Rae van Daleon – The Roots of the Storm
by Lea von Löwenstein
Chapter 33: The Bloodstained Door
The oppressive air of the labyrinth deepened as the group pressed forward. The flickering glow of the stormtroopers’ flamers revealed more of the warped, pulsating walls. Whispers grew louder, sometimes forming fragments of voices, calling out in tones that were both seductive and horrifying. The shadows seemed alive, writhing and coiling at the edges of their vision.
Rae moved ahead, her steps precise and silent, the Inquisitor following close behind with her sword at the ready. Tyren’s cogitator hummed faintly in the background, its screen flickering as it tracked the chaotic energy spikes surrounding them.
“This place is getting worse,” Tyren muttered over their hidden comms. “The energy is… unstable. It’s building toward something.”
“Focus,” Rae whispered back. “We need to keep moving.”
Then they saw it.
At the end of the corridor stood a massive door, its surface covered in pulsating Chaos symbols etched deeply into the metal. The air around it seemed to shimmer, warping the light into twisted shapes. Dark, dried blood stained the edges of the door, streaking down the walls like grotesque veins. A faint, metallic scent hung in the air, mixed with the acrid tang of decay.
Rae stopped, raising her hand to signal the group. Kael stepped forward, her sharp eyes narrowing as she studied the door.
“This is it,” Rae said, her voice low. “Whatever they’re hiding, it’s behind that door.”
The Investigation
Kael gestured for her stormtroopers to spread out, their weapons trained on the door and the surrounding shadows. She stepped closer, her power sword humming faintly as she examined the pulsating runes.
“These markings,” Kael said, her voice cold and analytical. “They’re protective glyphs. Designed to keep something in—or out.”
“Judging by the blood, I’d say both,” Celestine muttered from the shadows, her tone grim.
Rae moved closer, her flashlight illuminating the grotesque carvings. “The cultists must have performed their rituals here. The blood—”
“—is fresh,” Kael finished, her expression hardening. “Whatever they were doing, it’s still active.”
Tyren approached cautiously, his cogitator buzzing with increased activity. “I’m picking up massive energy surges behind the door,” he said. “It’s unstable, like it’s barely holding together.”
Kael turned to Rae, her eyes sharp. “You’ve been in these tunnels before. Have you seen anything like this?”
Rae shook her head. “No. But this… this feels different. Like it’s alive.”
A Difficult Decision
Kael straightened, her voice commanding. “This door must be breached. Whatever lies beyond is the source of this corruption.”
Rae hesitated. “If we open that door, we could unleash whatever’s behind it. We need to be sure we’re ready.”
Kael turned to her stormtroopers, her tone unyielding. “We are the Emperor’s judgment. Whatever lies beyond this door will be purged in His name. The question is not whether we are ready—the question is whether it is.”
Rae exchanged a glance with her team, the weight of the moment pressing down on them. Celestine stepped closer, her voice low. “We need a plan. If that thing gets out—”
“It won’t,” Kael interrupted. “Because we will destroy it before it has the chance.”
“Bold,” Marcus muttered under his breath. “Let’s hope she’s right.”
Preparing for the Breach
The stormtroopers began setting up melta charges along the edges of the door, their movements quick and efficient. Rae and her team stayed close, their weapons ready, their eyes scanning the flickering shadows for any sign of movement.
Soren’s voice trembled as he whispered, “Do you think… do you think we’ll survive this?”
Rae turned to him, her expression steady. “We have to. For Talia. For everyone.”
Kael approached Rae, her voice low but firm. “When that door opens, the Warp will surge. You and your team are to stay in the shadows, unseen. Your skills will be needed to flank any threats. Do you understand?”
Rae nodded. “We’ll do our part.”
“Good,” Kael said. “The Emperor protects.”
Rae’s voice was barely audible as she responded. “Let’s hope so.”
The Door Opens
The melta charges hissed, their energy building to a blinding crescendo. Rae and her team retreated to the shadows, their breaths held as the stormtroopers stepped back. With a deafening boom, the charges detonated, and the door crumpled inward, molten metal dripping onto the floor.
A wave of cold air rushed out, carrying with it the stench of death and corruption. The whispers grew louder, more distinct, forming a cacophony of voices that clawed at their minds.
Kael stepped forward, her power sword igniting with a bright, holy glow. “Move in!” she commanded, her stormtroopers advancing in formation.
Rae followed at a distance, her team melting into the shadows like ghosts. The chamber beyond was vast and suffocating, its walls covered in pulsating runes that glowed with a sickly light. In the center of the room stood an altar, surrounded by piles of bones and twisted metal. Blood pooled on the floor, feeding into grooves that formed a massive, glowing sigil.
And above the altar, a tear in reality shimmered—a swirling vortex of darkness and fire, barely contained by the glyphs etched into the floor.
“This is it,” Kael said, her voice reverent and grim. “The heart of the corruption.”
Rae’s heart pounded as she scanned the chamber, her instincts screaming that they weren’t alone. She tightened her grip on her blade, her voice steady but low. “What now?”
Kael raised her sword, her eyes blazing with righteous fury. “Now, we cleanse it with fire.”
But even as the Inquisitor spoke, the shadows in the room began to shift. Something moved within the darkness—something watching, waiting.
And then, the first growl echoed through the chamber.
