Rae van Daleon – The Roots of the Storm

by Lea von Löwenstein

Chapter 24: Retreat

The air in the corridor was thick and stifling as Rae crept through the shadows, her blade still slick with the cultist’s blood. The growls of the monstrous beast echoed faintly behind her, growing softer but no less menacing. She had bought herself time, but she knew it wouldn’t last.

Her every step was measured and silent, her instincts guiding her deeper into the labyrinthine passages of the Scola’s lower levels. The oppressive darkness seemed to pulse around her, alive with unseen eyes, and every scrape of her boots against the stone felt deafening in the silence.

Rae’s mind raced. I need to get back to the surface. To the others. I can’t do this alone.

But the thought of retreat felt like a betrayal. Talia’s face—pale, lifeless, and chained in the pit—burned in her memory. Every step away from that horrific scene felt like a failure.

Signs of Pursuit

The faint growl grew louder, rumbling like distant thunder. Rae froze, pressing herself against the cold stone wall. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she extinguished her flashlight and let the suffocating darkness consume her.

The sound of heavy footsteps approached, slow and deliberate. The beast wasn’t rushing anymore—it was hunting, its massive form moving methodically through the corridor. She could hear its claws scraping against the stone, a sickening metallic screech that set her teeth on edge.

Rae’s muscles tensed, every fiber of her being screaming for her to run, but she held her ground. She knew better than to give away her position. Let it pass. Stay quiet. Stay invisible.

The creature’s shadow loomed over her, its glowing yellow eyes scanning the corridor. It sniffed the air, its guttural growls vibrating through her chest. Rae’s hand tightened on her blade, her heart pounding so loudly she was certain the beast could hear it.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the beast moved on. Its footsteps faded into the distance, and the corridor fell silent once more.

Rae exhaled slowly, her body trembling from the adrenaline. Too close. Too close.

Finding the Exit

Rae navigated the maze of corridors with care, her flashlight flickering back to life to reveal faint markings on the walls—remnants of ancient symbols and paths long forgotten. She followed them, piecing together the route back to the surface, every turn a gamble in the labyrinthine depths.

The oppressive silence weighed heavily on her, broken only by the occasional distant growl or the drip of unseen water. Her thoughts drifted to her team—Celestine, Tyren, Marcus, and Soren—waiting for her above. She needed them now more than ever, and the thought of their faces steeled her resolve.

Finally, she spotted the faint outline of the rusted maintenance door she had entered through. Relief washed over her, but she didn’t let her guard down. The beast could still be nearby, and the cultists were unpredictable.

Rae approached the door cautiously, her blade ready. She pressed her ear against the cold metal, listening for any signs of movement on the other side. The corridor beyond was silent.

The Surface

The rusted panel creaked as Rae pushed it open, the sound echoing like a thunderclap in the quiet corridor. She slipped through, her movements quick and practiced, and slid the panel shut behind her.

The air in the upper corridors was just as cold, but it felt lighter somehow—less oppressive. Rae leaned against the wall, her body trembling from exhaustion. Her blade hung limply in her hand, the weight of the night finally catching up to her.

She didn’t stop moving for long. The journey back to her team’s chamber was quick but cautious. Her footsteps were silent, her senses on high alert for any signs of pursuit.

When she finally reached the chamber, she slipped inside and bolted the door behind her. The others were waiting, their faces tense with worry.

The Reunion

“Rae!” Celestine sprang to her feet, her sharp gaze scanning Rae for injuries. “What happened? You were gone for hours.”

Rae sank onto the nearest cot, her blade clattering to the floor beside her. She didn’t speak immediately, her mind still racing.

Tyren leaned forward, his voice quiet but urgent. “Did you find anything?”

Rae nodded slowly. “I found her. Talia… she’s alive. But she’s chained in a pit. There’s something… something guarding her.”

The group fell silent, the weight of Rae’s words settling over them like a shroud.

“A pit?” Marcus’s voice was steady, but his expression was grim. “What kind of something?”

Rae hesitated, the memory of the beast’s glowing eyes flashing in her mind. “A creature. Twisted. Metal and flesh, fused together. It’s massive, and it’s hunting down there.”

Soren’s face paled. “And the cultists?”

“More of them,” Rae said, her voice hardening. “I dealt with a few, but there are more. They’re worshiping Chaos. They said… they said Talia belongs to the shadows now.”

Celestine cursed under her breath, pacing the room. “We can’t leave her there.”

“We won’t,” Rae said firmly, her gaze meeting each of theirs in turn. “But we can’t go in unprepared. That thing—it’s not something we can face head-on.”

Tyren frowned, his fingers drumming nervously against his cogitator. “We need a plan. Something that keeps us alive and gets her out.”

Rae nodded. “We’ll come up with one. But first, we rest. We’re going to need everything we’ve got.”

„And we need help.“ Celestine said. „Without revealing, what we did.“