Rae van Daleon – The Roots of the Storm
by Lea von Löwenstein
Chapter 15: The Missing Novice
The morning bell tolled, its sharp, metallic clang cutting through the silence of the dormitories. Rae rubbed her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her mind already focused on the day ahead. The rest of the team stirred around her, each moving with the slow deliberation of people who had barely rested.
“Let’s move,” Rae said, her voice firm. “Breakfast won’t wait.”
The group filed out into the cold, dimly lit halls, blending into the stream of other novices heading to the mess hall. The atmosphere was the same as always—tired voices murmured, trays clanged, and the metallic scent of unappealing porridge filled the air. Yet something felt… different. Rae couldn’t place it, but the tension in the air was palpable.
The Empty Seat
As Rae and her team took their usual spot, Alric appeared with his tray and plopped down beside them. His ever-present grin faltered as he scanned the room.
“Where’s Talia?” he asked, his tone unusually serious.
Rae looked up from her bowl. “Talia?”
Alric nodded toward a table at the far end of the hall, where a small group of novices from their class usually sat. One of the chairs was conspicuously empty. “She always sits there. I haven’t seen her all morning.”
Rae’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the room. Talia was a quiet, unassuming girl, known more for her meticulous notes in strategy sessions than for standing out in any other way. She had no known enemies, no rivalries—there was no reason for her to be absent.
“Maybe she’s sick,” Tyren offered, though his voice lacked conviction.
“Unlikely,” Celestine said, her sharp gaze flicking to Rae. “The instructors don’t tolerate absences. If she were ill, they’d have her dragged out of bed.”
Marcus leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Then where is she?”
Unease Grows
The morning training session felt heavier than usual. Rae couldn’t shake the gnawing sense that something was wrong. The instructors gave no explanation for Talia’s absence, treating it as though it were a non-event. Yet the other novices were quieter than usual, their gazes flicking toward Talia’s empty seat in the lecture hall.
As the instructor droned on about advanced flanking maneuvers, Rae leaned closer to Celestine. “Have you heard anything?”
Celestine shook her head, her voice a whisper. “No. But I don’t like this. Novices don’t just disappear.”
When the lecture ended, Rae lingered behind, waiting until the room had mostly cleared out. She approached one of the junior instructors, a stern-faced woman with a no-nonsense demeanor.
“Excuse me, Instructor Ren,” Rae began, keeping her tone neutral. “I noticed Talia wasn’t present this morning. Is she alright?”
Ren’s eyes flicked to Rae, her expression unreadable. “Talia’s absence is none of your concern. Focus on your own progress.”
Rae opened her mouth to press further, but the sharp edge in Ren’s gaze made it clear the conversation was over. She returned to her team, her jaw tight.
“They’re hiding something,” she said quietly.
A Whisper in the Halls
That evening, the group gathered in their hidden chamber, the unease from the day still hanging over them. Tyren’s cogitator hummed softly as he sifted through internal records, searching for any mention of Talia.
“Anything?” Rae asked.
Tyren frowned. “Nothing unusual. Her name’s still listed as active, but there’s no note about her whereabouts. It’s like she just… vanished.”
“Someone must have seen something,” Marcus said, his voice low. “People don’t just disappear without a trace.”
Celestine crossed her arms. “Unless someone made sure they did.”
The words hung heavy in the air. Rae felt a chill run down her spine. She had seen enough during her time in the Scola to know that secrecy and power went hand in hand. Whatever had happened to Talia, it wasn’t an accident.
A Sudden Lead
As the group debated their next steps, a soft knock came at the chamber door. Rae gestured for silence and motioned for Marcus to answer. He opened the door just enough to reveal a young novice—one of Talia’s closest friends. Her face was pale, her hands trembling.
“Can I come in?” she whispered.
Rae nodded, stepping aside to let her in. The girl clutched a crumpled piece of parchment, her eyes darting nervously.
“I… I think something bad has happened,” she stammered. “Talia… she told me something before she disappeared.”
“What did she say?” Rae asked, her voice calm but urgent.
The girl hesitated, then handed Rae the parchment. “She gave me this last night. Said if anything happened to her, I should give it to someone I trust.”
Rae unfolded the parchment, her eyes scanning the hastily scrawled words. The message was brief but chilling:
“The shadows below are not just shadows. If I’m gone, it’s because I went too far. Don’t follow.”
Rae’s hands tightened around the parchment. The shadows below. The depths of the Scola. She looked up at her team, her expression hard.
“We’re not just dealing with a missing novice,” she said. “We’re dealing with whatever’s hiding in the depths. And I think Talia might have found it.”
A New Mission
The group fell silent, the weight of the revelation pressing down on them. Rae folded the parchment carefully and placed it in her pocket.
“This changes everything,” she said. “If Talia went down there, then we need to find out why—and what she found.”
“But if she warned us not to follow—” Soren began, his voice trembling.
“Then we follow carefully,” Rae interrupted, her gaze steady. “This isn’t just about her. It’s about all of us. Whatever’s in those depths, it’s tied to this place—and it’s not going to stop with Talia.”
Celestine nodded, her expression grim. “Then we prepare. No mistakes. No risks we can’t control.”
Marcus crossed his arms. “And if we find trouble?”
“We’ll handle it,” Rae said firmly. “Together.”
The group exchanged determined looks. The shadows of the Scola had taken one of their own, and Rae knew they couldn’t ignore it. The depths were calling, and this time, they wouldn’t wait for answers to come to them—they would go into the shadows and find the truth themselves.
The Day Unfolds
The tension lingered after breakfast. Talia’s absence and the cryptic note had cast a shadow over the group, one that only deepened as the day progressed. Rae’s mind churned with possibilities as they moved from one training session to the next. She was determined to uncover the truth, but she knew they couldn’t act rashly. They needed to stay vigilant, gather information, and prepare.
Morning Training: Building Unity
The first session was a series of tactical drills designed to test teamwork under pressure. Rae’s group was paired against another team in a mock skirmish. The instructors had laid out a maze-like training field, with objectives scattered throughout.
“Same plan as before,” Rae said, crouching behind a makeshift barrier with her team. “Tyren, track movements. Celestine and I will take point. Marcus, hold the line. Soren, stay close to Marcus and adapt as needed.”
The drill began, and chaos erupted. Their opponents were aggressive, moving quickly to claim territory. Rae and Celestine worked in tandem, slipping through narrow passages and striking with precision. Tyren called out enemy positions, his cogitator humming softly as he analyzed the map.
“Soren, watch your left!” Marcus barked as an opponent lunged toward them. Soren reacted just in time, blocking the attack and pushing the enemy back.
The group’s coordination was tight, their movements fluid. When the whistle blew, signaling the end of the drill, they emerged victorious.
Instructor Parval approached, his gaze sharp. “Better,” he said, his tone begrudgingly approving. “But don’t get comfortable. Comfort breeds failure.”
Rae nodded, her face unreadable. She didn’t have time to dwell on Parval’s words—her mind was already on the next step.
Midday Observations: The Watchers
Lunch in the mess hall was subdued. The whispers about Talia’s disappearance had grown louder, though no one dared speak openly. Rae’s team sat together, their usual camaraderie replaced by a quiet intensity.
“They’re watching us,” Celestine murmured, her eyes scanning the room. Rae followed her gaze and saw Varren’s group sitting at a table near the back, their eyes occasionally flicking toward her team.
“They’re curious,” Marcus said, his tone calm but firm. “And they’re waiting for us to make a move.”
“Let them wait,” Rae said. “We don’t give them anything. Not yet.”
Tyren leaned closer, lowering his voice. “I managed to access part of the Scola’s internal logs during the morning session. There’s no official record of Talia’s disappearance, but… there are entries about maintenance in the lower levels. Recent ones.”
Rae’s jaw tightened. The lower levels—the same depths that Talia had mentioned in her note. “They’re covering it up,” she said. “Whatever happened to her, it’s connected to those depths.”
“We can’t just storm down there,” Celestine said, her voice sharp. “Not without a plan.”
“We won’t,” Rae replied. “But we need more information. We’ll observe tonight. No deeper dives, just a reconnaissance mission.”
The group nodded, though the weight of the decision was clear on their faces.
Afternoon Session: Unease in the Air
The final training session of the day was combat-focused, with paired duels to test skill and adaptability. Rae found herself facing an older novice—an experienced fighter with a reputation for ruthlessness.
The duel began, and Rae quickly realized she was outmatched in brute strength. Her opponent pressed forward with relentless strikes, forcing her to rely on speed and precision. She dodged, parried, and countered, her mind calculating every move.
“You’re quick,” her opponent said, smirking. “But you can’t win if you’re always running.”
Rae didn’t respond. Instead, she used his overconfidence against him, baiting him into a reckless attack. With a swift pivot, she swept his legs out from under him and landed a decisive blow to his chest.
The room was silent as the duel ended. Rae offered her opponent a hand, and he took it grudgingly, his smirk replaced by a look of respect.
As she rejoined her team, Celestine raised an eyebrow. “Impressive.”
“Necessary,” Rae said simply.
The Whisper of Shadows
As the day wound down, the group gathered in their chamber to prepare for the evening’s reconnaissance. Tyren had mapped out the maintenance routes from the logs he’d accessed, highlighting potential entry points to the lower levels.
“We’ll stick to the upper maintenance tunnels,” Rae said, her tone firm. “We’re not going deep. This is just to gather intel—routes, patrol patterns, anything that can help us later.”
“And if we find something?” Soren asked, his voice quiet but steady.
“Then we document it and leave,” Rae replied. “No risks we can’t handle.”
The group nodded, their expressions a mix of determination and apprehension. They knew the risks, but they also knew they couldn’t ignore what was happening.
The Night Ahead
As the final bell rang, signaling lights out, the group slipped silently from their chamber. The corridors were dark, the flickering lights casting eerie shadows on the stone walls. Rae led the way, her movements precise and controlled.
The entrance to the maintenance tunnels was hidden behind a rusted panel in a rarely used hallway. Tyren worked quickly to disable the lock, his hands steady despite the tension in the air.
“Got it,” he whispered, and the panel slid open with a low groan.
Rae turned to the group, her voice barely audible. “Stay close. Stay quiet. And remember—this is only the beginning.”
With that, they stepped into the shadows, the door sliding shut behind them. The air was colder here, the silence heavier, and Rae felt the weight of the unknown pressing down on her.
Whatever lay ahead, she knew they had to face it together.
