Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series - Chapter 85

Chapter 85: The Owner of the Fool’s Compendium Chapter 85: The Owner of the Fool’s Compendium Adrian, Aiden, and Sevan sat in their room, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows against the walls.

The weight of the ceremony still hung in the air, thick and suffocating.

Even though the day had passed, none of them could shake the lingering heaviness in their chests.

Sevan sat at the edge of his bed, hunched forward with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together.

His usual composed expression was strained, his brows drawn together in silent thought.

Adrian lay on his back on the bed across from Aiden’s, one arm draped over his face as he let out a long exhale.

“That was…” he trailed off, unable to find the right words.

“Yeah,” Aiden murmured in agreement.

He sat upright on his own bed, running a hand through his hair.

The image of Savion’s body rising, dissolving into golden dust under the sun, was burned into his mind.

It was beautiful in a way, almost serene…but also final.

“I still can’t believe he’s gone,” Sevan admitted after a moment.

“One day he’s here, and the next…” He pressed his lips together, shaking his head.

Aiden understood what he meant.

Death always felt unreal until it happened, until it took someone away right before your eyes.

Adrian groaned softly, shifting so that he could look at them.

“So that’s how it is here, huh?” Aiden turned to him, tilting his head slightly.

“What do you mean?” “The send-off,” Adrian replied.

“It’s not like what I’m used to.

And it’s definitely not like what you have on Earth.” Aiden was quiet for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah.

On Earth, when someone dies, we hold funerals.

The body is buried, usually in a cemetery, and loved ones gather to say their final goodbyes.

Some people are cremated instead, turned into ash, but either way, the body stays on Earth.

It doesn’t…” He hesitated, glancing toward the window, where the sky had long since darkened.

“It doesn’t return to the sun.” Sevan looked thoughtful.

“So it stays with the people left behind?” “In a way,” Aiden answered.

“The grave becomes a place for the family to visit, to remember them.” Adrian hummed, shifting his arm behind his head.

“That sounds less dramatic.” Aiden gave him a small, tired smile.

“Yeah, but it’s just as painful.” The room fell into another silence, this one not as heavy as before but still somber.

Sevan let out a slow breath.

“I wonder if Savion would have liked that.” “Having a grave?” Adrian asked.

Sevan nodded.

“A place to return to, instead of… just becoming dust.” Aiden thought about that for a moment.

“I think he would have liked both.” Adrian raised a brow.

“Both?” “The send-off was… beautiful,” Aiden admitted.

“The way he was lifted into the light, the way it honored him-it felt peaceful.

But a grave is something that stays, something that reminds people that he was here.” He sighed.

“I don’t think either is better than the other.

It’s just… different.” Sevan stared down at his hands.

“I guess we’ll only ever be left with memories, then.” Aiden nodded.

Another silence settled over them, but this time, it felt lighter- less like a weight pressing down and more like a shared understanding.

Eventually, Adrian sat up, stretching.

“Alright, this is getting too depressing.

I vote we sleep before we all start crying.” Sevan let out a breath of amusement.

“You’re the last person I’d expect to cry.” Adrian grinned.

“Exactly.

Which is why we should end this conversation now before one of you makes me sentimental.

Crying isn’t exactly punk-rock.” Aiden shook his head with a quiet chuckle, standing up.

“Fine.

Let’s sleep.” Sevan nodded in agreement, though his gaze lingered toward the window for a moment longer.

The dormitory had settled into a quiet lull, the weight of the day lingering but no longer suffocating.

Adrian lay on his bed, propped up against the wall, his book open on his lap.

Aiden had already pulled his blanket over his head, trying to get some sleep, while Sevan remained still, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Adrian, however, wasn’t tired.

His mind was restless, buzzing with everything that had happened.

He needed a distraction, and reading (the prank book, because reading anything else is torture) seemed like the best way to pass the time.

He absentmindedly flipped through the pages of the prank book, skimming over some of the handwritten notes that detailed various tricks and mischievous ideas.

He smirked at a few of them, already imagining ways they could be used.

But as he turned to a particular page, something caught his eye.

A scrawled note.

It wasn’t printed ink.

It was written in handwriting that didn’t belong to him.

His brows furrowed as he focused on the scribbled letters in the corner of one of the pages.

They weren’t just random words or doodles.

They were initials.

S.I.

And above them, another set of initials.

L.A.

Adrian sat up, suddenly more alert.

He traced the letters with his fingers, feeling the faint indent of the ink against the parchment.

This book wasn’t originally his.

He’d taken it from the prank collection they found.

And if Savion Ilmari’s initials were here… He glanced up at Aiden and Sevan, who were still lost in their thoughts.

Should he say something?

He hesitated.

Instead, he leaned back against his pillows and stared at the book in his hands.

Savion Ilmari.

So, he was a prankster.

And not just any prankster.

He had a partner.

L.A.

A strange chill ran down his spine.

He glanced up, as if expecting to see Savion standing there, grinning at him, but of course, the room remained unchanged.

Aiden was still buried under his blanket, and Sevan hadn’t moved.

Adrian turned back to the book.

The initials weren’t just scrawled there randomly- they were deliberate, placed next to a specific prank idea.

He skimmed the words on the page and realized it was the same blueberry prank that they had pulled on the school.

His stomach twisted.

Savion had planned this prank.

Oi,” Adrian finally said, breaking the silence.

He turned the book around so Aiden and Sevan could see the page.

“Look at this.” Aiden leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at the scrawled letters.

Sevan shifted closer, tilting his head.

“S.I.,” Aiden muttered.

“Savion Ilmari.” Sevan nodded.

“Yeah.

That’s definitely his.

But who’s L.A.?” Adrian shrugged.

“No idea.

But this book- it’s from the piles of books in that boring ass section yeah?

And if Savion had his name in here, that means he wasn’t just a random student.

He was part of something.” “A prankster,” Aiden said, sitting back.

“That… actually makes sense.

The Kibbers liked him.

Maybe because he visited the kitchens so often.

He probably sneaked around more than we realized.” Sevan frowned slightly.

“Do you think this L.A.

is still around?” Adrian tapped the book against his knee, thinking.

“Could be.

Or they could be gone.

Either way, it means Savion wasn’t acting alone.” Adrian ran his fingers over the initials once more, the ink slightly smudged from age but still visible.

S.I.

and L.A.

The more he stared at them, the more he felt the weight of something unspoken settle over him.

Savion Ilmari hadn’t just been a student.

He hadn’t just been another name in Genvah Academy.

He had been someone- someone with secrets, a prankster with a hidden legacy.

And now he was gone, leaving behind only whispers of his existence in the form of a book.

Adrian exhaled, flipping through the pages, scanning the notes and tricks that had been carefully recorded.

Traps.

Illusions.

Classic pranks mixed with more intricate setups.

It was a life’s work left behind.

Sevan and Aiden watched him in silence.

They had spoken about Savion enough for one night, but Adrian couldn’t stop thinking about him.

He tapped the edge of the book against his palm, deep in thought.

Then, as if deciding something, Adrian grinned.

“I’ll do it,” he said.

Aiden raised a brow.

“Do what?” Adrian shut the book with a soft thud and held it up.

“I’ll take over.” Sevan frowned.

“Take over…?” “The pranks.

The mischief.

The legacy.” Adrian’s voice was lighter than before, but there was a sincerity in his eyes that wasn’t there when he first found the initials.

“Savion was clearly up to something in this school, and I doubt he meant for it to end with him.

I’ll continue what he started.” Sevan looked skeptical.

“You’re saying you want to be Savion’s successor?” Adrian nodded.

Aiden laughed, crossing his arms.

“I should’ve known you’d say something like that.” “Look,” Adrian said, leaning forward.

“It’s not just about pulling pranks for fun.

Savion had a reason for doing all this.

Maybe he was just causing trouble, or maybe he was looking for something.

Either way, I want to find out.

And if this L.A.

person is still around, they might have some answers.” Sevan stared at the book.

“…And you think doing what Savion did will lead you to them?” “Exactly,” Adrian said, smirking.

“Besides, someone’s got to keep things interesting around here.” Aiden shook his head, but there was amusement in his expression.

“You’re going to get into so much trouble.” “Probably,” Adrian said cheerfully.

“But isn’t that what Savion would’ve wanted?” “And you’ll…

do pranks?” “Of course.”