Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series

The guy who had just phased through Adrian didn’t even glance back. Instead, he let out a low, amused laugh, his lips curling into a smirk as he strode toward the entrance of the Great Hall. The students watching the scene remained tense, murmuring among themselves.

Adrian, still visibly disturbed, turned to Aiden and Sevan.

"Tell me you guys saw that."

They both nodded.

"We saw it," Aiden muttered. "I just don’t know what we saw."

"He didn’t use shadow magic or a teleportation spell. He actually passed through you, Adrian."

Adrian shuddered, rubbing his arms. "Yeah, thanks for the reminder."

The guy reached the entrance of the Great Hall, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for something. Then, with an air of complete nonchalance, he stepped forward.

And at that exact moment...

The sound of trumpets exploded through the air.

The walls of the academy trembled slightly from the sheer force of the noise. The trumpets weren’t just any ordinary sound- they were loud and commanding, so much so that he could feel the walls shake with every sound.

Gasps rang through the crowd as students clutched their ears. Even the fourth years who had been blocking the entrance looked momentarily shaken.

"What the fuck?!" Adrian shouted over the deafening sound.

Aiden’s stomach twisted. "When the trumpets go off."

The note.

The trumpets blared so loudly that even the fourth years, who had been blocking the entrance groaned, clutching their heads. Some cursed under their breath, while others staggered slightly from the sheer force of the sound.

Yet, in the midst of the chaos, the guy who had just phased through Adrian simply laughed.

His deep, amused chuckle somehow carried over the noise, and as he looked around, a lopsided grin formed on his face.

"Well, well," he mused, shaking his head. "I thought I could phase through anything, but apparently phasing through Lopt’s prank is not one of them."

The moment he said that, the entire student body seemed to react at once.

A collective groan rippled through the crowd, and several people muttered, Of course it was Lopt.

Aiden tensed. He should’ve known.

The fourth years groaned in frustration, some rubbing their temples while others shot annoyed glances toward the Great Hall.

One of them, a tall girl with red hair and a sharp glare, muttered, "We better find a way to stop this before everyone gets hungry and blasts the whole school with the trumpets."

Another fourth-year sighed, crossing his arms. "Lopt just had to mess with the Great Hall, didn’t he? He couldn’t have picked literally anywhere else?"

Meanwhile, the trio including Peter were still frozen in place, watching as the strange guy who phased through Adrian casually strolled further inside, completely unfazed by the chaos.

Adrian, still a little pale, turned to Aiden and Sevan. "So, uh. Do we just go in? I’m starving but I don’t even want to see us three being the culprit if the academy gets destroyed by how much it’s shaking just from one person passing through."

"Normally, I’d say we avoid whatever this is. But I’m also starving."

Aiden barely had time to react when a sudden swoosh cut through the air beside him. It was so fast that, for a moment, he thought the wind itself had moved past him.

But when he turned his head, his breath hitched- someone was suddenly standing beside the guy who had phased through Adrian earlier.

The newcomer hadn’t been there a second ago.

He was tall and lanky, with wild black hair that stuck out in every direction, looking almost like he had been struck by lightning. A pair of goggles rested over his eyes, the lenses catching the light just enough to obscure his expression.

He stood with an easy confidence, completely unfazed by the chaotic noise of the trumpets blaring through the Great Hall

The guy who had phased through Adrian earlier laughed when he saw the newcomer. "Oh, look who finally decided to show up! Tachyon!"

Tachyon, as he was now called, didn’t react beyond tilting his head slightly, his wild black hair bouncing with the motion. His goggles reflected the scene in front of him, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Was watching," he said simply. "You walked into a first-year like an idiot."

The first guy smirked, crossing his arms. "You could’ve stopped me but you didn’t. Classic."

Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan exchanged glances. The trumpets were still blaring, the fourth years were groaning in frustration, and now there were two upperclassmen who seemed way too amused by all of this.

Meanwhile, the fourth years were still arguing about how to stop the trumpets.

"For the last time, no one goes inside!" one of them groaned. "We’re handling it!"

It took a few more minutes before Professor Ylang-Ylang arrived, her long golden hair trailing behind her. Her three Divatas flitted around her, glowing softly. She tilted her head in curiosity at the sight of the students lingering outside instead of entering the Great Hall.

"What is going on here?" she asked, her voice as gentle as ever.

One of the fourth years, still rubbing their ears from the blaring trumpets, quickly stepped forward. "Professor, someone—probably Lopt—set up a prank inside the Great Hall. The second someone stepped in, the trumpets started blaring, and we haven’t been able to stop them."

Professor Ylang-Ylang sighed, shaking her head. She turned to one of her Divatas, whispering something inaudible. The tiny fairy-like creature nodded and swiftly flew off, disappearing into the halls.

Minutes passed, and just as the fourth years were about to lose their patience, another figure arrived- Professor Anwar. His presence immediately made some students stand a little straighter, though he didn’t seem fazed by the chaos before him.

"So, another one of Lopt’s pranks, is it?" he said dryly, rolling his shoulders before stepping into the Great Hall without hesitation.

The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the trumpets blared even louder, nearly shaking the walls.

Some students groaned and covered their ears again, but Professor Anwar merely lifted his hand. Light weaved between his fingers, forming intricate patterns in the air before shooting outward.

In an instant, the sound cut off.

Silence fell over the hall, followed by a collective sigh of relief from the fourth years.

"There," Professor Anwar said, dusting off his coat. "Now, can someone go find Lopt so I can have a very, very long conversation with him?"

The students hesitated, exchanging looks. Finding Lopt was easier said than done. But at least now, they could finally get breakfast.

A student with light blonde hair and brown eyes hesitated before speaking up. "I think I saw Lopt go that way," he said, pointing toward the hallway outside the Great Hall.

Professor Anwar turned his sharp gaze on him, scrutinizing him for a moment. Without missing a beat, he exhaled through his nose and turned around.

"Lopt Aouie, follow me."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, the blonde student burst into laughter, his grin widening. He straightened his posture and, with an exaggerated stretch, casually strolled after the professor. "Man, you’re no fun."

The fourth years groaned again, some muttering curses under their breath. "He was here the whole time?" Adrian whispered in disbelief, laughing at his hero.

"Of course he was," Sevan said. "He probably enjoyed watching his prank unfold up close."