Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series-Chapter 71: Mischief and Mayhem [1]

That night, the academy’s halls were quieter than usual, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.

Three figures slipped through the shadows, moving with careful precision.

Adrian led them with the confidence of someone who had done this before, while Sevan followed with reluctancy. Aiden trailed behind them, his eyes flickering toward every creak and shift of the castle around them.

They had timed it perfectly. The older years and the Holloways had passed through their assigned sections, leaving gaps just long enough for them to move undetected. Adrian had planned it down to the second.

The first stop was one of the restrooms on the second floor. Adrian pulled a karatula stone from his pocket: a strange, polished stone that shimmered slightly in the dim light. He knelt, pressing his fingers against the floor beneath the sink, and whispered something under his breath.

A faint wisp of magic curled around his fingertips, vanishing into the stone before settling.

Sevan watched from behind, arms crossed. "That’s it?" he whispered. "That’s the grand plan?"

Adrian smirked, rising to his feet. "Patience, dear Sevan. You’ll see."

Aiden didn’t say anything, but he glanced at the stone.

They moved quickly, slipping in and out of different sections of the academy, stopping at every restroom along their path. Each time, Adrian placed another stone, murmuring the same quiet incantation. The pattern repeated itself- find the spot, whisper the spell, leave unseen.

By the fourth location, Sevan couldn’t hold back his curiosity. The three of them crouched near the sink in the dimly lit restroom, Adrian flipping through the worn pages of his prank book as Sevan carefully placed the karatula stone beneath the sink.

The faint glow of Aiden’s flame flickered against the tiled walls, casting long shadows that danced with every small movement.

Sevan frowned as he glanced at the book in Adrian’s hands.

He had been skimming through it earlier, but something about the text had been bothering him. Now, as Adrian muttered under his breath, double-checking the instructions, Sevan finally voiced his concern.

"Wait," Sevan said, squinting at the faded script on the pages. "These pranks using the karatula stones- this isn’t in Alab."

Adrian barely glanced up.

"So?"

Sevan gave him a deadpan look. "Sooo that’s the language used in Soleil, and I don’t recognize any of these symbols from any regional dialect. Where did you even get this book?"

At this, Aiden looked up as well, now interested. He hadn’t thought about it before, but Sevan was right. The script wasn’t anything they were familiar with. The letters twisted strangely, like they were trying to shift just out of sight when stared at for too long.

He knew how different it was since Mr. Caleena had taught him the basics of the Alab language.

Adrian, still unbothered, shrugged. "We got it from the library."

There was a pause.

Then Sevan’s expression darkened, his entire body tensing.

"We? Got? You mean... borrowed, right?"

Adrian finally glanced up, then immediately looked back down at his book, pretending to be engrossed in whatever nonsense spell was on the page. "Mhmm."

Sevan narrowed his eyes. "Adrian. Tell me you borrowed it properly."

"Define ’properly.’"

Sevan exploded. "You stole it from the library?!"

Aiden winced, instinctively glancing at the restroom door in case someone had heard. "Sevan, keep your voice down!"

But Sevan was not about to be silenced. "Are you stupid? Do you want to get us expelled? Of all the idiotic things you could’ve done, you thought- ’oh yes, let’s steal from the library, that sounds like a brilliant idea!’"

Adrian held up a hand defensively. "Okay, first of all, I technically didn’t steal it. It was in a pile of books nobody was looking at, so I figured it wasn’t important-"

"That is not how libraries work!" Sevan nearly pulled his own hair out. "You borrow books, you don’t just take them because nobody’s paying attention!"

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine, I’ll put it back when we’re done."

Sevan threw up his hands. "Oh great, sure, we’ll just sneak it back in like nothing happened. You absolute menace."

Aiden, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of it all, put a hand on Sevan’s shoulder. "Look, it’s already done. No point panicking now. We just have to be careful, alright?"

Sevan exhaled sharply through his nose, clearly still furious, but he pinched the bridge of his nose and forced himself to calm down. "I swear, Adrian, if this book gets us in trouble-"

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Adrian smirked. "It won’t. Trust me."

Sevan groaned.

"That’s exactly why I don’t trust you."

Aiden sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. Let’s just finish setting these up before someone catches us for real."

Grumbling under his breath, Sevan turned back to the karatula stone, muttering about reckless idiots and how he’d never let Adrian pick a book again. Meanwhile, Adrian simply looked far too pleased with himself, flipping the page like nothing had happened.

The last restroom they visited was one of the older ones, down a lesser-used corridor near the western wing. The walls were cracked in places, the floor uneven. Adrian took his time here, placing the stone with a little more care than the others.

Aiden and Sevan exchanged a glance but said nothing.

When he was finished, Adrian stepped back, dusting off his hands. "And that, my friends, concludes our little night-time errand."

Sevan exhaled, shaking his head. "You’re going to get us all in trouble."

Adrian only grinned. "Not if we don’t get caught."

Aiden cast one last glance at the stone before they turned and made their way back toward their dormitory.

Tomorrow, they would see the results.

As they slipped out of one of the restrooms, the dim corridor ahead remained empty, the flickering torches casting long shadows against the stone walls. Adrian took the lead, walking with an air of casual confidence, while Sevan followed with his hands in his pockets. Aiden, as usual, trailed behind, glancing over his shoulder every now and then to make sure no one had seen them.

Just as they turned the corner, a Holloway emerged from the intersecting hallway ahead, its ethereal form floating soundlessly toward them.

The creature’s glowing eyes fixed on the three boys, its wispy body shifting slightly as it came to a stop before them.

"Young ones," it said in its deep, echoing voice. "Are you lost?"

Aiden immediately tensed. Sevan stiffened as well, though his face remained carefully neutral. Adrian, however, didn’t even hesitate.

He plastered on his most innocent smile and nodded. "Yes, actually. Very lost."

The Holloway regarded him for a moment before its form pulsed slightly, as if in thought.

"Then I shall guide you back to your quarters."

Sevan shot Adrian a look that screamed Are you serious? but Adrian only gave him a slight smirk before turning back to the Holloway.

"That would be very helpful," he said, his tone polite.

The Holloway floated past them, leading the way through the quiet corridors.

Aiden cast a sideways glance at Adrian, who was walking with a smug ease, completely unfazed by the fact that they had almost been caught.

Sevan, however, leaned toward him and whispered, "You do realize if it had seen what you were actually doing, we’d be in serious trouble, right?"

Adrian only shrugged. "But it didn’t. Besides, we were technically lost."

Aiden sighed but said nothing.

He had to admit, it was better to let the Holloway think they were just wandering around than to risk raising its suspicion by trying to run.

The Holloway guided them through the corridors, its glow reflecting off the stone walls. It moved with an eerie grace, never quite touching the ground, its presence both imposing and strangely reassuring. Eventually, they reached the entrance to their dormitory.

"Here is where you belong," the Holloway intoned. "I trust you will not wander again."

Adrian placed a hand over his chest as if deeply moved.

"Of course not. We truly appreciate your help."

The Holloway’s gaze lingered on them for a moment before it slowly drifted away, disappearing down the corridor.

Once it was gone, Sevan exhaled sharply. "That was way too close."

Adrian just grinned, pushing open the door to their room. "Relax. No harm done."

Aiden shook his head but followed them inside. They had gotten away with it—for now. But tomorrow, whatever Adrian had set in motion would begin. And there was no telling how the academy would react.