Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series

There was banging on the door. It was hard, desperate and urgent.

It rattled on its hinges, loud enough to jolt Sevan from the edge of a dream and into reality with his heart racing. He sat up instantly, breath caught in his throat as he blinked through the darkness of their room. The sound came again- fists pounding against wood- followed by the distant murmur of voices in the hallway and the unmistakable noise of the common room stirring in a flurry of tension.

"Sevan," Adrian groaned sleepily from the other side of the room, pushing the covers aside and sitting up. "What time is it?"

"I don't know," Sevan muttered as he climbed out of bed, grabbing his shoes. He crossed the room quickly and unlatched the door.

Standing there in the moonlit hallway was Ivara.

She looked like a ghost.

Her hair was in a bonnet, but a few strands of red coily hair was clinging to her cheeks, soaked with tears. She clutched a candle in both hands, the flickering flame casting golden light across her face, making the tears shimmer as they fell silently.

Her lips trembled.

Behind her stood Morrigan, her shoulders tense and her eyes wide. She wasn't crying, but her fists were clenched at her sides, her breathing sharp and uneven as she stared at Sevan and Adrian like the world was about to fall apart.

Sevan's chest tightened. "Hey, hey... You two look like a mess. What happened?"

"S-She's gone," Ivara said, her voice cracking like thin ice. "Amihan's gone. She's... she's not in our room. she's nowhere. I checked everything. I-I checked everywhere... She's gone...."

"The wind outside. It was... so loud when I woke up. I-I, uhm, I think she used it… to leave."

"She wouldn't just leave," Ivara continued, her words stumbling. "Not without telling us. Not tonight. Especially not now..."

Sevan's throat went dry. "Alright, wait we'll talk in the common room so you could calm down. We'll figure this out."

Adrian had already turned toward Aiden's bed near the window. He was shaking off the last remnants of sleep, muttering, "I'll get him. We might need to go straight to a professor."

He reached Aiden's bed and stopped.

The air seemed to still.

"Adrian?" Sevan asked.

Adrian didn't answer.

Sevan walked closer. Adrian was standing like a statue, staring at the empty mattress with eyes wide in disbelief.

"What is it?" Sevan asked, stepping past him, then froze.

Aiden's bed was empty.

The sheets were half-kicked aside, the pillow barely touched. The window next to his bed was cracked open, the curtains fluttering like whispers. The cold night air slipped in through the gap, and with it… the realization.

Aiden was gone.

"Shit... shit shit shit," Adrian muttered under his breath, reaching for his leather jacket. "He followed her. Of course he did. He must've heard her or something."

"Wait," Sevan said, blocking the door as Adrian moved to leave. "We don't even know where she went Or where they went. You'll just run out there blind?"

Adrian's jaw clenched. "Better than doing nothing."

"We're not doing nothing. We're going to figure this out smartly," Sevan shot back. "Running into the dark isn't going to help either of them."

Adrian looked like he was about to argue, but then he took a breath and relented, shoving his jacket on with a sharp tug.

"Ten minutes," he said coldly. "Then I'm going, with or without you."

Sevan nodded.

The five of them stepped into the hallway, where the atmosphere was already changing. Doors were creaking open, and other students were poking their heads out. Whispers traveled like smoke.

The common room was glowing with candlelight now, with the students gathered in their sleepwear, worry scrawled across their faces.

As they entered the common room, Sevan noticed how pale Ivara still looked. She was wringing the fabric of her nightshirt, eyes darting around the room like she was hoping Amihan would simply appear.

"She was crying," Ivara whispered, almost to herself. "She was crying earlier, when the Trials got canceled and when... when Emmeranne ran. I should've checked on her again. I should've-"

"Don't," Sevan said gently. "It's not your fault."

"I should've-" she stopped, a sob cutting off her sentence.

Morrigan stayed close, placing a hand on her back. "We'll find them. We will."

Adrian, standing near the edge of the fireplace's light, was staring at the open window that overlooked the cliffside in the distance. He didn't say a word, but his eyes were narrowed, mind racing with possibilities.

Sevan looked around at the room full of tense faces, then back to his friends.

A horrible chill swept through the room, making the candles flicker violently.

Somewhere outside, the wind howled.

The first years had gathered in the common room in a tight circle, some still half-asleep in pajamas and house robes, others fully alert, adrenaline chasing away any lingering drowsiness. Candles floated gently overhead, casting uneven glows across pale faces.

"Did anyone hear something earlier?"

"Maybe a door creaking? Or wind?"

"I thought I heard footsteps down the hall, but I thought I was dreaming."

"No one saw them leave?"

Everyone was looking at one another, searching for clues in each other's faces as if someone might suddenly remember something useful. But it was all fragments- speculation and mounting panic.

Shiloh, standing near the stairs in an eye-wateringly bright pair of gold silk robes with embroidered moons and suns, rolled his eyes.

"Gods above," he muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. "All of you look like wet puppies. Just stay put, would you? We don't need more of you sneaking out and getting yourselves killed."

Adrian turned sharply, voice cold and biting. "Two of our classmates are gone, Shiloh."

"And it's their fault," he said with a shrug, as if that settled everything. "They were stupid enough to sneak out. And now what? We're all supposed to go play hero because they made a dumb decision? Get real."

He stepped past the crowd, brushing through the group like they were weeds in his way. "Enjoy your little group panic session," he called over his shoulder, "but I value my sleep. Unlike some people."

And with that, he disappeared back into the boys' corridor, grumbling something about "cocky people with a death wish" and "lack of sleep being a war crime."

The moment he was gone, tension spiked again. Some students looked like they wanted to follow him, while others looked ready to throw their shoes after him.

Meanwhile, in the corner of the common room, Ammonn had pulled Morrigan into his arms. She had tried to keep it together, tried to be strong, but now that she had nothing left to do but wait, the tears finally came. Her shoulders trembled against his chest as he whispered quiet reassurances into her hair.

"They'll be okay," he said. "They'll come back."

"They have to," Morrigan choked, clutching the back of his shirt. "She wouldn't just vanish. Not like this."

Ivara sat slumped on the couch, head bowed, trying her best to breathe evenly. Sevan sat beside her, his hand drawing slow, calming circles across her back as if grounding her through the motion alone. Hanako had knelt in front of Ivara and was gently massaging her tense fingers, trying to coax the rigidity from her hands with soothing pressure.

"We'll find them," Sevan murmured. "We'll get them back."

Adrian had had enough. The moment Shiloh disappeared behind the door with his careless words still echoing, Adrian's patience snapped like a frayed wire. He pushed off from the wall, eyes dark with frustration, and stormed out of the common room.

"Adrian- wait!" Jarek called after him, lunging forward to grab his arm.

But Adrian shrugged him off. "I'm done waiting around."

Before Jarek could argue again, Adrian had already thrown open the outer door and stepped into the hall.

It was nearly three in the morning, and the corridors of the dorm wing were quiet, save for the soft flicker of enchanted lamps along the walls. Just as he rounded the corner, he nearly collided with Professor Pippa. Her expression immediately turned from annoyance to stern reprimand.

"Mr. Caleena!" she barked, stopping short in front of him. "What in Soleil's name are you doing out at this hour? You're breaking curfew-"

"We have a really sticky situation, professor," Adrian said quickly. "Aiden and Amihan. They're gone. They left the dorms. No one's seen them."

Professor Pippa's mouth opened to scold him again, but froze mid-breath. Her face went pale.

"They what?"

"I'm telling you- they're missing. They're not in the dorms. Amihan left earlier, and Aiden probably followed her. I don't know how long ago. But something's wrong, Professor."

Pippa stared at him for a second too long. Then her expression snapped to urgency.

"Stay here," she said sharply. "Do not move, Mr. Caleena. I'm calling the Headmaster."

And before Adrian could get another word in, she whirled around and bolted down the hallway, the hem of her robes snapping behind her.

Adrian watched her go, then turned back to the common room, only to hear a click behind him. He sprinted back and grabbed the handle just as the door sealed shut with a shimmer of violet magic.

He twisted the knob and yanked it, slamming his shoulder into the wood.

"Damn it," he hissed.

The door wouldn't budge.

"Professor Pippa sealed it?" Jarek said, stunned, as he caught up behind him.

Adrian nodded grimly, pressing his ear against the door. The inside was silent now, the muffled murmurs of their classmates completely blocked. "She must have locked us in to keep us 'safe.'"

"She underestimates us," Sevan said, appearing at his side now with his arms crossed. "She thinks a sealed door is enough to hold us back?"

Hanako joined them, holding a small charm between her fingers.

"We could disrupt the magic if we time it with a spell surge. It's woven into the dorm's protection runes, but there are weak points. Especially during a time like this."

Adrian turned to them with that familiar glint in his eye- the kind that only came when trouble was brewing. "Then let's find the weakest point."