Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series - Chapter 84

Chapter 84: The Kibbers’ Memorial Chapter 84: The Kibbers’ Memorial Despite the earlier moment of absurdity, the ceremony had returned to its somber tone, the weight of grief pressing down on everyone present.

The students sat in neat rows, dressed in black, their faces solemn as the wind rustled through the trees.

The scent of earth and flowers mixed with the faint, lingering incense that burned near Savion Ilmari’s small casket.

As the officiator neared the end of his speech, the doors to the Great Hall opened once more, and a procession of Kibbers emerged, carrying trays of carefully arranged dishes.

The small, furred creatures walked with slow steps, their large ears drooping, their whiskers twitching as they fought back tears.

Their usual cheerful chattering was absent; instead, a heavy silence followed them as they approached the casket.

Each Kibber bore a dish that had been Savion’s favorite-warm honeyed bread, spiced fruit, roasted meats, and sweet custards, all prepared with care.

Aiden swallowed thickly, watching as they placed each plate near the casket, some of them sniffling, others openly crying.

Their tiny hands trembled as they arranged the dishes, as if ensuring everything was perfect for their departed friend.

Adrian, seated beside Aiden and Sevan, leaned in slightly and whispered, “It was probably Savion sneaking to the kitchens all this time.” Aiden felt his chest tighten.

They had heard stories from the Kibbers of someone visiting the kitchen late at night- someone who left behind empty plates and lingering warmth, someone the Kibbers never seemed to mind feeding.

The realization that it had been Savion all along, and that he would never return to the kitchen again, made their grief heavier.

Sevan’s expression darkened with quiet sadness.

The last of the food was placed before the casket, and the Kibbers, after bowing their heads, took several steps back, their tiny paws wiping away tears.

The officiator, standing tall before the gathered assembly, raised his hands.

“It is time,” he announced, his voice solemn.

“As the sun reaches its peak, so too does this soul ascend.

We give our final tribute to Savion Ilmari, who now returns to the light.” The students sat straighter.

The air felt charged, as though the very world itself was holding its breath.

The officiator extended his hands toward the casket, his fingers moving in intricate patterns.

His voice carried through the garden in a low chant, the language old, woven with magic and meaning.

A soft glow emanated from Savion’s body.

Aiden’s breath hitched as he watched the golden light expand, swallowing the casket whole.

The warmth of the magic pressed against his skin, gentle yet powerful.

The officiator’s voice grew stronger.

“As the sun watches over us, so too does it welcome back its lost child.

From light you came, to light you shall return.” A wind swept through the garden.

The golden light intensified, and for a brief moment, Savion’s form became visible within the radiance, peaceful and unburdened.

Then, the light burst upward, rising toward the sky.

Savion’s body dissolved into shimmering gold dust, carried higher and higher by an unseen force, scattering toward the sun.

Aiden clenched his fists as he watched the last traces of Savion disappear.

The officiator lowered his arms, the magic fading.

Savion was gone.

His family who was standing near the front, sobbed quietly, holding one another.

His mother clutched a handkerchief to her face, his father stood rigid, his jaw clenched tight, while his younger sibling buried their face in their mother’s shoulder.

The Kibbers, unable to hold back any longer, wept openly.

Some clung to each other, their small bodies trembling.

Silence stretched over the gathering.

Then, slowly, one by one, students and teachers alike placed a hand over their hearts and bowed their heads.

Aiden, Sevan, and Adrian did the same, pressing their palms over their chests in quiet respect.

The sun, now at its highest point, cast a golden glow over the garden.

It was almost too bright, almost too warm, as if the heavens themselves acknowledged Savion’s passing.

After several moments, the officiator stepped back, signaling that the ceremony had come to an end.

People began to rise, some lingering in their seats, unwilling to leave just yet.

The Kibbers remained kneeling by the now-empty space where the casket had once been, their small cries the only sound breaking the hush.

Aiden felt an ache deep within him.

He had never spoken to Savion and he never had a proper conversation with him, but the weight of his absence was undeniable.

He had been someone- someone who had dreams, who had friends, who had late-night visits to the kitchen for stolen snacks.

And now, he was just… gone.

Sevan exhaled slowly, his gaze distant.

Adrian, usually one to lighten a heavy moment with some quip or joke, was uncharacteristically quiet.

As they finally stood to leave, Aiden glanced up at the sky, where the golden dust had vanished into the sunlight.

He hoped, wherever Savion was now, he had found peace.

The solemn weight of the ceremony lingered long after it had ended.

Though the students had risen from their seats and begun their slow departure from the botanical garden, there was a hush over Genvah Academy that had not been there before.

Even the wind moved differently, whispering softly through the trees as though mourning alongside them.

Aiden, Sevan, and Adrian walked in step with the rest of the students, moving toward the academy’s main grounds.

No one spoke.

Conversations were hushed murmurs, exchanged only when necessary.

Aiden found himself glancing back over his shoulder at the garden, where Savion Ilmari’s send-off had taken place.

The space felt emptier now.

The golden dust had long since disappeared into the sky, yet it was as if something still lingered in the air: an invisible presence that pressed against his chest.

“He really is gone,” Adrian muttered beside him.

Aiden turned his gaze forward.

Sevan remained quiet, his usual composed expression unreadable.

He had barely spoken since the ceremony ended, and though his posture was straight as ever, there was an uncharacteristic stiffness to it.

They walked in silence through the academy grounds, the other students splitting off to their respective dormitories or gathering in small clusters.

Some found comfort in whispered conversations, while others simply sat in the shade of the trees, staring off into the distance.

As they neared their dormitory building, Adrian exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair.

“This place is too quiet.” “It’s a funeral,” Sevan reminded him, though his tone lacked its usual reprimanding edge.

“I know.” Adrian sighed.

“I just… I don’t like it.” Aiden glanced between the two before looking up at the academy’s tall, sunlit towers.

“It feels different.” Sevan nodded.

“It will for a while.” They reached the entrance of their dormitory, pushing open the heavy wooden doors.

Inside, the air was cooler, but the silence was just as thick.

Even here, where there was usually the sound of footsteps, chatter, or doors opening and closing, there was nothing.

Sevan led the way to their room, and they stepped inside, the familiar space feeling strangely distant.

Adrian flopped onto his bed with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling.

“I don’t even know what to do with myself right now.” Aiden sat on the edge of his own bed, running a hand over his face.

Sevan stood near the window, looking out toward the academy grounds.

His blue eyes were thoughtful, distant.

After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Do you think it was really just a monster?” Adrian turned his head slightly.

“What?” “The attack,” Sevan clarified.

“Savion was one of the best.

He was part of the Nocturnal Conclave.

The officiator said it.” He glanced back at them.

“It doesn’t sit right with me that he was killed so easily.

The Nocturnal Conclave are the best of the best students handpicked by the Headmaster.” Aiden frowned, remembering the headmaster’s words earlier in the day.

The teachers still didn’t know what had caused Savion’s death.

That alone was unsettling.

“Maybe it was something stronger,” Aiden suggested.

“Something we haven’t encountered before.” Sevan crossed his arms, still looking out the window.

“The forest is closed now, but that won’t last forever.

Eventually, someone will have to go back in.” Aiden didn’t respond immediately.

He didn’t want to think about it- not after the ceremony they had just witnessed.

But Sevan was right.

If something strong enough to kill a Nocturnal Conclave member was out there, then it wasn’t over.

Not even close.

And before he knew it, Aiden’s mind flashed a familiar face.

A face so gaunt and pale like it should have been dead long ago.

A face that haunted him that time he and Ivara dueled in the woods.

Karro.