Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series - Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Professor Anwar’s Secret Training Chapter 101: Professor Anwar’s Secret Training Just as the boys set down their quills, stretching out their aching hands after their last-minute scramble to finish the dream assignment, the common room doors swung open.

Amihan, Ivara, and Emmeranne strode in, still catching their breath from what was clearly an intense training session.

Their hair was damp with sweat, and their clothes were slightly disheveled- proof of how hard they had been pushing themselves.

Adrian glanced up from his paper.

“Rough training?” Ivara rolled her shoulders, sighing.

“More like exhausting.

Some of us actually work at night instead of panicking over assignments.” “Hey, we weren’t panicking,” Jarek defended, though his ink-stained hands and the pile of hastily written notes said otherwise.

Emmeranne didn’t even spare them a glance as she walked past, heading straight for the stairs.

“You reek of stress.” “Funny,” Adrian shot back, “I was about to say you reek of sweat.” Emmeranne didn’t even pause, simply raising a hand in a half-hearted wave as she disappeared toward the dorms.

Amihan chuckled, shaking her head.

“Anyway, what was the assignment you were panicking over?” “Dream logs,” Sevan answered.

“A week’s worth.” Ivara raised a brow.

“You actually remembered your dreams for that long?” “Define ‘remembered’.” Rupert coughed.

“You made them up, didn’t you?” Amihan asked.

Adrian grinned.

“Made them interesting.” Ivara sighed, exchanging glances with Amihan.

“Mopsus is going to see right through you.” “Yeah, yeah,” Jarek waved her off.

“That’s tomorrow’s problem.” Amihan laughed.

“Then I hope you enjoy your impending doom.” With that, the girls made their way upstairs, leaving the boys to their mess of papers.

Jarek stretched, letting out a loud yawn.

“Alright, I’m calling it a night.

We survived another assignment- barely!

– but I need sleep.” Rupert nodded, already standing.

“Yeah, let’s go before we get dragged into another conversation.” Sevan gathered his things as well.

“Good idea.

We should get some rest too.” But just as he was about to follow, Adrian casually placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Nah, we’ll stay out for a bit.” Sevan frowned.

“Why?” Adrian shrugged, his usual smirk playing on his lips.

“No reason.

Just not ready to head in yet.” Jarek, still holding his books, paused and gave Adrian a knowing look.

He raised an eyebrow, then smirked but said nothing.

With a small shake of his head, he turned back toward the dorms, following Rupert up the stairs.

That left only Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan in the now mostly empty common room, the warm glow of the dimmed lamps casting long shadows across the walls.

As the faint sound of Rupert and Jarek’s door clicking shut echoed through the common room, Adrian wasted no time.

He reached into his coat, pulling out the worn map he had been keeping hidden.

Aiden leaned in, watching as Adrian scanned the parchment with sharp eyes.

After a moment, Adrian tapped a spot near the first-year dormitories.

“Here.

There’s a small passageway behind the Little Rose painting.” Sevan squinted his eyes, peering at the map.

“That painting?

I’ve walked past it a dozen times.

I never noticed anything strange about it.” Adrian grinned.

“That’s because you weren’t looking.” He rolled up the map and tucked it away.

“Come on.” Moving swiftly, the three of them slipped out of the common room, careful to keep their footsteps light as to not make a sound.

When they reached the Little Rose painting- a delicate portrait of a single red rose against a dark background- Adrian ran his fingers along the frame, pressing at different points until…

Click.

The painting shifted slightly, revealing a narrow opening just big enough for them to squeeze through.

Aiden exhaled.

“No turning back now.” “Wouldn’t dream of it.” One by one, they slipped inside, closing the entrance behind them as they made their way through the hidden passage.

The passageway was cramped and musty, the air thick with dust as Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan navigated through the narrow tunnel.

When they finally reached the hidden exit, Adrian pressed against the panel, pushing it open just enough for them to slip out.

They emerged into a dimly lit corridor, the flickering torches casting restless shadows along the stone walls.

They were just in a hallway near Professor Anwar’s office.

Adrian took a step forward, but before he could move any further, Sevan’s hand shot out, gripping his arm tightly.

The moment Sevan’s hand clamped onto Adrian’s arm, Adrian reacted instinctively.

A flicker of darkness rippled around them as he willed the shadows to cloak them, swallowing their forms into the dimly lit corridor.

The torchlight flickered as if struggling against the sudden shift, but to any outside observer, the three of them had simply vanished.

Aiden felt the cold, weightless sensation of the shadows wrapping around him, pressing against his skin like a second layer of air.

He had seen Adrian use this ability before, but experiencing it up close always sent a shiver down his spine.

They stood motionless, listening.

“…Savion killed by…” Aiden’s heartbeat quickened.

Savion?

“…still here?” Adrian’s eyes narrowed, his grip on the rolled-up map tightening.

“Patrol the… very dangerous.” The voices remained hushed, careful asif they knew someone could be listening.

“….Out to get him.” A long silence followed.

Then the sound of boots shifting against the stone floor, growing fainter as the unseen figures moved away.

Sevan exhaled quietly, and Adrian finally released the shadows, letting them slip away into the natural darkness of the corridor.

“They’re gone,” Sevan murmured.

They remained hidden in the shadows, their voices hushed as they pieced together the fragments of the conversation.

Sevan’s expression was grim.

“That means it wasn’t a beast attack.

It was a Magi.” Adrian let out a low breath.

“That explains why they sounded so secretive.

If a Magi killed him, then someone doesn’t want that getting out especially with it being near the school.” Before they could dwell on it further, a voice spoke from right behind them.

“What exactly do you three think you’re doing?” Aiden nearly jumped, while Sevan stiffened.

Adrian, to his credit, only tensed slightly before turning his head.

Professor Anwar stood behind them, arms crossed, his gaze sharp.

How long had he been there?

Had he heard everything?

Professor Anwar didn’t look surprised to see them.

In fact, it almost felt like he had been expecting this.

Still, he raised an eyebrow.

“And why, exactly, were you three hiding in the shadows outside my office?” Adrian gave a casual shrug.

“We heard people talking and didn’t want to get caught in the middle of something.

Thought if we moved, they might assume we were eavesdropping.” Professor Anwar’s stare was flat.

“You were eavesdropping.” Aiden cleared his throat.

“Not on purpose.” Anwar exhaled, shaking his head.

“Follow me.” With little choice, the three of them fell into step behind him, exchanging wary glances as they headed toward his office.

Professor Anwar led them into his office, the heavy wooden door shutting behind them with a quiet click.

The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of enchanted lanterns casting long shadows across the rows of bookshelves and the desk stacked with neatly arranged papers.

He didn’t take a seat.

Instead, he turned to face them, arms crossed, his gaze sharp and unreadable.

“Well?” he said.

“Have you made up your minds?” Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan exchanged glances.

The weight of the question hung in the air.

The three of them didn’t need to exchange glances this time.

They already knew their answer.

“We’re in,” Aiden said, his voice steady.

Adrian pushed off the bookcase, a smirk playing at his lips.

“Like we’d say no to secret training.” Sevan nodded.

Professor Anwar studied them for a moment before giving a slight nod.

“Very well.” He moved toward his desk, pulling open a drawer and retrieving something wrapped in dark cloth.

“Your training begins tomorrow.

Meet me at the east wing before dawn.

And not a word of this to anyone.” “Got it.” Professor Anwar’s expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes- satisfaction, perhaps?

“Good,” he said simply.

“Then you’d best get some rest.

You’ll need it.”