Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series

"Aiden."

Aiden blinked.

His hand hovered just over the handle, fingers twitching as if he had been about to open it.

He turned his head slightly, meeting Adrian's gaze. His friend was sitting up in bed, his usual smirk nowhere to be seen.

"Where are you going?"

Aiden opened his mouth, but the words didn't come.

Adrian shifted, moving out of bed. He didn't approach immediately, just watched him carefully. "This is the second time," he said, voice quieter now.

He turned away from the door, rubbing at his temple. "I just woke up here," he muttered, more to himself than anything.

His head felt heavy, thoughts sluggish.

There was a rustle of sheets behind them.

"Not again," Sevan mumbled groggily. His tired voice cut through the silence as he sat up, rubbing at his eyes.

"Seriously?"

"That's what I said," Adrian muttered, running a hand down his face.

"Aiden, what's going on?"

"I don't know," Aiden admitted. He let out a slow breath, forcing himself to step away from the door. "I just...woke up here."

Adrian frowned but didn't push him further. Instead, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, you probably have your duel tomorrow," he said. "You need rest. Whatever it is, we can figure it out tomorrow morning or after the Solstice Trials. We don't need to be running amok the academy right now."

Sevan nodded sleepily. "Yeah. Just get some sleep, Aiden. You're gonna need it."

Aiden hesitated, glancing back at the door.

Adrian clapped him lightly on the back. "Come on. Go back to bed."

Aiden exhaled and gave a small nod before turning back toward his bed. He felt Adrian's gaze linger on him for a moment before his friend finally relaxed, retreating to his own.

The next morning, Aiden immediately noticed how exhausted Adrian and Sevan looked. Adrian was slouched over the breakfast table, arms folded as he half-heartedly poked at his food, while Sevan was resting his head in one hand, glaring at his cup as if it had personally offended him.

"Why do you two look like you haven't slept?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because Adrian snores so loud I couldn't sleep," Sevan muttered, shooting a glare at Adrian.

Adrian didn't even deny it. "Yeah, my bad," he said, stifling a yawn.

Aiden frowned. That didn't make sense. If Adrian had really been asleep, then he shouldn't look this tired. But before he could question it further, Sevan, still half-dazed, accidentally knocked over his cup. It hit the floor with a loud clatter, spilling water everywhere.

Aiden barely had time to process the sound before a familiar voice rang out.

"Oh, nice going, Sevan. Maybe try using both hands next time? Or is even that too hard for you?"

Aiden turned to see Shiloh leaning back in his chair, smirking. Ambrose and Lochan snickered beside him, watching the scene with amusement.

"Shut up, Shiloh."

"Ooh, someone's grumpy," Shiloh drawled. "Maybe you should take a nap, huh? Or did all that water magic drain your little brain?"

Sevan's grip on the table tightened.

Aiden barely had time to react before Sevan snapped. With a flick of his wrist, water surged from the air itself, wrapping around Shiloh and yanking him forward. The smug look on Shiloh's face vanished as he choked, suddenly unable to breathe.

"Oh, you little-!"

The entire Great Hall erupted into chaos.

Ambrose and Lochan shot to their feet, trying to pull Shiloh free, but Sevan held firm, eyes dark with fury. Meanwhile, Adrian had burst into uncontrollable laughter, practically wheezing as he clutched his stomach.

"Oh- this- this is the best thing I've seen all morning!"

Students scrambled out of the way, voices rising in alarm.

"ENOUGH!"

Professor Flinders' voice cut through the commotion. Sevan immediately released his hold, and Shiloh collapsed onto the floor, coughing and sputtering. Flinders stormed toward them, eyes flashing with irritation.

"Detention. All of you," he snapped.

"What?" Aiden said, incredulous. "I didn't even do anything!"

Flinders shot him a look. "You should have stopped them."

Meanwhile, Shiloh, still recovering, let out a ragged breath before grinning, voice hoarse but full of malice at Adrian. "Look at you, the so-called Caleena, laughing like you're so high and mighty and getting into trouble like common thugs." He wiped his face, still smirking. "You act so mighty, but at the end of the day, you're just a couple of servant boys lucky enough to be seen by the king."

The moment the words left his mouth, the air shifted.

Aiden tensed, feeling something crackling in the space between them.

Jarek, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly moved.

With a loud bang, his fist slammed into the table, shattering it in half.

Shiloh let out a sharp, undignified yelp as Jarek's fist sent splinters flying across the Great Hall. The force of the impact rattled the tableware, several cups toppling over as stunned silence briefly settled over the students nearby.

Before anyone could fully react, Sevan moved again.

With a flick of his hand, water surged through the air, wrapping not just around Shiloh this time, but also Lochan and Ambrose. The three of them barely had time to register what was happening before they were suddenly lifted off their feet, their bodies suspended in midair as the water curled around their throats.

"Sevan-" Aiden started, but Sevan wasn't listening.

"Stay out of this, Aiden."

Shiloh struggled, choking as he thrashed against the water constricting him. "You-!"

"That's enough, my firsties," Lopt's voice rang out.

A casual hand landed on Sevan's shoulder.

Sevan tensed, his entire body rigid. For a moment, it seemed like he was going to ignore it. The water around Shiloh, Lochan, and Ambrose trembled.

Then, with a slow exhale, Sevan released them.

The three fell to the ground in a wet heap, coughing and gasping for air.

"Tsk, tsk," Lopt sighed, shaking his head. "Sevan, buddy, you really gotta learn to take it easy." He leaned down slightly, giving the drenched trio a wide, toothy grin. "And you three? Scram."

Shiloh wiped his face, sputtering, his usual smirk twisted with pure hatred, but even he wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight with Lopt.

Lochan and Ambrose hauled themselves up, shooting Sevan murderous looks, but neither said anything. With one final glare, the three turned and stalked away, dripping water with every step.

The Great Hall was still, save for the lingering whispers that buzzed through the air. Students who had yet to slip out due to the commotion stayed rooted in place, their curious gazes flickering between Aiden, Sevan, and the retreating forms of Shiloh, Lochan, and Ambrose.

Aiden could hear them murmuring.

"That's Aiden Chase, right? Trouble always seems to follow him."

"What did you expect? A Chase among Magi? It's like putting a lit match in a room full of oil."

"Maybe he's the one instigating all this."

Aiden rolled his eyes. Right. Because somehow, he was the problem here.

He wasn't the one who insulted the Caleenas. He wasn't the one who nearly drowned three people. He wasn't even the one who broke the table. But of course, he was the one they whispered about.

Sevan scoffed beside him, wringing out his sleeves.

"They're acting like you personally set the Great Hall on fire."

"Give it a few weeks," Adrian snickered. "By then, someone will probably claim he burned down the whole academy."

Lopt chuckled, arms crossed. "You guys really do attract all kinds of attention, huh? No wonder I like you so much."

The tension in the Great Hall began to settle as students finally turned away, returning to their meals or making their way out. Aiden let out a slow breath, willing himself to ignore the lingering stares.

"…come find me…"

Aiden frowned. He turned slightly to Lopt, who was still watching the door Shiloh and the others had disappeared through.

"What did you say?" Aiden asked.

Lopt blinked, confused. "Huh?"

"Just now. You whispered something," Aiden pressed.

"Pretty sure I didn't."

Aiden narrowed his eyes. "You didn't just say 'come find me'?"

Lopt tilted his head, amused. "Nope. But that's interesting. Who's calling for you, little Chase?"

Aiden didn't answer immediately. His fingers curled slightly against the wooden table. He glanced around, but no one was paying him any special attention anymore.

Sevan nudged Aiden's shoulder, his voice tinged with concern. "You good? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Aiden shook his head, trying to clear the strange feeling creeping over him. "I need to find the Headmaster. Right now." He started to push himself up from his seat, but before he could take a step, Lopt's hand landed firmly on his shoulder, holding him in place.

"Whoa there, little Chase." Lopt's usual playful tone was laced with something more serious. "You're burning up. Are you sure you're okay?"

Aiden blinked at him. "What?"

"You look like you're about to keel over," Lopt said, his grip tightening. "Maybe you should lie down first. You might have a fever."

Sevan furrowed his brows. "Lopt's right. You're pale as hell. Sit down for a second."

Adrian, who had been watching quietly, finally leaned forward. "Is this about what you heard?"

Aiden clenched his jaw. "It's not important right now. I just-"

"Aiden."

Lopt's voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable weight behind it. "If you go to the Headmaster looking like that, you'll just get sent back to the infirmary. Whatever it is, it can wait. Just breathe for a second."

Aiden hesitated. His skin felt clammy, and now that Lopt mentioned it, he did feel slightly dizzy. He hadn't realized how tense he had become.

Finally, he exhaled sharply and sat back down, rubbing his temples. "Fine. But only for a minute."

Lopt grinned, but his sharp gaze lingered on Aiden for a moment longer.

"That's more like it. Now, tell us what's going on."