Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series

The days bled together like watercolor- soft, muddled, and tinged with exhaustion. Aiden spent the rest of the week confined to the infirmary, where the scent of herbal poultices hung in the air and every creak of the wooden floor signaled either Miss Seacole's sharp approach or the slow arrival of someone coming to see him.

His body was healing, at least physically. The fractured ribs were bound with enchanted wrappings, and his bruises faded gradually beneath glowing salves and healing spells. But it wasn't the pain that hurt the most- it was the silence when no one else was around.

The long hours between visits, when thoughts ran wild and memories played on loop.

But every day, without fail, Adrian and Sevan came.

Their presence was a comfort. Adrian, who had completely abandoned his uniform top and now only wore the academy-issued slacks and whatever shirt he grabbed in the morning, often carried a half-eaten pastry in one hand and a crumpled piece of parchment in the other. Sevan, on the other hand, came with books and updates, always the more composed of the two, but still visibly shaken by everything that had happened.

They stayed as long as Miss Seacole allowed, sometimes getting kicked out when she caught Adrian trying to crawl onto the foot of Aiden's bed to dramatize a story. But every night, once the infirmary was dim and quiet, they snuck back in, with Adrian's whispered voice often filled the room, telling Aiden everything he missed from classes to castle gossip.

"You wouldn't believe how awkward it is now," Adrian muttered one night, perched on a chair he dragged beside the bed. "The Solstice Trials are postponed. Sevan thinks it's because of the council. A bunch of men in robes- gold and white- showed up yesterday. Whole school's tense. Everyone knows why they're here, but no one tried talking about it."

Sevan nodded, cross-legged on the floor beside the bed, his back against the wall.

"They're from the Soleian Council. Inspecting the school. And probably making sure something like this doesn't happen again."

Aiden only nodded quietly, absorbing the words through the haze of his healing body. He could barely sit upright without assistance, and Miss Seacole scolded him every time he tried.

Aside from the two, other classmates had trickled in too.

First was Amihan.

She stood there quietly, eyes downcast, hands clasped in front of her as if she didn't know whether to take a step forward or back. Her long white hair was loosely tied, and her amethyst eyes shimmered- not with light, but with guilt.

She stepped closer.

"How are you?" she whispered. "I wish I didn't go out to try to find Emmeranne. If I didn't, you'd probably be safe in your room, sleeping peacefully."

"No," Aiden said, firmer this time. "Don't say that. You didn't ask for any of this. None of us did."

Amihan bit her lip and slowly approached the bed, then gently placed a crystal beside him. "I infused it with wind. Just… in case you need calm. It helps me when I can't breathe." She offered a small, tearful smile, then quietly excused herself.

Not long after, Morrigan visited. This time, she didn't hover awkwardly by the door.

She walked in with Sirius trotting beside her and Ammonn, his translucent form flickering slightly under the infirmary lights. Morrigan's usual brightness was dimmed, replaced by a quiet, grounded sincerity. She stopped by Aiden's bedside and knelt down, placing a hand gently on his arm.

"How are you feeling, Aiden?" she said, eyes earnest. "Ivara can't come because of some... personal issues but she told me and Ammonn to give you some words of encouragement. Ammonn was also told by Jarek and Rupert that they'll be coming here maybe tomorrow and that they were a bit busy serving detention for picking a fight with Shiloh's club."

Aiden stared at her, then nodded.

The following day, just after lunch, the sound of polished shoes clicking against the stone floors signaled the return of visitors. The door creaked open, and in stepped Mr. and Mrs. Caleena.

Mrs. Caleena's eyes immediately scanned Aiden, softening with both relief and anger. She didn't say much at first, just crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him as gently as she could without touching the injuries. Her embrace lingered for a moment before she pulled back and gave a sharp sigh.

"I would stay here all week if I could," she said, her voice tight. "But unfortunately, there are matters at the city that can't wait. Your father and I have to leave again tonight."

Aiden flinched at the word.

Mr. Caleena reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small rune stone etched with glowing silver lines that pulsed faintly with magic. He set it gently on the edge of Aiden's bed.

"It's a communication rune," he said. "One press, and either of us will hear you- day or night. No matter what happens. If you ever need us, if anything feels wrong, you use this. Understood?"

Aiden nodded slowly, the weight of the gesture hitting him harder than he expected. "Thank you… Mr. and Mrs. C."

Mrs. Caleena gave him a warm smile but still looked visibly frustrated. "I baked you a few things. Thought you could use the comfort."

She turned and opened the small bag she'd brought, then began unpacking an almost absurd amount of baked goods: sugar-dusted pastries, soft buns stuffed with honeyed yam, golden slices of spiced cake, and even tiny tarts shaped like stars. She arranged them neatly on the bedside table, like she was fortifying him with sugar and motherly love.

"If Miss Seacole gives you trouble about eating sweets, tell her I said it's part of your recovery," she said firmly.

Aiden gave a small laugh, touched more than he could say.

"I will."

"Rest, alright?" Mr. Caleena added. "And we'll handle things from our end. What happened to you… it won't happen again."

With one final hug and a lingering glance, they left the infirmary. The room felt a little quieter without them, a little emptier, but the rune and the pastries were their way of staying close even from afar.

Later that night, as the stars glimmered outside and Miss Seacole had long retreated to her quarters, Sevan and Adrian slipped back in like clockwork. Adrian tossed his uniform jacket somewhere in the corner while Sevan sat on the edge of Aiden's bed with a stack of books and scrolls in his arms.

"You've got three essays due and a small group project," Sevan said, setting them down. "But don't worry. I already did them."

Aiden blinked. "Wait... you did my assignments?"

Sevan raised an eyebrow like it was obvious. "You think I'd let you fall behind? I even matched your handwriting. Sort of."

Adrian snorted, mouth full of one of the star-shaped tarts. "He practiced for ten minutes to make it look a little messy."

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It had been nearly two weeks since the incident, and though his body still ached in places, Aiden was finally able to move without feeling like his bones would snap. The healing potions had done their work, and Miss Seacole had even allowed him to sit up on his own for long periods of time, though she still barked at him every time he tried to leave his bed without permission.

Adrian and Sevan were constants in those days, slipping into the infirmary like ghosts each night and acting as if the room was theirs too. They brought news from class, rumors from the halls, and even updates on the other students, but there was always one person Aiden never heard about.

Not once in those two weeks had Emmeranne stepped into the infirmary.

Aiden didn't ask at first. Maybe she was still recovering. Maybe she didn't want to deal with more lectures from Miss Seacole. But after a few days of silence, the weight of her absence started to gnaw at him. She had almost died right next to him- choked, bloodied, thrown around by Karro like she was nothing.

And yet… she never showed up.

"Have you seen Emmeranne?" Aiden asked one night, his voice soft as he looked up from the book Sevan had brought him.

Adrian paused mid-bite of a rice cracker and glanced sideways.

"Not really. She's been kind of… keeping to herself."

"Is she okay?"

Adrian frowned. "I think so? I mean, she doesn't look hurt anymore. But she's been distant. People try to talk to her and she just… nods and walks away."

Sevan chimed in from his spot on the windowsill. "Rupert said it might be because of what happened with Ivara and Morrigan."

Aiden blinked. "What do you mean?"

Sevan closed his book, expression unreadable. "Well, they were pretty vocal about not trusting Emmeranne. Ivara especially. She didn't think Emmeranne would be innocent and actually argued with Amihan a lot about it, especially after the whole blade incident."

"But the blade was planted," Aiden said, sitting up straighter. "They know that now."

"Yeah," Adrian said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But that's the thing. They were wrong. Really wrong. And now they feel guilty."

Rupert had apparently told them that Morrigan hadn't been herself lately- less bubbly, more withdrawn. Ivara, usually composed and proud, looked like she'd swallowed her words and couldn't figure out how to spit them back up.

"And Emmeranne knows," Sevan added. "She can tell they feel guilty. So rather than make things uncomfortable, she just avoids them."

Aiden stared at the blankets draped over his lap, quiet for a long moment.

It hurt, in a way he hadn't expected. After everything they'd gone through- after she'd saved him, fought with him, nearly died beside him- it felt wrong not to see her, not even once.

He didn't say any of that out loud, though.

Instead, he just muttered, "I see."

But Adrian noticed the way his expression shifted. Not angry. Not angry sad. Just… distant.