that just loud enough for the group to clearly hear his words; he didn't want to repeat that shame earlier.

He didn't know why he really felt like crying now. Was it due to his body's natural reaction when apologizing sincerely, or was he just that weak emotionally? This was really not his fault; yet now he was feeling guilty about it.

But he held in his tears.

A silence fell over the group. Since Noctis had bowed his head a little, he couldn't see them.

Hearing none of them speak for a while, Noctis thought his apology was not enough, and just as he opened his mouth to speak again.

Ethan's voice cut him off: "That's enough, Nox; we have already decided to forgive you."

Next, Trisha said softly, "The only reason we're letting you apologize is to relieve you of some guilt.".

"Y-yeah, Nox, you were going through tough times; w-we understand", Rain said timidly while he was trying to find a comfortable position to sit.

Only one person stayed silent. Lena stared at Noctis for a while before she hit him on the head.

Noctis held his head, wondering on why she had just smacked him, and then he realized, 'She did say she would smack some sense into him.'

He rubbed his head while glancing at Lena, who let out a sigh before her sharp and crisp voice came,"Don't, don't ever do that! You got that?"

Noctis nodded his head quickly, while Lena sat back on her seat. "Thanks," he murmured.

Trisha spoke, intending to change the mood. "Only Clara isn't here ha, anyways how are you doing guys?, ready to take on the entrance exam in half of year?", she said excitedly.

"I only managed to reach E rank just a week ago." She added.

"Same here" both Ethan and Lena said at the same time.

"I-I wasn't confident enough to do link, so I reached E- just two months." Rain spoke next.

Noctis said after Rain "I just reached E- rank too, due to reasons."

They nodded as continued to talk for while, noctis spoke in the middle few times as he mingled with them.

'Guess I was little too scared about this and overwhelmed by fear and insecurity. I really should work on my confidence, and only clara's left who I would need to apologize to.'

For the past month since he had received the invitation, he had been nervous each night, coming up with various reasons.

What should he do once he meets them?

What should he talk about?

How should he act around them?.

His questions kept piling up each day, leading to a sense of overwhelming pressure. Eventually, he reached a point where he gave up. He decided to try his best or do what he could do. And since his aunt would be near him, it wouldn't be that hard, right?

But once he and his aunt arrived here, his support vanished; she said he would need to face this alone.

He was already panicking a lot, but when Ethan arrived first and talked with him, he was sweating bullets by then.

But looking at the group now, he was grateful for his aunt's decision on him confronting it alone; he was slowly getting comfortable with his new group of friends, this experience was gradually helping him.

"—we do like this. So what do you think, Nox?" Lena asked him.

"Y-yeah, we can do it!" Noctis spoke quickly, 'Well, it looks like I still need a bit more time.'

"Hmm, why do I feel like y—-", she was cut off suddenly as a song started playing.

Everyone present in the hall looked towards a massive staircase adorned with lavish ornament. The various lights in the hall dimmed as a few focused on the stairs.

Their eyes fell on two people who were walking down the stairs.

In the back walked a male who had deep black eyes, which were in stark contrast to his brilliant short white hair. He donned a sleek white suit that accentuated his tall and lean frame.

He was the 3rd prince of the Starborne Empire, Adrian Estelle Novastris

In the front, a girl with breathtaking beauty, along with her soft skin and her presence that seemed to glow with an otherworldly grace, her long white hair cascading down her back, walked down the stairs.

She was wearing a stunning silver dress. Each piece of its fabric was embroidered carefully, faint gold threads around her dress further highlighting her presence. Her captivating blue eyes held a mysterious allure, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

She was the youngest daughter of the Emperor, Clara Estelle Novastris.

Today, she was the star of the show, celebrating her 15th birthday.

Both of them came to the end of the staircase. The princess took a step forward and spoke calmly, using mana to amplify her voice.

"Greetings, esteemed guests. I am honored to have you all here to celebrate this special day with me. I hope everyone enjoys the party and forms new friendships. I wish you all the best, and may we all meet once again at the university. Thank you again."

The guests erupted into applause, impressed by the princess's grace and grateful for her wishes. Clara Estelle Novastris smiled a little, turning her head slightly she nodded towards her big brother.

She and her brother talked with every guest who came over to greet and offer their gifts. This continued for a while before they announced a battle event to let the guests show off their skills.

Clara let out a sigh as she left to find her group of friends, her eyes wandering the crowds of people and finding a table where 5 sat in a circle joking around with each other.

Her eyes landed on the particular boy in the group as she let out a bright smile, walking quickly towards them.