The Cursed Extra: Bloodline of Sacrifice

Step. Step.

The sound of heels echoed through the silent corridor, growing louder with each step.

Clutch.

The door to Caspian's room swung open, revealing Eleana Arkwright standing in the doorway.

Her expression was one of anger, her tone sharp and unforgiving.

"Hey, you little—why didn't you come for trainin—"

But her words caught in her throat the moment her eyes fell on him.

Caspian was sitting on his bed, his frail body wrapped in rough bandages.

His face was swollen, bruises painted across his pale skin like dark stains.

Blood was dried at the corner of his lips, and his red eyes glanced at her, void of emotion.

Eleana froze, her voice dropping.

"Who did this to you?" she asked, her tone sharp but carrying an undertone she didn't quite recognize herself.

Caspian's gaze shifted away from her.

He didn't reply immediately, his breathing labored as he struggled to sit upright.

He had long decided not to expect anything from her—or anyone in this family.

The real Caspian is already gone, he thought bitterly.

'If they cared, truly cared, he wouldn't have died. I wouldn't be here now, living his misery,'

"It... doessn't ....maatterrrr..," Caspian finally said, his words slurred and misshapen.

His jawbone throbbed with pain, making it hard to speak.

"And... sorry, I... was un-consh... unconcious. Tha's... why I couldn't come... to th' training hall."

Eleana's eyes narrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line.

She didn't miss the way he struggled to pronounce the words, nor the slight wince on his face as he forced himself to speak.

"Who did this?" she asked again, her voice firmer now.

Caspian hesitated, then shook his head weakly.

"It... doesn't... matter." Caspian said.

Eleana stepped closer, her eyes scrutinizing his injuries.

Her gaze was cold, calculating.

"Was it Eirak or Jaxar?" She asked.

Caspian's lips parted slightly, but he didn't respond.

His silence was answer enough.

Eleana exhaled sharply as she turned to walk away.

Caspian's blood boiled as he watched her walk away.

She wasn't going to punish them.

She wasn't going to defend him.

Of course she wouldn't. Why would she?

As she reached the door, Eleana paused, glancing over her shoulder.

"Rest," she said flatly. "You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

With that, she left, the door closing behind her with a soft thud.

Caspian sat there, his fists clenching weakly at his sides.

'Rest? For what? To get beaten again? To keep existing in this hellhole?,'

He leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes as exhaustion and pain took over.

His trembling hands clenched into weak fists, and his red eyes glimmered with a newfound determination.

'I have to do something...' he thought.

If I keep going like this, I'll be dead in no time.

This body... this weakness... I won't survive for long at this rate.

His mind raced, cycling through every memory of the novel he could recall.

He had read this story in his previous life.

If anyone knew how to grow stronger in this world, it was him.

"Think, Caspian. What's the fastest way to power up?," he muttered.

Suddenly, an idea struck him like a bolt of lightning.

His lips curled into a grim smile.

'The fastest way to grow stronger is to devour darkness,' he thought. In the story, darkness is a forbidden element, feared for its destructive power.

But there was a method... a rare and secret technique to control it without going berserk.

Caspian's excitement was short-lived as reality slammed into him.

His smile faded.

Fuck... I don't even have the darkness element awakened. Without it, all of this is just a dream.

His thoughts spiraled into frustration.

He punched the mattress weakly, the motion sending pain shooting through his arm.

But he didn't care.

What can I even do?

I'm stuck in this pathetic body, surrounded by enemies. There's nothing—

He paused, his eyes widening as another idea came to him.

"Books. The library."

Caspian's mind raced back to the vast library in the Arkwright estate.

If there was any information about awakening darkness, it had to be there.

"That's it," he muttered, his voice low but firm.

He ignored the pain in his jaw, pushing himself up despite the protest of his battered body.

If I can't rely on anyone, I'll rely on myself.

There has to be a way... I'll find it.

With that thought, he set his resolve.

Darkness was dangerous, yes, but it was his only hope.

And if he was going to survive—no, if he was going to thrive—then he would embrace it, no matter the cost.

.

The night passed slowly, the weight of Caspian's thoughts pressing down on him.

When dawn broke, he gathered what strength he had and stepped into the cold corridors of the Arkwright estate.

The library was housed in a separate building, a testament to the Arkwrights' legacy and wealth.

Caspian's fragile body moved slowly across the courtyard.

He reached the library's grand doors.

As he pushes the door.

Inside, the scent of aged parchment and polished wood filled the air.

The vast room was bathed in soft golden light streaming through stained-glass windows, illuminating rows upon rows of bookshelves that stretched toward the ceiling.

A young woman with chestnut hair sat at a desk near the entrance, her posture straight and demeanor professional.

She looked up from her work as Caspian entered, her gaze flickering briefly to his bruised face and bandaged body.

"Welcome, young master Caspian," she said politely.

She made no move to ask why he was there or offer assistance.

Instead, she returned to her work as if his presence was nothing unusual.

Caspian didn't acknowledge her.

He was used to this cold indifference from the estate's staff.

Without a word, he walked past her.

He moved between the shelves, scanning the titles with an intensity.

He wasn't searching aimlessly; he knew what he needed.

After what felt like an eternity, his eyes landed on a book with a spine that seemed almost too ominous to belong in such a pristine library.

Its title, written in dark silver script, sent a chill down his spine:

Darkness: The Cursed Element.

Caspian hesitated for a moment, his fingers hovering over the book.

This is it, he thought. The beginning.

He pulled the book from the shelf, its weight surprising in his hands.

Caspian found a secluded corner of the library, away from the librarian's watchful gaze, and settled into a chair.

He opened the book, its pages crackling softly — The first lines drew him in:

Darkness, the forbidden element, is both a curse and a gift. Those who dare to wield it must embrace the void within themselves, for only in darkness can true power be found. But beware: to control the darkness is to risk being consumed by it.

"Hey what are you doing here....