Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series-Chapter 127: Sevan vs Shiloh [3]

The Mirage Field was chaos. Water surged and twisted in elegant arcs as Sevan fought to maintain control, but Shiloh's magic wasn't something easily overcome.

The air was thick with shimmering illusions, cards flickering in and out of existence, making it nearly impossible to tell what was real and what was deception.

Shiloh was relentless, his grin wide as he flicked another card into the air.

It glowed with an ominous light before vanishing, only to reappear behind Sevan. Before he could react, the card exploded in a burst of concussive force, sending him staggering forward.

Aiden tensed from where he stood in the crowd, watching as Sevan barely managed to stay on his feet. Shiloh was pressing the advantage now, and it was starting to show.

"You're slipping," Shiloh taunted, tossing another card. This one split into five mid-air, surrounding Sevan in a whirlwind of glowing symbols.

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Sevan clenched his jaw, his fingers twitching at his side. The water around him rippled unnaturally, shifting in the air as he calculated his next move.

Aiden's grip on the railing tightened that Adrian peered at his friend with concern for the railings. Sevan was ranked fifth, but this was different. Shiloh wasn't just another opponent- he was the second strongest in their entire year.

Aiden hated to admit it, but Shiloh is a different breed when it comes to magic. It seems that he must've been trained a lot by his parents.

"Is this it?" Shiloh's voice rang out as the illusionary cards began to converge. "You should've just forfeited, you know? Would've saved you the humiliation."

Sevan didn't respond. Instead, he took a sharp breath. The water around him stilled.

Then, it moved.

All at once, the controlled swirl of liquid collapsed inwards, forming a dense sphere in his palm.

Aiden recognized the technique instantly.

Sevan had spent the last night perfecting it. A spear.

Shiloh's grin faltered just slightly.

"Water Spear," Sevan muttered, and with a single motion, he lunged forward, the spear cutting through the illusions like they were nothing.

The change in momentum was sudden. Shiloh barely managed to step back as the tip of the water spear slashed across his shoulder, his coat splitting from the force. He stumbled, his hand automatically reaching for another card.

But Shiloh was too late as Sevan twisted his wrist, sending another surge of water cascading forward. It slammed into Shiloh's chest, knocking him off balance and straight onto the ground.

The crowd erupted.

Aiden exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Sevan had caught up.

But as Shiloh pushed himself back up, his expression had changed. His usual playful arrogance was still there, but beneath it, something sharper gleamed.

Something predatory.

Sevan was close- so close to winning that Aiden could feel the tension crackling in the air like a live wire. The water spear in Sevan's grip pulsed with power, poised for the final strike.

Shiloh was on the defensive now, his playful arrogance dimming into something more serious as he dodged and weaved through Sevan's relentless attacks.

Aiden could tell that Sevan had adjusted, learned the patterns of Shiloh's illusions. His attacks were sharper now, aimed with precision rather than raw force. Shiloh's tricks weren't working as well anymore.

The crowd had sensed the shift too. The once-loud jeering from those who expected an easy win for the second strongest had turned into murmurs, some even whispering that Sevan might just pull off an upset.

Shiloh clicked his tongue, flipping a single card between his fingers before tossing it forward. But Sevan had seen this trick before. With a swift flick of his wrist, his water magic shot forward, dousing the card mid-air before it could even activate.

Shiloh barely avoided the next strike as Sevan's water spear whirled toward him, cutting through his coat. He staggered back, breathing heavily, his stance less composed than before.

Then, he smirked.

"Damn, you actually had me there," he mused, stretching his fingers. "Almost."

Something about the way he said it made Aiden's stomach twist.

Sevan didn't waste time. He lunged forward, spear raised for the final hit...

...and then he froze.

For a split second, it looked like something invisible stopped him mid-motion. His legs locked, his grip on the spear trembled, and his entire body hesitated at the worst possible moment.

Aiden's eyes widened. What the hell-

That hesitation was all Shiloh needed. In an instant, he tossed another card, this time striking Sevan dead center in the chest. A sudden force yanked Sevan backward, sending him sprawling onto the ground with a harsh thud.

The audience erupted in a mix of cheers and gasps.

Sevan's breathing was heavy, his eyes darting in confusion. He tried to push himself up, but by then, Shiloh was already standing over him, card poised.

"Too bad," Shiloh said lightly, tilting his head. "You were this close, y'know?"

The announcer's voice rang out across the Mirage Field.

"Shiloh Spadille wins!"

The crowd roared.

Aiden's expression darkened. That hesitation... there was no way it was natural. Shiloh must have pulled some old trick, something subtle enough to not be outright disqualification-worthy, but just enough to tip the scales back in his favor.

And judging by the way Shiloh's smirk lingered as he extended a hand to help Sevan up, he knew exactly what he had done.

Adrian was muttering curses under his breath, his arms crossed tightly as he glared down at the field.

"That smug bastard," he grumbled, just loud enough for Aiden and Rupert to hear. "He pulled something. I saw it."

Aiden didn't respond right away, still watching as Sevan slapped away Shiloh's offered hand and got up on his own.

His expression was carefully neutral, but Aiden could see the tension in his shoulders and the stiffness in his stance.

He saw Sevan said something to Shiloh, smirking as he passed by him. Shiloh's expression changed and his hands tensed as he held on to his deck of cards.

Jarek let out a low whistle beside them. "Damn. That was dirty. Not enough to call a real foul, but still dirty."

Rupert watched Sevan make his way off the Mirage Field.

"Shiloh's always been like that. He's second strongest for a reason. He doesn't just rely on power, he knows how to make sure the odds are in his favor. Even if he has to bend the rules a little."

Aiden exhaled slowly. He wasn't surprised, but it still pissed him off.

"Cheating bastard," Adrian muttered again. His fingers twitched like he wanted to throw his dagger straight at Shiloh's head.

Aiden couldn't blame him. He probably would have enchanted the dagger to be scorching hot.

Sevan stormed off the Mirage Field, his jaw tight, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Aiden and Adrian pushed through the crowd to meet him, with Jarek and Rupert close behind.

"That was complete bullshit," Adrian snapped as soon as they reached him. "He cheated."

"Yeah. I know."

Aiden glanced back at the field, where Shiloh was grinning, basking in the applause. He fought the urge to march over and wipe that smug look off his face.

"Are you okay?" Rupert asked, watching Sevan closely.

Sevan let out a slow exhale, his fingers flexing. "I should've been ready for that," he admitted. "I knew he'd try something."

"But you had him," Jarek said, shaking his head. "Right before he pulled that last trick, you were winning."

Sevan didn't answer right away. His eyes flickered to Aiden, then Adrian, then back toward the Mirage Field where Shiloh was still enjoying his victory. "Doesn't matter," he finally said. "I lost."

"Not really."

Sevan gave a short, humorless chuckle. "The scoreboard says otherwise."

Aiden didn't like the look in Sevan's eyes. It wasn't anger, and it wasn't frustration. It was disappointment. Not in Shiloh for cheating, but in himself.

Before he could say anything, a voice spoke behind them.

"That was unfortunate."

Aiden stiffened immediately. He turned to see Emmeranne standing there, her eyes locked onto Sevan. She was alone, as she had been before.

Sevan met her gaze, his own guarded. "Yeah. It was."

Emmeranne tilted her head slightly. "You hesitated at the end."

Sevan blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

She didn't repeat herself. Instead, she turned her gaze to Aiden. "You and Adrian have also lost."

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder." Aiden scoffed.

"I'm not mocking you," she said, her voice as flat as ever. "I'm making an observation."

"Why are you here?" Aiden asked.

Emmeranne blinked slowly, as if the question was foreign to her. "Should I not be?"

Aiden felt the weight of her stare.

Adrian scoffed, rubbing a hand down his face. "Great. First I lost to a cheating bastard, then Sevan lost to a cheating bastart, and now we've got the top first-year analyzing our failures like we're some kind of case study."

"I'm not analyzing," Emmeranne replied. "I'm stating facts."

Sevan let out a sharp exhale, rolling his shoulders. "And what do you want us to do with those facts?"

"Get stronger."

Aiden narrowed his eyes. "And why do you care? Stop bothering us if you're going to say something insensitive."

She finally looked at him, her dull brown eyes meeting his. "I don't."

"Then why are we having this conversation?"

Emmeranne didn't answer right away. Instead, she shifted her attention back to Sevan. "You hesitated," she repeated. "That's why you lost."

"You had him," she continued. "And yet, at the last moment, you pulled back."

Sevan's jaw tightened. "You think I let him win?"

"No. I think you doubted yourself."

That hit harder than anything Shiloh had thrown at him.

Sevan's fingers curled at his sides, but he didn't argue.

Aiden wasn't sure what to make of all this. Emmeranne wasn't the type to offer unsolicited advice. She barely spoke at all. But here she was, standing before them after watching both of their fights, dissecting Sevan's loss like it actually meant something to her.

Or maybe it didn't. Maybe she was just telling the truth, and the truth happened to sting.

Adrian huffed. "Okay, great. We suck, we hesitated, we lost. Anything else?"

Emmeranne stared at him for a moment, then turned on her heel. "No."

She walked off without another word, disappearing into the thinning crowd.

The silence between them lingered before Jarek finally let out a low whistle. "I'm not sure if that was her way of motivating you guys or just kicking you while you're down."

"She's rather blunt," Rupert said.

Adrian groaned.

"That was the most painful pep talk I've ever had."

Aiden looked at Sevan, who was still staring at the spot Emmeranne had left. "You good?"

Sevan inhaled slowly, then let it out. "Yeah. Just thinking."

Adrian grumbled. "Don't think too hard. We still have to figure out how to help Aiden not suck tomorrow."

Aiden wasn't sure if that was possible especially if the two resorted to cheating their way in.