Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series

The Great Hall was alive with energy, with murmurs of the morning’s commotion mixed with the usual clatter of plates and silverware.

Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan had just begun eating when a sudden, thunderous voice echoed throughout the space, cutting through the noise like a blade.

"Attention, students of Genvah Academy."

The hall fell into silence immediately. Aiden looked up from his plate, stopping midway from eating his bacon.

"Starting next week, all regular classes will be suspended to make way for training and preparation for the Solstice Trials. During this time, you are expected to refine your skils and demonstrate your worth. Use these days wisely."

The air buzzed with excitement.

Whispers spread like wildfire across the tables. Some students exchanged eager looks, while others tensed at the weight of the announcement.

Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to challenge and duel anyone ranked within their respective Top 10. These matches will serve as both a test of strength and a chance to solidify- or change- the rankings before the Trials officially begin. The brightest paths are lit by those brave enough to follow the sun."

A second wave of murmurs rippled through the hall. Some students looked thrilled at the idea of dueling early, while others appeared more apprehensive.

Adrian let out a low whistle and leaned back against his chair.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun."

Sevan, however, frowned as he set down his fork.

"Or chaotic," he muttered. "You realize this means people will be fighting non-stop just to secure their spots? It’s going to be a mess."

The Great Hall was absolute chaos.

Students from every year were standing up, throwing out challenges left and right. Some were dramatic about it, loudly calling out names and making sure the entire hall heard them. Others walked straight up to their targets, challenging them in person like they were making some kind of high-stakes declaration.

Even the first years weren’t backing down.

A few seats from them, Ivara barely looked up from her food as she pointed her fork across the table, completely unfazed by the noise.

"Hey Jarek, duel me."

Jarek, seated just a few spots away, paused mid-bite and gave her a blank stare. "You’re challenging me with a mouth full of food?"

Ivara swallowed and shrugged. "Would it make you feel better if I stood up and made a big speech about it?"

Jarek huffed a quiet laugh, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You really have no sense of theatrics, do you?"

"Do I need theatrics to beat you?" Ivara replied, already turning her attention back to her plate.

Jarek smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Alright, you’re on."

Across the table, another voice rang out.

"Morrigan."

Morrigan turned just in time to see Yara, their classmate, a girl with tan skin, short wavy brown hair, and dark brown eyes approaching with a confident stride.

"I challenge you."

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Morrigan blinked, surprised at first, but it didn’t take long for her expression to shift into an eager grin.

"Didn’t see that coming," she admitted. Then, she stood up and held out her hand. "Alright. Let’s do it."

Yara grinned back, shaking her hand as students around them reacted with excitement.

Meanwhile, at Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan’s table, the three boys had been enjoying their breakfast quietly, watching the chaos unfold around them. But then Adrian let out a long, dramatic sigh.

"Oh, great," he muttered. "Here come the lapdogs."

Aiden didn’t even need to ask who he was talking about.

Sure enough, from across the room, Shiloh’s usual lackeys- Ambrose and Lochan- had stood up. The two of them, smug as ever, began making their way toward their table with an all-too-familiar kind of intent.

Sevan, already seeing where this was going, barely glanced up from his meal. "This is going to be annoying."

Aiden sighed, straightening up a little. "Just ignore them."

"You can’t totally ignore a person who craves attention."

Sevan pushed his plate aside, giving them both a flat look. "I swear, if they try anything, I’m throwing my drink at them."

"Make sure it’s hot," Adrian said.

"No, make sure it stains," Aiden corrected.

The three of them watched as Ambrose and Lochan drew closer, looking entirely too pleased with themselves.

Ambrose and Lochan stopped right in front of their table, standing just close enough to be annoying the hell out of Sevan, who was trying his best not to make a water barrier.

They stood like they owned the place, their expressions smug and full of confidence that was clearly meant to get under Aiden and Adrian’s skin.

"Adrian," Ambrose started smoothly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I challenge you."

Adrian barely glanced up from his plate, chewing his food slowly. He flicked his gaze up at Ambrose before raising a brow, unimpressed.

"You sure? You might cry when you lose."

Ambrose scoffed, rolling his eyes. "In your dreams. You accept or not? I’m told you’re not the type to back down?"

Adrian made a show of sighing dramatically, dragging it out as he set his fork down with exaggerated slowness. "Yeah, yeah, I accept. But when I win, you better not whine about it. I hate sore losers."

Ambrose’s eye twitched, but his smirk didn’t falter. "We’ll see who the sore loser is."

Meanwhile, Lochan turned his attention to Aiden, tilting his head slightly. "And you, Chase. I challenge you."

Aiden, who had been expecting this, didn’t react at first. He simply wiped his mouth with his napkin before leaning back in his chair, meeting Lochan’s gaze evenly. "Why?"

Lochan blinked, clearly thrown off by the question. "What do you mean why? It’s the Solstice Trials. I want to see what you’re made of. It would be nice to remove you from the stop you’re barely clinging too."

Aiden exhaled through his nose, unbothered. "You want to fight me, or you just want to prove something?"

Lochan’s smirk thinned for a second before he schooled his expression again. "What’s the difference?"

Adrian, already bored with the whole exchange, clapped his hands together loudly. "Alright, great! We’re all fighting. Can I finish my breakfast now?"

Sevan, who had been watching with mild amusement, set his cup down and shook his head. "This is going to be a mess."

"You think?" Adrian shot back with a smirk, before jabbing his fork into his food. "Anyway, don’t expect me to go easy on you, Ambrose. I’m gonna enjoy this way too much. "

Ambrose smirked right back. "Funny, I was about to say the same thing."

Lochan, however, kept his eyes on Aiden, his smirk sharpening. "Guess we’ll see if you live up to your name, Chase."

Aiden didn’t answer right away. He just stared at Lochan for a moment before picking up his drink and taking a sip, as if he wasn’t bothered in the slightest.

Then, after swallowing, he simply said, "I guess we will."