Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series - Chapter 75

Chapter 75: A Week’s Worth of Dreams Chapter 75: A Week’s Worth of Dreams As Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan stepped out of the classroom, they spotted Jarek and Rupert leaning against the wall just outside, clearly waiting for them.

Jarek had his arms crossed, his foot tapping against the stone floor, while Rupert seemed more relaxed, though the amused glint in his eyes suggested he knew something.

The hallway bustled with students heading to their next classes or lingering to chat, but Jarek and Rupert weren’t moving.

It was obvious they had something to say.

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“You lot waiting for us, or just admiring the view?” Jarek rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah.

We’re waiting.

We need to talk.” Aiden exchanged a glance with Sevan before stepping closer.

“What’s going on?” Jarek sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“First off, we-uh, well, I guess we- wanted to say something.” His tone was hesitant, which was rare for him.

“About, you know… the whole Chase thing.” Rupert nodded, crossing his arms.

“Yeah.

When we first found out who you were, we weren’t exactly welcoming.

We didn’t say anything bad, but we also didn’t say anything good, either.” He met Aiden’s gaze seriously.

“That was kind of a dick move.” Jarek exhaled sharply.

“Yeah.

You’re not like what we thought.

And honestly?

You’ve been decent.

More than decent, actually.” Aiden blinked, momentarily surprised.

He had never expected an apology.

People tended to avoid him or stay neutral rather than outright acknowledging the shift in their opinions.

He could respect them for admitting it.

He gave them a small smile.

“I get it.

And it’s fine.

People have their reasons.” Jarek’s shoulders loosened a bit, relieved.

Then his usual smirk returned.

“Good.

Now, onto something way more important.” He leaned in slightly.

“Did you lot actually do the prank?” Adrian scoffed.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Jarek gave him a flat look.

“Mate, I don’t care if you did.

If anything, I’d be impressed.

But Shiloh-” he rolled his eyes, “-he’s being extra annoying about it.

He really wants to tell on you.” Rupert sighed.

“Yeah, he’s going on about how the teachers should ‘properly discipline troublemakers’ and ‘maintain order’ or whatever nonsense.” “That sounds like him.” Jarek raised an eyebrow at the three of them.

“So, did you?” Aiden glanced at Adrian and Sevan.

It wasn’t like they were about to confess outright, but the smug way Adrian grinned and the way Sevan folded his arms in amusement was answer enough.

Jarek’s eyes widened slightly.

“Bloody hell, you actually did.” Rupert let out a low whistle.

“Damn.

That’s gutsy.” Adrian shrugged.

“You saw the results.

It was worth it.” Jarek laughed.

“Yeah, I’ll admit, it was hilarious.

Even the professors couldn’t escape it.” Rupert smirked.

“Headmaster Kairos laughing his blue face off?

That was legendary.” Jarek leaned in again.

“Alright, I won’t press, but if Shiloh keeps running his mouth, you might want to be careful.” Adrian waved a hand dismissively.

“Please.

We always know how to handle things.” Aiden chuckled.

“We’ll figure it out.” Jarek nodded.

“Good.

Just don’t get caught.” With that, he and Rupert stepped back, blending into the moving crowd of students while Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan exchanged knowing looks.

———————— When they arrived for Divination, the first thing they noticed was that Professor Mopsus was not blue.

Adrian immediately snickered, nudging Sevan.

“Oi, does this mean he didn’t take a bath?” Sevan struggled to keep a straight face, while Aiden sighed, shaking his head.

Professor Mopsus either hadn’t heard Adrian’s comment or was simply ignoring it.

He stood by his usual spot at the center of the circular room, his robes flowing as he arranged various strange-looking artifacts on the table before him.

The class murmured among themselves, a mix of curiosity and amusement at the unexpected revelation.

Nearly everyone in the academy had woken up blue- students, teachers, even the kitchen workers.

Yet somehow, Professor Mopsus remained untouched.

Mopsus does see all.

Before they could dwell on it, Aiden caught sight of Shiloh.

Unlike before, when he was always near Jarek and Rupert, Shiloh had now distanced himself from them, choosing instead to sit with the same two classmates who had accompanied him when he had cornered Aiden that one time.

Rupert noticed too and let out an exaggerated sigh.

“There he goes again.

I swear, he’s acting like we betrayed him.” Jarek scoffed, crossing his arms.

“Let him sulk.

Not my problem.” With Shiloh moving away, Jarek and Rupert ended up sitting with Peter, who looked somewhat surprised at the sudden company but didn’t protest.

Adrian, still grinning from his joke, leaned back in his seat.

“Alright, let’s see what kind of nonsense Mopsus has in store for us today.” Professor Mopsus slowly turned to face the class, his cloudy, unfocused eyes scanning them as if he could see something beyond their physical forms.

His deep robes swayed slightly as he moved, and the air around him felt charged with something unseen- something almost eerie.

“Dreams,” he began, “are not simply fragments of our minds at rest.

They are echoes, whispers from the past… or the future.” A hush fell over the students.

Even the ones who had been whispering or giggling about the blue prank quieted down, drawn in by the professor’s unsettling presence.

“Many dismiss dreams as meaningless illusions, fleeting thoughts tangled in sleep.” Mopsus lifted a small, delicate glass orb from the table, rolling it in his hands.

“Yet, if you learn to listen… to see beyond what is obvious… you may find that dreams are far more than mere imaginings.” Adrian nudged Aiden and muttered, “I dreamt I ate five whole pies last night.

Think that means something?” Aiden gave him a look, but before Adrian could snicker, Mopsus suddenly turned his head sharply in their direction, as if he had heard them.

“Tell me,” Mopsus said, tilting his head, his blind gaze locked unsettlingly on Adrian.

“Have you ever dreamt of something… before it happened?” Adrian blinked.

“Er… I mean, I sometimes dream I’ll fail a test in Heliogy, and then I did, if that counts.” Some students chuckled, but Mopsus was unamused.

“Some dreams are warnings,” he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

“Some are messages.

And some… are doors.

Doors to places and times you do not yet know, but soon will.” A tense silence followed.

“The question, dear students,” Mopsus continued, placing the glass orb down, “is whether you will learn to recognise when a dream is just a dream… and when it is a glimpse of something far greater.” The class remained still, as if the weight of his words had settled upon them.

Even Shiloh, who had been stubbornly distant, seemed unnerved.

As Mopsus continued speaking, Aiden found his thoughts drifting, his fingers idly tracing the edges of his book.

Dreams.

He had never thought much about them before- at least, not until recently.

That tree.

The air around it had felt heavy, charged with something unexplainable.

And yet, there was something familiar about it, something that made his chest tighten with a feeling he couldn’t quite place.

Aiden exhaled quietly, shaking his head.

It was just a dream.

Probably.

He refocused just in time to hear Mopsus continuing.

“As future mages, warriors, and scholars, you must not dismiss the power of the subconscious,” the professor said, sweeping his hand over the room.

“Many great seers, prophets, and visionaries have received knowledge through dreams- sometimes warnings, sometimes revelations.

Some of you may experience this in your lifetime.” The students exchanged glances, some intrigued, others skeptical.

Adrian, meanwhile, leaned over to Sevan and whispered, “If I dream of eating ten pies, does that mean I’ll break my record?” Sevan rolled his eyes.

Mopsus, ignoring the quiet murmurs, gestured toward the board, where words began appearing in elegant, swirling script as if an invisible hand was writing them.

“Your assignment,” Mopsus said, and some groaned.

“For the next week, each of you will keep a record of your dreams.

Write down as much as you remember- details, feelings, symbols, anything of significance.

We shall review them next lesson.” Aiden tensed slightly.

A week’s worth of dreams?

The tree was the only one he dreamed of.

Wouldn’t that be repititive?

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to.