Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series

After training, Aiden pushed open the door to his dorm and stepped inside, the familiar scent of parchment and ink mixed with the faint metallic tang of Adrian's knife filled the air.

Sevan was already awake- though "awake" might have been an overstatement.

He was sprawled on the floor, surrounded by open books and loose sheets of paper, scribbling furiously in what Aiden could only assume was an assignment due in the distant future. Knowing Sevan, it was probably due in two months, yet he was working on it like it was a life-or-death situation.

"You do realize you have weeks to finish that, right?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow as he leaned against the wall.

Sevan didn't even look up. "And you do realize that if I finish it now, I don't have to deal with it later?"

Aiden let out a short huff, not bothering to argue. Sevan was meticulous to a fault.

Across the room, Adrian was lounging on his bed, flipping a butterfly knife between his fingers with practiced ease. The blade flashed in the dim morning light, twirling effortlessly before he caught it between his knuckles. The motion was rhythmic, almost hypnotic.

"Go freshen up, You look like a guy who lost yesterday," Aiden remarked, pulling off his jacket and slowly putting it onto his bed.

"And you look like a guy who's about to lose today."

Aiden rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of his bed, stretching out his sore arms. "Thanks, appreciate it."

"Anytime," Adrian replied, twirling the knife again. The blade snapped shut in his hand with a sharp click.

Sevan finally looked up from his assignment, pushing a stray paper out of his face. "Where'd you go this morning?" he asked. "You weren't here when I woke up."

Adrian glanced at Aiden, still flipping his butterfly knife between his fingers. "Yeah, you ditch us for some secret training session or something?"

"I was at the training hall."

Sevan snorted.

"Of course you were." He sat up properly, stretching his arms. "I swear, you're worse than me when it comes to over-preparing. You're really that worried about your duel?"

Aiden didn't answer right away. He thought about telling them about his dream of Emmeranne showing up, about how she'd trained right next to him and then about the bats, the sudden attack, and her cryptic words regarding Lopt.

"I was just getting extra practice in," he finally said, shaking off the thought. "You know, since I don't plan on losing."

Adrian smirked at Aiden. "Good. I'd hate for us to be three for three in humiliating defeats."

"You realize you and Sevan lost because of shady tricks, right?"

Sevan groaned. "Don't remind me." He flopped back onto the floor, staring at the ceiling. "I was so close to winning. I should've drowned that smug bastard in his own cards."

"And I should've broken Ambrose's nose with my fist instead of my dagger."

Aiden snorted at that. "Miss Seacole would've killed you."

"Yeah, yeah," Adrian muttered. "Still would've been worth it."

Sevan sat up again, resting his chin in his palm. "So, what's the plan for today? More training before your duel?"

Aiden exhaled. "I guess. After breakfast."

Aiden ran a hand through his hair unconsciously, just like how he would months ago when he tried to remember all the useless table etiquette and greetings, feeling the weight of everything settle in his chest.

Between the upcoming duel, the strange dream of Emmeranne and Lopt, and the ever-growing tension between their group and Shiloh's, things were only getting more complicated, and he felt like drowning.

-------------------------------

The sun hung high in the sky by the time Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan made their way across the academy grounds. Their shoes crunched against the gravel path, the air thick with the usual midday chatter of students. The tension in the air, however, was unmistakable. Whispers followed them as they passed, a mix of curiosity and expectation.

"Look, it's that Chase kid."

"He's still here? Damn his aura stinks."

"He has the nerve to actually stay here."

Aiden ignored them, keeping his focus forward, nudging Adrian who was staring at the upper years like he was hungry for a fight.

He didn't want to make this a big deal as it's his duel later and he needed to focus. His fight was set in the Labyrinth, one of the more unpredictable tournament arenas.

"Of course they put you there," Adrian muttered, adjusting his jacket. "They just love screwing with us, huh?"

"It was random," Aiden said, though he didn't fully believe it himself.

"I swear, if Lochan pulls the same dirty tricks as Shiloh, I will throw him into one of those maze walls myself," Sevan said, trying to lighten up the situation.

"Tempting," Adrian said, a smirk tugging at his lips. "But let's see how Aiden handles it first."

By the time they reached the Labyrinth, the stands were already packed with students eager to witness the next match.

Waiting at the entrance was Jarek and Rupert.

"About time," Jarek said, arms crossed. "You ready for this, Chase?"

Aiden rolled his shoulders. "Yeah."

"The Labyrinth is tricky. It reacts to magic and movement. Some paths open, some close. It forces you to think fast. You got this. You just need to think on your toes." Rupert comforted Aiden, giving him the thumbs-up.

Aiden smiled weakly.

Just then, a voice rang out.

"Well, well, well,"

Aiden tensed, already knowing who it was before he turned.

Shiloh.

Lochan stood beside him, looking unbothered as ever.

"So, this is where you're gonna lose, huh?" Shiloh continued, grinning as he looked at the Labryrinth. "At least it won't be as embarrassing as Sevan's loss. Right, Lochan?"

Lochan barely reacted. He tilted his head at Aiden and offered a lazy shrug. "Depends if he makes it interesting."

Sevan bristled, but before he could say anything, Adrian took a step forward. "You really wanna do this here, magician?"

Shiloh held up his hands. "Relax. I'm just pointing out facts."

"Keep talking," Adrian said. "See what happens."

Before things could escalate, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

"Enough."

The group turned as their professor, Professor Anwar strode past them, his piercing gaze flickering briefly over Adrian before settling on Shiloh, Lochan, and Ambrose, who had just arrived.

"You three. Again?" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop loitering in the hallways and causing trouble?"

Shiloh rolled his eyes and muttered, "My father will hear about this."

Anwar then turned his gaze on Aiden. "You're up next, Aiden. Get inside."

Aiden gave a firm nod before stepping toward the entrance of the Labyrinth. He could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on him, the entire academy watching to see how this match would unfold.

As he stepped past the stone archway, the doors groaned shut behind him, sealing him inside.

And then, the walls began to move.

The moment the announcer's voice echoed through the arena, the walls of the Labyrinth trembled, shifting into place as the battlefield solidified.

"For today's match, we have Aiden Chase versus Lochan Beatific!"

A wave of murmurs swept through the stands at the mention of their names. Aiden barely paid attention to them, his gaze locked on Lochan, who stood lazily across from him with the same unreadable expression as always.

"The game for today's duel: Last Stand!"

Aiden's fingers twitched at his sides as he tried to remember the rules of the duel that Professor Flinders talked aboutt.

Based from his memory, Last Stand is a match where the goal was simple: knock down your opponent and keep them down for ten seconds. No time limits, no restrictions- just endurance, skill, and the ability to get up when the other tried to keep you down.

"Figures," Adrian muttered from the stands. "They gave him the worst possible match against that guy."

Lochan tilted his head slightly, finally meeting Aiden's gaze.

"You look tense," he remarked. "Don't worry. This will be over quickly."

"Don't get too cocky."

Competitors, ready?"

Aiden slid into a fighting stance, watching Lochan carefully.

"Begin!"

Lochan moved first.

Aiden barely saw it- the flicker of motion and the faint shift in his opponent's weight. Before he could fully react, a blow slammed into his side.

He staggered back as Lochan's fist withdrew, not even looking surprised.

"You hesitated," Lochan said. "I saw it before you even did."

Aiden clenched his jaw. So, he really can predict movements.

Lochan wasn't just fast, he was anticipating every move before Aiden even made it. And if Aiden didn't figure out how to counter it soon, this fight really would be over quickly.

Then, Lochan disappeared from view.

Aiden's instincts screamed at him from all directions. He barely twisted in time to block the next strike, except Lochan had already adjusted, slipping past his defenses like he had known Aiden would react that way.

Another hit connected.

The world blurred for a moment as Aiden staggered, hearing the distant echo of the crowd reacting.

And then, just as he steadied himself, Lochan was already there.

Aiden had to find a way to fight back if he wanted to win.

But before he could, Lochan landed a brutal kick to his ribs.

The world tilted. Aiden hit the ground.

And the announcer began to count.

"One… Two… Three…"

Lochan stood over him, unimpressed. "Stay down, Chase," he advised. "You won't win this."

Aiden gritted his teeth.

He wasn't out yet.

Damn hell he isn't.