Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series

After leaving the Obsidian Ring, Aiden, along with Adrian, Sevan, Jarek, and Rupert walked through the academy halls, the murmurs of students still discussing Adrian's match echoing around them.

Despite the conversation and movement, the four of them carried a heavy silence. The weight of Adrian's loss seemed to be pressing down on them.

Aiden kept glancing at Sevan, who was uncharacteristically quiet, his fingers gripping the edges of the book he had pulled out earlier on Magic Theory.

Even Jarek, who usually has a loud presence, seemed to even sense the shift in mood. He shoved his hands into his pockets, rolling his shoulders. "Well, that was rough. Adrian put up a fight, though."

Sevan hummed in response but didn't look up from his book.

Aiden peeked at Sevan again, trying not to look at him outright.

He knew what was on Sevan's mind. Adrian had been their first fighter to step into the tournaments, and while he had fought hard, he still lost. And now, it was Sevan's turn to prove that they weren't just some lower-ranked nobodies who got lucky with their placements.

Not only that- his opponent was Shiloh.

The magician who does card tricks Shiloh.

The most annoying person Aiden had ever met that he loathed so much Shiloh.

"Your duel is in Mirage Field, right?" Aiden finally asked, breaking the silence.

Sevan nodded, flipping a page with more force than necessary. "Yeah."

Jarek tilted his head. "Haven't been there before. What kind of arena is it?"

Rupert, who had been quiet the entire walk, adjusted his cufflinks. "It's one of the more difficult venues. The Mirage Field is designed for illusion-based combat. The environment shifts constantly, creating visual distortions that make it hard to tell what's real and what's not. If you're not used to it, it can mess with your depth perception and make even the simplest attacks difficult to land."

"Sounds like a pain. You know where it is, Rupert?"

Rupert nodded. "It's in the western part of the academy, past the Azure Arches. I can take us there later. We should meet up at 1:30 so we can go together."

"Works for me," Jarek said. "I need to head there anyway for my match with Ivara. Gotta figure out how to deal with her ridiculous precision."

At the mention of Ivara, Aiden frowned slightly.

She was known for her deadly accuracy with a bow, with Aiden actually having the opportunity to be in range with her bow, and her ability to predict movements was near-flawless. If it weren't for his fire magic, Aiden would have arrived in the infirmary looking like swiss cheese. Jarek was strong, but his fighting style was completely different from hers. He relied on brute strength and close combat, whereas Ivara excelled at long-range precision.

Now that he thought about it, Jarek's probaby at a disadvantage here, and probably Ivara knew that, giving her an opportunity to actually win and claim a spot in the Top 10.

But Aiden's focus quickly shifted back to Sevan. He hadn't said much, but Aiden could feel the tension in him.

And how could he not be?

Shiloh was the second-ranked first-year. That alone made this fight more than just another match- it was a test.

Aiden had seen enough of Shiloh's fights (most of which was actually with him at the opposite end trying hard not to combust and burn Shiloh down) to know that he was both powerful and arrogant.

He toyed with his opponents, mocked them, and never took anything seriously, yet still won with ease.

Sevan, on the other hand, was ranked fifth. That was still high, but the gap between the top five was huge. It wasn't just about skill. It was about raw power, experience, and adaptability.

Sevan finally sighed and shut his book. "I just need to go over a few things."

"Don't overthink it," Jarek said, flashing a grin. "Just punch him in the face with your magic and you'll be fine."

Rupert sighed. "That is not a sound strategy."

"Worked for me in the past,"

"That explains a lot," Aiden muttered, making Jarek laugh.

But Sevan was still lost in thought, his fingers twitching slightly as if testing the flow of his magic. Aiden had seen him practice the night before, forming water spears with sharp precision, but against Shiloh, would it be enough?

The image of Adrian after his fight flashed through Aiden's mind- bruised, exhausted, and barely able to stand.

This wasn't just about winning. It was about proving that they could stand on the same stage as the strongest in their year.

The hours leading up to Sevan's match passed too quickly.

Despite their earlier conversation, Aiden could tell that Sevan wasn't fully present, his mind consumed by the battle ahead. Even when they ate lunch in the Great Hall, Sevan barely touched his food, still skimming through his book on Magic Theory ("What! You're not eating your mushroom soup? Did you hit yourself? You never miss out on mushroom soup!")

Every so often, he would mutter something under his breath, adjusting his fingers as if feeling the flow of water magic between them.

Aiden and Adrian let him be, exchanging brief glances. They both knew better than to interrupt when Sevan was thinking.

At exactly 1:30, the three of them made their way to the academy's western wing, where they spotted Jarek and Rupert waiting at the entrance to the Azure Arches. Jarek waved them over, while Rupert smiled at them.

"Ready?" Jarek asked.

Sevan nodded, but Aiden could see the tension in his shoulders.

Rupert led them through the Azure Arches, a series of towering, intricately carved stone structures that curved in an almost spiral formation. The deeper they went, the quieter the surroundings became, until the distant chatter of students faded entirely.

Finally, they arrived.

The Mirage Field was unlike any other dueling arena Aiden had seen. Instead of the stone or sand pits of other venues, the ground here was smooth, reflective like a glassy lake. Mist hovered just above the surface, shifting and swirling as though alive. Large, jagged crystal formations jutted out from the arena floor, refracting the light into shifting patterns of color that made it difficult to focus on any single point.

It was a battlefield meant to disorient.

Aiden immediately understood why it had been chosen.

Sevan, whose water magic thrived on precision and control, would struggle in an environment where everything was constantly shifting.

Sevan inhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. Aiden could tell he was trying to steady himself but a sheen of sweat on his forehead betrayed him.

The arena was already filling with spectators, eager to witness a fight between two high-ranked first-years.

Among them, Aiden caught sight of Lochan, who stood just outside the entrance, arms crossed, whispering something to Shiloh before putting something in Shiloh's pocket. Aiden narrowed his eyes but chose not to comment.

He would take down of this later and tell them.

Shiloh, upon seeing them, grinned.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show up," he called out, his voice dripping with amusement. He stretched lazily, completely at ease, as if this were nothing more than a minor inconvenience in his day. His long black hair was tied back, revealing his sharp, fox-like features.

"You sure you don't want to back out, Sevan?" Shiloh teased. "You looked a little shaky back there in the Obsidian Ring."

Sevan didn't reply, but Aiden saw his fingers twitch slightly.

Lochan smirked. "He knows he doesn't stand a chance. Maybe he should just surrender now and save himself the humiliation."

"Aaaand we're back," the announcer's voice rang out, echoing through the field.

A hush fell over the crowd.

"The match this afternoon will be a standard duel. No outside interference, no lethal strikes. As per Head Nurse Seacole's orders, attacks are only permitted within the torso area."

The announcer let that sink in before continuing.

"The fight will continue until one combatant is unable to continue or willingly surrenders."

Aiden's jaw clenched. The way this was set up meant that Sevan would have to fight through whatever tricks Shiloh had planned.

He glanced at Sevan, but his friend had already stepped forward, his expression unreadable.

Across the field, Shiloh grinned wider.

Then, the announcer raised a hand.

"Begin!"

Shiloh moved first.

There was a blur of motion then suddenly, Sevan was surrounded.

Four illusions of Shiloh flickered into existence, each identical to the real one. They moved in perfect synchronization, their smirking faces circling Sevan like wolves closing in on prey.

Aiden clenched his fists.

Sevan didn't flinch. Instead, he raised his hand, water forming in his palm, shifting rapidly between solid and liquid.

Shiloh's illusions darted forward and Sevan made his first move. He struck.

A sharp, controlled burst of water speared through one of the figures, only for it to dissolve into nothingness.

Sevan missed.

Shiloh's laugh echoed through the field. "You'll have to do better than that, rank five!"

The illusions kept moving, their footsteps perfectly synchronized, blending with the distortions of the Mirage Field.

Sevan narrowed his eyes.

Another feint. Another strike. Another miss.

Then a real attack.

There was a glint of movement from Sevan's side, and the swoosh of a card.

There was Shiloh. The real one.

His card sliced toward Sevan's torso.Sevan barely twisted away, water surging up to block the attack. The impact sent ripples across the field, distorting the mist even further.

But Shiloh was already gone, slipping back into his illusions as if he had never been there.

"Come on," Shiloh taunted. "At least try to make this fun for me."

Aiden's grip tightened. This was bad.

Sevan was on the defensive.

And against someone like Shiloh, that was exactly what he wanted.