Rae van Daleon – The Roots of the Storm
by Lea von Löwenstein
Chapter 3: Lessons Begin
The bell echoed through the vast corridors of the Scola, summoning the novices to their first lesson. Rae followed the crowd into a high-ceilinged room, its walls adorned with carved symbols of the Imperium. The air was thick with the scent of old parchment, ink, and machine oil. In the center of the room stood a long row of metal consoles, softly humming in the pale light.
A man in a plain yet intimidating uniform entered the room. His posture was rigid, his gaze cold and unyielding. “Instructor Parval,” he introduced himself, his voice sharp as a blade. “You are here to learn. But above all, you are here to obey. In this Scola, there are no excuses, no mercy, and no room for weakness.”
His eyes swept over the novices, pausing briefly on Rae. She met his gaze without flinching, her expression steady, as Parval continued with a curt nod.
“Today, we begin with tactics and strategy—the foundation of any successful campaign. You will fail, you will lose, and perhaps the Emperor will forgive you one day. But until then, I will make you into fighters.”
Rae sat at one of the workstations and examined the console in front of her. The screen displayed a holographic battlefield with basic units and movement patterns. It was a training scenario, a simulation. Her fingers moved across the interface, exploring the options and starting to position her units.
Beside her, Alric cursed under his breath as he struggled to coordinate his forces. Celestine worked quietly and methodically, while Marcus was deeply engrossed in analyzing tactics. Rae could feel the growing concentration in the room as the novices began to tackle the challenges.
Not everyone, however, was as focused. In the back corner of the room, a group of older students, led by the boy who had harassed them during breakfast, began to chatter. Their quiet laughter was provocative enough to draw the instructor’s attention.
“You there in the back!” Parval’s voice sliced through the room. “Do you think this is a game?”
The leader shrugged, his expression arrogant. “We already know how to win,” he said with a smug grin.
Parval approached, his movements deliberate and intimidating. “Show us,” he demanded. “If you are so confident that you are above us, take control of the simulation.”
The leader stepped forward as the others watched intently. Rae returned her focus to her console but kept him in her peripheral vision. His movements were confident, his strategy aggressive—but predictable. She could see that he had overestimated himself and would lose within minutes.
When the simulation abruptly ended with the screen flashing “Defeat,” an icy silence filled the room. Parval’s face betrayed no emotion. “The Imperium has no place for arrogance,” he said coolly. “Sit down. Learn.”
Experiments in the Dark
The lesson ended, but Rae couldn’t leave the room without sensing the tension lingering in the air. The power dynamics among the novices were clear: in the weeks to come, they would be tested again and again. But this wasn’t the only thing occupying Rae’s mind.
Later, after dinner, she found a small note tucked into her locker. Written on simple parchment, it bore only one line: “Meet in the north corridor, third level, after the last bell.”
Rae frowned, considering whether to ignore the message. But curiosity got the better of her. After the final bell, as the Scola was shrouded in darkness, she quietly made her way through the corridors. The north corridor was dim and deserted, shadows dancing on the walls like living beings.
In a small alcove, Tyren waited, holding a peculiar device made of wires and lenses. “You came,” he said without looking up.
“What are you doing here?” Rae asked quietly.
“Investigating,” Tyren replied curtly. “There are things they don’t want to teach us here. But I’ve discovered that some of the machines in the Scola have access to… special data.”
Rae watched silently as he activated the device. A faint hum filled the air, and suddenly, the lens projected a holographic image. It displayed plans far beyond their standard lessons—battle strategies, technological blueprints, and encrypted messages.
“This isn’t part of the normal curriculum,” Tyren said with a sly grin. “But if we know more than the others, we’ll have an advantage.”
Rae felt a mix of curiosity and caution. Tyren was playing a dangerous game, but she couldn’t deny how fascinating his methods were. “Why are you showing me this?”
“Because you’re different,” Tyren said, meeting her gaze directly. “I need someone who understands that knowledge is power. And I think you understand that.”
Rae nodded slowly. “I’m in,” she said finally. But in the back of her mind, she knew that this new alliance was as risky as anything else in the Scola.
In the darkness, something new began—a quiet experiment, one with both great potential and immense danger.
