Rae van Daleon – The Roots of the Storm
by Lea von Löwenstein
Chapter 19: Shadows of the Day
The morning bell rang through the halls of the Scola, its metallic toll carrying a foreboding weight. Rae sat on the edge of her bunk, her mind still clouded by the events of the previous night and the mission she had planned for tonight. Around her, the others moved silently, their usual camaraderie replaced by a heavy tension.
“Another day,” Tyren muttered, slinging his satchel over his shoulder. “I wonder what surprises the instructors have for us this time.”
“Let’s move,” Rae said curtly. She didn’t want to linger in the quiet too long; the weight of their unspoken fears was already suffocating.
The Morning Drill: Harder Than Before
The first session of the day was a grueling combat drill in the training hall. The instructors seemed harsher than usual, their commands sharper, their expectations unrelenting. Rae’s team was pitted against other groups in a series of sparring matches, designed to test their endurance and strategy.
“Keep moving, Novice!” Instructor Parval barked as Rae dodged a flurry of blows from her opponent. “Hesitation is death!”
Rae’s muscles burned as she countered, her blade deflecting her opponent’s strikes with precision. Across the room, Celestine was locked in a fierce duel, her movements sharp and calculated. Marcus held the line against two attackers at once, his size and strength keeping them at bay. Tyren, though less skilled in direct combat, used his agility to outmaneuver his opponent, landing a decisive strike.
But it was Soren who caught Rae’s attention. He was struggling, his opponent pressing him hard. Rae clenched her jaw as she watched him falter, narrowly avoiding a strike that would have ended the match.
“Focus, Soren!” she called, her voice cutting through the noise.
Soren glanced at her, his face pale but determined. He adjusted his stance and managed to deflect the next attack, but his movements were shaky, unsteady.
When the drill ended, Instructor Parval stalked through the rows of exhausted novices, his piercing gaze falling on Soren. “If you can’t keep up, you’re a liability,” he said coldly. “Fix it, or you’ll drag your team down.”
Rae felt a spark of anger flare in her chest but forced herself to stay silent. Soren didn’t need her defending him now—he needed to find his own strength.
The Midday Lecture: A Lesson in Shadows
The day’s lecture was held in a dimly lit hall, the air heavy with the scent of old stone and rusted metal. A senior instructor stood at the front, his voice low but commanding as he spoke about the dangers of overconfidence and the value of subtlety in war.
“The enemy will always be watching,” he said, his gaze sweeping over the room. “But the most dangerous enemies are the ones you cannot see. Learn to move unseen, to strike without being noticed, and you will survive. Fail to do so, and you will not.”
Rae couldn’t help but feel the words were directed at her. Her mind drifted to the depths of the Scola, to the shadows she would face again that night. The instructors knew more than they let on—of that, she was certain.
When the lecture ended, she lingered behind, her eyes scanning the faded maps displayed on the walls. They depicted the known sections of the Scola, but Rae’s gaze was drawn to the faint outlines of unexplored areas. The lower levels. The shadows that hid Talia’s fate.
“Looking for something, Novice?” a voice said behind her.
Rae turned to see Instructor Ren watching her, her expression unreadable.
“Just studying the maps, Instructor,” Rae replied evenly.
Ren’s gaze lingered for a moment before she nodded. “Good. You’ll need to know them well if you want to survive.”
The words sent a chill down Rae’s spine, but she kept her face neutral as she left the hall.
Afternoon Training: The Watchful Eyes
The final session of the day was a group exercise in strategy and coordination. Rae’s team was tasked with defending a position against a simulated enemy force, while the instructors and other novices watched from the sidelines.
“Stay tight,” Rae instructed as they took their positions. “Marcus, hold the center. Tyren, monitor their movements. Celestine, take the high ground. Soren, stick with Marcus and cover his blind spots.”
The exercise began, and the simulated enemy forces moved in with precision. Rae’s team worked as a unit, their training evident in their coordinated movements. Marcus held the line with brute strength, while Celestine picked off targets from above. Tyren’s intel kept them one step ahead, and even Soren managed to hold his ground, his confidence slowly building.
But Rae felt the weight of eyes on her—watching, judging. She glanced toward the instructors and noticed Varren among the observers, his arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face. He wasn’t just watching the exercise—he was watching her.
When the exercise ended, Rae’s team emerged victorious, but the unease lingered. As they left the training area, Varren’s voice reached her ears.
“Careful, Rae,” he said, his tone mocking. “You’re climbing too high. It’s a long fall.”
Rae didn’t respond, but her jaw tightened. She knew Varren wasn’t just making idle threats. He knew something—or suspected it.
The Evening’s Quiet Resolve
By the time the day ended, Rae and her team returned to their chamber, their bodies exhausted but their minds restless. The shadows of the day had left their mark, and Rae could feel the weight of her upcoming mission pressing down on her.
As the others settled in, Rae pulled Tyren aside. “Are the patrol logs updated?”
“Yeah,” Tyren said, his voice low. “I’ve marked the quietest routes. But you know as well as I do that nothing’s guaranteed.”
“I know,” Rae replied. “But it’s a start.”
Celestine approached them, her arms crossed. “You’re still going, aren’t you?”
Rae nodded. “I have to. Tonight is our best chance to learn more.”
Celestine sighed, her frustration evident. “Just… don’t get yourself killed. We need you.”
“I’ll be careful,” Rae promised. “And I’ll come back.”
As the group prepared for lights out, the weight of the day lingered in the air. The Scola’s shadows were growing darker, and Rae knew that tonight’s mission would bring her closer to the truth—or deeper into the danger that awaited them all.
