Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series - Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Cornered Chapter 67: Cornered Aiden didn’t react immediately.

He had learned long ago that people like Shiloh expected a response.

They thrived on it.

Instead, he merely crossed his arms, leveling Shiloh with an unimpressed look.

“Should I be concerned that you’re keeping track of my whereabouts?” Aiden asked dryly.

Shiloh scoffed, a smirk curling his lips.

“Don’t flatter yourself.

It’s just interesting how comfortable you are standing around after everything that’s happened.

The school’s practically mourning, and here you are, as if nothing’s changed.” Aiden’s expression didn’t waver.

“What exactly are you getting at?” Shiloh took a step closer, and the two other boys followed suit.

They were taller than Aiden and bulkier, but that didn’t intimidate him.

“I heard something interesting,” Shiloh continued, voice low.

“Apparently, you were at the forest not too long ago.

Strange, isn’t it?

You show up, and suddenly a third year is dead.” Aiden exhaled through his nose.

“You’re grasping at straws.” Shiloh’s smirk didn’t falter.

“Am I?

Maybe.

Or maybe not.

But you know what is interesting?

The fact that ever since people found out who you really are, things have been going wrong.” Aiden clenched his jaw.

He could feel the shift in the air.

Shiloh wasn’t just talking for the sake of it.

He was leading to something.

One of the boys, the one with sharp blue eyes, finally spoke up.

“You don’t belong here.” Aiden’s grip on his arm tightened, but he didn’t let his expression crack.

Shiloh tilted his head.

“People don’t trust you, Chase.

And why should they?

Your family hunts Magi.

They’re the reason we have to hide.

And now you’re here, pretending to be one of us?” Aiden’s fingers twitched, itching to summon fire.

He didn’t want to fight- not now, not here- but he wouldn’t stand there and take this.

“Do you really think I asked for this?

Do you think I chose to be born into my family?

That I chose to be here?” Shiloh’s smirk faltered, but just for a moment.

“Doesn’t matter.

You are who you are.” Aiden narrowed his eyes.

“And yet, you’re still standing here, talking instead of doing something.

If you truly thought I was a threat, you wouldn’t be wasting time.” Shiloh’s lips curled again, but this time, there was a flicker of something else- frustration.

He hadn’t expected Aiden to push back.

The other student, a girl with freckles and brown eyes, nodded.

“You expect us to believe you’re not like your family?” Aiden’s fingers twitched.

He had expected this, but that didn’t make it any less irritating.

“I’m here for the same reason you are,” Aiden said evenly.

“To learn.” Shiloh scoffed.

“To learn what?

How to take down Magi?

Seems like something your family is already good at.” The two laughed.

Aiden clenched his fists at his sides.

He was trying not to let them get under his skin, but it wasn’t easy.

He could feel his magic stirring, the heat just beneath his fingertips.

One more push, and he wasn’t sure if he could hold back.

Shiloh must have noticed the flicker of fire in Aiden’s gaze because his lips curled into a knowing smirk.

“What’s wrong?

Am I wrong?” Aiden took a step forward.

“If you’re looking for a fight, say it outright.

Stop hiding behind words.” Shiloh’s grin widened, and his hands moved toward his deck of cards.

The moment he pulled one out, flames burst to life in Aiden’s palm.

The two other students took a step back, looking between them, but they didn’t intervene.

If anything, they looked excited to see what would happen next.

Aiden didn’t ignite the flame fully, but the heat radiated from his fingertips.

The tension was suffocating.

Shiloh flicked the card between his fingers.

“I wonder… If I push you a little more, will you show us what you really are?” Aiden exhaled sharply.

“You don’t want to find out.” Just as Shiloh took a step forward, another voice cut through the air.

“Five.” Aiden didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

“Four.” Adrian’s voice was lighthearted, almost amused.

“Three.” Shiloh’s hand tightened around his card, but he didn’t move.

“Two.” Adrian appeared between them, his usual smirk in place but his eyes sharp with warning.

Sevan stood behind him, arms crossed, unimpressed.

“One.” Silence.

Shiloh huffed out a breath, spinning the card in his fingers once before tucking it back into his sleeve.

“Tch.” He glanced at his two classmates and motioned for them to leave.

“Fine.

Not worth it.” He turned and walked off, the other two following close behind.

Aiden didn’t move, but the fire in his hands slowly extinguished.

Adrian clapped a hand on Aiden’s shoulder.

“You know, for someone trying to lay low, you’re really bad at it.” Aiden exhaled deeply, rubbing the back of his neck.

“He was provoking me.” “No kidding,” Sevan muttered, still watching where Shiloh had disappeared.

“We were gone for five minutes, and you nearly fought.” “I wasn’t the one who started it.” Adrian grinned.

“But you were ready to finish it.” Aiden gave him a dry look.

“Thanks for stopping me.” “Always,” Adrian said easily.

“Besides, you would’ve burned his stupid cards, and I would’ve been sad to miss that.” Sevan rolled his eyes.

“Come on, let’s go.

We’ve got better things to do than entertain Shiloh’s nonsense.” Aiden didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he exhaled slowly, before finally speaking.

“People don’t trust me.” Adrian snorted.

“Who cares?” Aiden hesitated.

“I do.” Sevan shoved his hands in his pockets.

“You expected otherwise?” Aiden didn’t answer.

Adrian sighed, stretching his arms over his head.

“Look, I’ll be real with you, Aiden.

You being a Chase?

That’s never going to sit well with people.

You’re basically walking around with a massive bounty on your back.” Sevan nodded.

“It’s not fair, but that’s how it is.

Some people will be waiting for a reason to turn on you.” Aiden frowned.

“And you two?” Adrian grinned.

“Me?

I think it’s hilarious.” Sevan shook his head.

“I think it’s a pain.

But we’re already stuck with you, so whatever.” Aiden snorted.

“Touching.” Adrian clapped him on the back.

“If you really want to prove them wrong, don’t let them get to you.” As they walked back towards the dormitories, the tension from their confrontation with Shiloh still lingered in the air.

Aiden kept his hands tucked into his pockets, his mind replaying the exchange.

He knew people didn’t trust him, but to have it thrown in his face like that was something else entirely.

Adrian and Sevan were chatting about something irrelevant- probably another one of Adrian’s absurd pranks- but Aiden wasn’t paying attention.

He was still gripping onto the last embers of his irritation, trying to let it go.

They turned the corner, and suddenly…

“Aiden, stop.” It was Ivara.

She had been walking from the opposite direction, probably heading back to her own dormitory.

But the second her gaze landed on Aiden, her entire body tensed.

Her red coily hair bristled like a cat’s fur standing on end, and her eyes flashed with something close to alarm.

Then, she stumbled backward.

Her breath hitched, and she visibly recoiled, as though she had just been burned.

Aiden blinked in confusion.

“What?” Ivara took another step back, pressing a hand against her chest.

“Aiden,” she muttered, still tense.

“Your aura- it’s-” She clenched her jaw, inhaling sharply.

“It feels like I’m burning alive.” Sevan and Adrian stopped dead in their tracks.

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“Really?” Sevan rubbed his chin.

“Huh.

We might’ve just gotten resistant to it.” Aiden frowned.

He didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary.

His fire was dormant, not even lingering at his fingertips anymore.

But Ivara looked as if she had been standing too close to an open flame, her expression strained, her breathing unsteady.

She glared at him as though he was the problem.

“Did something happen to you?

Your aura wasn’t like this before.” Aiden hesitated.

“I…” He exhaled.

“No.

Nothing happened.” Liar.

Adrian snorted, nudging Aiden’s arm.

“See?

You’re walking around like a human furnace, and we don’t even notice anymore.” Sevan crossed his arms.

“Might be something to keep in check, though.

If Ivara can feel it this strongly, who knows who else can?” Aiden turned back to Ivara, watching as she slowly adjusted to the feeling, though her skin still looked unnaturally tense.

“Are you okay now?” Aiden asked.

Ivara inhaled deeply, then nodded, shaking herself off like she was dispelling the sensation.

“I’ll live.

Just… keep your fire under control, Chase.” With that, she walked past them.