Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series - Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Honoring Savion Ilmari Chapter 82: Honoring Savion Ilmari The atmosphere in Genvah Academy was solemn, weighed down by the heaviness of loss.

Today, the entire school would gather to honour Savion Ilmari, the fallen third-year student whose life had been tragically cut short in the forest.

As a mark of respect, all students and staff were required to wear black.

The usual hum of chatter in the corridors had quieted, replaced by soft murmurs and the occasional sigh.

Even the very air seemed subdued, the morning light filtering through the castle windows in a muted glow.

There would be no classes today.

No training.

No missions.

The entire academy would come together, setting aside their studies and rivalries to mourn and remember one of their own.

Aiden stood in front of the mirror in his dormitory, adjusting the black high-collared coat he had borrowed from Adrian.

It felt strange, wearing something so plain compared to their usual uniform.

But today wasn’t about standing out.

It was about honouring someone he had never met but whose absence was deeply felt by the school.

Sevan sat on the edge of his bed, tying the laces of his polished black boots.

His expression was solemn, his usual light-heartedness replaced with something quieter.

“It’s different when it’s someone in the school,” he said softly.

“You hear about deaths outside, but when it happens here… it feels closer.” Adrian, dressed in a simple black tunic and trousers, leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

“It’s because he wasn’t supposed to die,” he said, voice unusually serious.

“Not in the middle of a mission, not in our own backyard.

Whatever’s in that forest isn’t something small.” No one had an answer to that.

When the three of them stepped out into the hallway, they found the rest of the students making their way toward the Great Hall.

The usual morning rush was absent.

No one was late, no one was running.

Everyone walked quietly, their black-clad figures blending into the dimly lit corridors.

Even the paintings on the walls had gone silent, their subjects watching the procession with grave expressions.

As they descended the stairs, Aiden caught sight of Amihan and Ivara walking ahead, both dressed in elegant but somber attire.

Morrigan was with them as well, her usual unease around Aiden momentarily overshadowed by the weight of the day.

The academy grounds were silent.

Students and faculty had gathered in the botanical garden, where nature thrived in quiet reverence.

The sun, now nearing its highest point, bathed the surroundings in a warm golden glow, illuminating the small casket that rested on an elevated platform at the centre.

The dark wood was polished to a gleam, adorned with silver etchings and surrounded by an arrangement of white lilies and dark roses.

Savion Ilmari lay within, his presence now only a memory.

The students sat in their assigned seats, the air thick with solemnity.

No one spoke.

Even the birds that often filled the garden with song seemed to understand the gravity of the moment, their usual chatter replaced by an eerie stillness.

Aiden sat with Adrian and Sevan, his gaze fixed ahead, though his thoughts wandered.

He had never spoken to Savion, but the weight of his death was undeniable.

The academy had seen loss before, but there was something different about this.

Perhaps because it was so sudden and so unexplained.

A slow, deliberate set of footsteps echoed against the stone paths as the officiator approached the casket.

The man was robed in ceremonial black, his hood pulled back to reveal a solemn face aged by years of performing these rites.

Adrian, seated beside Aiden, was watching the officiator when his expression suddenly twitched.

Aiden noticed him stiffen slightly, then glance at him out of the corner of his eye.

The officiator had just passed a stone column for a few long seconds, and something seemed… off.

Adrian nudged Aiden and barely moved his lips as he muttered, “Look at his nose.” Aiden, who had been focused on the casket, shifted his gaze reluctantly- only for his own composure to falter the moment he saw what Adrian meant.

The officiator, for all his solemnity, had something on his nose.

It was unclear whether it was a mole, a stray clump of dust, or, worst of all, a dangling piece of snot that had gone unnoticed.

Whatever it was, it sat there, absurdly out of place amidst the heavy atmosphere.

Aiden clenched his jaw, willing himself to remain composed.

Adrian, however, was struggling.

His lips were pressed together, and his shoulders shook ever so slightly as he fought the urge to snicker.

Sevan, sitting on Adrian’s other side, turned to look at them both with an unimpressed glare, as if silently telling them to behave.

Aiden took a deep breath, fixing his eyes straight ahead in an attempt to refocus.

But then, the officiator paused at the casket and turned slightly, the light catching his face in just the right way to highlight the offending mark even more.

Adrian exhaled sharply through his nose, a barely-contained snort.

Aiden had to dig his nails into his palms to keep from reacting, though the corners of his mouth twitched against his will.

It wasn’t even that funny- this was a funeral, for gods’ sake- but the absurdity of the moment, paired with the sheer effort of suppressing their laughter, only made it worse.

Sevan, clearly fed up, elbowed Adrian sharply in the ribs.

Adrian coughed to cover up a choked laugh, earning a few sideways glances from nearby students.

He quickly straightened in his seat, face schooled into a serious expression.

Aiden exhaled, focusing back on the ceremony.

The officiator cleared his throat, and the gathered students straightened in their seats.

The garden was silent except for the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of birds.

Even those who had never spoken to Savion Ilmari could feel the weight of the moment.

Then, the officiator began to speak.

“We g-gather here today…” Aiden immediately tensed.

The man’s voice was unexpectedly high-pitched, almost nasally, and on the second syllable, it cracked.

Adrian’s shoulders trembled.

“…to honour the life of Savion Ilmari,” the officiator continued, his voice wobbling again at the end of the sentence.

Adrian let out a tiny wheeze and clamped a hand over his mouth.

Aiden, trying desperately to maintain his composure, pressed his lips together so tightly they ached.

He dared not look at Adrian.

It was bad enough that the officiator had something on his nose.

Now, he sounded like he was on the verge of either crying or his voice completely betraying him.

Aiden’s mind screamed at him to focus.

This is a funeral.

A real one.

The third-year student in the casket had died in the forest, and no one even knew why.

This was serious.

And yet- “As we r-remember Savion’s legacy as a Nocturnal Conclave member-” Another voice crack.

Adrian inhaled sharply, his entire body shaking from the effort of suppressing laughter.

Sevan, sitting beside him, shot him a murderous glare, clearly done with both of them.

Aiden squeezed his eyes shut for a second before forcing himself to stare at the casket.

He tried to picture something grave, something sombre, but all he could think of was how the officiator’s voice kept jumping unpredictably, making every sentence sound like it was battling puberty.

Adrian made the mistake of peeking at Aiden out of the corner of his eye.

Aiden looked back at him.

That was it.

Aiden turned his face away as his shoulders shook uncontrollably, biting the inside of his cheek so hard he nearly drew blood.

Adrian hunched forward slightly, his face turning red from the effort of holding it in.

Sevan, visibly furious, reached out and pinched Adrian’s arm, hard.

“Ow,” Adrian whispered under his breath, but it was enough to ground him.

At least for now.

The officiator, oblivious to their struggle, continued speaking, his voice rising and cracking unpredictably at every pause.

It was the longest ceremony of their lives.