Extra's Ascent

Was it nostalgia? Aldrich couldn't quite tell. Something stirred in him as he stared down from the rooftop, watching the institute's students milling about on the grounds below. He couldn't place the emotion exactly, was it longing? Contentment? A strange mixture of both?

The roof he stood on was one of the tallest buildings in the institute, offering an expansive view of the bustling campus. It was quiet up here. Detached. Peaceful.

Aldrich found himself reminiscing how far he had come. From the day he awoke from a years-long coma to discovering the family that embraced him. From nervously stepping outside for the first time to going out with Fiona, an innocent act that inadvertently led to the awakening of his first Clover.

Those were... tough days. Maybe not the toughest he had ever faced, but still, not easy by any stretch.

"Uhu?" he murmured aloud as his eyes landed on a familiar pair, Aydin and Selina walking together. "Now that's not a sight you see every day."

He chuckled to himself, surprised but not overly shocked. Being in the same team must've drawn them closer. It made sense, but still, the image of them casually strolling side by side was odd in a vaguely amusing way.

"Come to think of it... Aydin hasn't spoken to me since the exam," he muttered, the thought surfacing from the back of his mind.

Aldrich sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Probably still mad I used an illusion on him. Can't blame him."

Exam or not, Aldrich believed he had taken it a tad too far on Aydin by using illusion on him. And it wasn't just any sort of illusion, it was the kind that foreshadowed Aydin's death at the hands of Aldrich.

Yep, he is not expecting forgiveness from Aydin anytime soon.

"Yo!"

A familiar voice snapped him from his thoughts. Aldrich turned slightly, hearing the hurried footsteps approach.

"Been looking for you this whole time!" the voice added.

Aldrich turned to face the new arrivals. "Why were you two stalkers looking for me? Can't live without your father figure around, huh?"

It wasn't surprising to see Dante and Trevor walking toward him together. The dynamic duo.

"We checked your dorm, but you weren't there. Even Fiona didn't know where you'd gone," Trevor said, folding his arms. "What were you doing up here all alone without telling anyone? Planning to leap dramatically to your doom or what?"

Aldrich rolled his eyes. "Why would I do that when I'm at the peak of my bliss? My life's going perfectly right now, no way I'd be thinking about suicide."

"Mister Blissful, care to explain what exactly you're doing up here, then?" Dante asked, his tone laced with playful sarcasm.

"Simple," Aldrich replied. "I wanted some peace and quiet. And just so we're clear, I did tell Saldrich where I'd be just in case something came up. I'm guessing she's the one who tipped you guys off?"

He hadn't been able to tell Fiona since she'd been whisked away by one of the professors at the time. Saldrich had been the next best option. Reliable, trustworthy and, unfortunately, very effective at giving away his location.

"Yup. Saldrich ratted you out," Dante confirmed with exaggerated flair. "And behold we found you. But wow, peace and quiet? Since when did you become a retiree? What are you, a tired old man?"

Technically, Aldrich would be in his thirties if you included his first life as Paul. But really, who kept score anymore?

Trevor snorted at the jab, chuckling under his breath.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Aldrich waved them off. "Is there a reason you two tracked me down? Or are you just here to mock my lifestyle choices?"

Trevor answered, "We were gonna head into the city, just hang out for a bit. Thought we'd check if you wanted to tag along."

"Yeah, figured you'd drop whatever boring thing you were doing and join us," Dante added, grinning confidently. "Right, Aldaman?"

"Uhm, no. That's not right," Aldrich retorted flatly. "Didn't I just tell you I wanted peace and quiet? Still do. And now, thanks to you two, that's off the table. So unless you're planning on joining me in silent contemplation, I'd appreciate it if—

"Unfortunately, Aldaman," Dante interrupted dramatically, "I do mind."

He placed a hand over his heart, feigning sincerity. "You really gonna pick solitude over us? Over your pals?"

Aldrich narrowed his eyes. He saw what this was, an attempted guilt trip. Dante wasn't exactly subtle.

"You ever just wanted to be alone?" Aldrich asked him seriously. "Just... no noise, no people. Just you and your thoughts?"

For a second, Dante seemed caught off guard. He strolled toward the edge of the rooftop, resting his hands on the railing as he gazed into the distance. The air grew quiet, heavy with implied meaning.

Was he recalling a memory? Something painful?

Aldrich and Trevor waited, curious, expectant.

Then Dante turned to them with a deadpan expression and his tongue stuck out. "Nope. Never had that problem."

Aldrich sighed, facepalming internally. "Why do I even try?"

There was no winning with someone who approached everything with a child's stubbornness.

Fine. He'd go to the stupid outing. Boy's night out or whatever they wanted to call it. It was his fault for being found anyway. If he hadn't told Saldrich, she wouldn't have given away his location, and he'd still be basking in serenity right now.

But no. Now, thanks to Dante's persistence and Saldrich's reliability, his solitude had been thoroughly shattered.

Next time, Aldrich would be smarter. He wouldn't tell anyone. He'd vanish. Disappear. Fade like mist into the wind.

But that was for next time.

"Alright, fine. I'll go with you guys to the city," he conceded at last.

Dante threw his hands up like a victorious child. "Yes! I knew you'd come around!"

Only because you'd never shut up otherwise, Aldrich thought, letting the resignation wash over him.

He turned his back on the peaceful view, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips.

Maybe some company wouldn't be so bad every once in a while or so.