Rae van Daleon – The Roots of the Storm

by Lea von Löwenstein

Chapter 20: Into the Darkness

The final bell tolled, its echo reverberating through the cold stone halls of the Scola. Rae moved through the corridors like a shadow, her steps silent, her breathing steady. Her team’s concerns echoed in her mind, but she pushed them aside. This was something she had to do, and she had no intention of turning back.

When she reached the rusted panel that led to the lower maintenance tunnels, she paused, taking a deep breath. The air already felt colder, heavier. She slid the panel open and stepped into the darkness, letting it envelop her like a shroud.

The Descent

The tunnels were as silent and foreboding as the night before. The hum of ancient machinery filled the air, its low vibration mingling with the distant sound of dripping water. Rae’s flashlight cut through the darkness, illuminating rusted pipes, faded markings, and the occasional scurry of something small and unseen.

She retraced her steps with precision, following the path she had memorized. The tension in her chest grew heavier with each turn, her muscles coiled like springs. When she reached the bloodstained door, she froze.

The door was massive, reinforced with heavy metal bars that bore the scars of time and violence. Deep scratches marred its surface, and the dark, wet stains across the lower half told a story Rae wasn’t sure she wanted to know. The air here was colder, the metallic tang of blood sharp in her nose.

Her hand moved to the small blade at her side as she approached, her flashlight steady in her other hand. The rhythmic sound she had heard the night before was still there—a soft, guttural growl, layered with a mechanical undertone. It sent a shiver down her spine.

This time, she didn’t hesitate.

Opening the Door

Rae crouched beside the door, her flashlight illuminating a control panel embedded in the wall. The controls were old and rusted, but functional. She studied them for a moment before pressing a series of buttons, the sequence she’d seen on other maintenance doors in the upper levels.

A loud click echoed through the tunnel, and Rae tensed, her blade ready. Slowly, the heavy door creaked open, its hinges groaning like a wounded beast. The growl from behind the door grew louder, more distinct.

As the door swung inward, the flashlight’s beam illuminated the space beyond. Rae’s breath caught in her throat.

What Lies Beyond

The room was massive, far larger than she had anticipated. The walls were lined with ancient machinery, their surfaces covered in strange symbols and pulsating with faint, eerie light. The air was damp and cold, filled with the acrid stench of oil and something far more unsettling—decay.

In the center of the room was a large, circular pit. Its edges were reinforced with jagged metal, and dark liquid pooled at the bottom. Chains hung from the ceiling, their ends disappearing into the darkness below. The growling sound came from within the pit, a low, guttural noise that made Rae’s skin crawl.

As she stepped further into the room, her flashlight swept across the floor, revealing drag marks similar to those she had seen in the corridor. Blood streaked across the metal, leading to the edge of the pit.

Rae knelt by the edge, her heart pounding. She shone her light into the darkness below. At first, she saw nothing. Then, movement—a faint, jerking motion, followed by a soft, wet sound.

And then she saw it.

A hand.

From the maw of the abyss, a grotesque offering emerged. Pale, devoid of life, and smeared with the sticky residue of violence, a hand dangled limply from a chain, the cold metal vanishing into the suffocating darkness of the pit.

The sight was a violation, a desecration that clawed at Rae’s innards, her stomach rebelling with a sickening lurch. But her father’s lessons held firm, a bulwark against the creeping tide of nausea.

She remained rooted, her stance unwavering, as her flashlight’s beam crawled up the length of the chain.

For a fragmented heartbeat, the light caught it – a face, pale as a corpse and contorted in a silent scream of terror. It was a child’s face, hollowed eyes staring into the void, lips drawn back in a ghastly rictus. 

Talia.

The image burned into Rae’s mind, a fleeting glimpse of horror before the shadows reclaimed their prize, leaving Rae alone with the echo of a nightmare and a promise of vengeance.

Talia is death.

The Growling Beast

Before Rae could process what she was seeing, the growl intensified, the sound vibrating through the room. She spun around, her flashlight illuminating the far side of the chamber.

Something moved.

It was massive, its form partially obscured by the shadows. Metal and flesh intertwined in a grotesque fusion, its limbs jerking unnaturally as it moved toward her. Its eyes glowed faintly, red and unblinking, locked onto her with a predatory intensity.

Rae’s instincts screamed at her to run, but her feet refused to move. The creature’s growl deepened, its movements growing more deliberate as it approached.

Finally, her survival instincts took over. She bolted toward the door, her flashlight bouncing wildly in her hand. The creature roared, a sound that echoed through the chamber like thunder.

Deeper Into the Shadows

Rae didn’t stop to close the door behind her. She sprinted down the corridor, her breaths coming in sharp, ragged gasps. She could hear the creature’s heavy steps behind her, the sound of metal scraping against stone.

She turned a corner and ducked into a narrow passage, pressing herself against the wall. Her flashlight flickered, and for a moment, she was plunged into darkness. She forced herself to stay calm, her hand gripping her blade tightly.

The footsteps stopped. The air was thick with tension, every nerve in Rae’s body screaming for her to move, but she stayed still. The creature’s growl rumbled through the tunnel, low and searching.

After what felt like an eternity, the sound of footsteps retreated, fading into the distance. Rae exhaled shakily, her body trembling from the adrenaline.

She knew she couldn’t go back yet. Not with Talia still chained in that pit. Not with whatever that thing was still roaming the depths.

Clenching her jaw, Rae steadied herself. She had come this far, and she wasn’t leaving empty-handed.

Her flashlight flickered back to life, and she moved deeper into the darkness, determined to find another way back to Talia—and to survive whatever else the Scola’s shadows had in store.