Chapter 13: The Mana Storm
625 Words
The sky above the Blackwood Tower turned a violent, bruised purple. Lightning, jagged and black, crackled in the clouds. The air was thick with static, making Kaelen's hair stand on end.
The Mana Storm had arrived.
Throughout the Tower, alarms began to wail. The magical lights flickered and died, replaced by the dim, emergency glow of oil lamps. The defensive wards around the building shimmered once, then went dark.
Kaelen moved.
He slipped out of the boiler room and into the stairwell. The air was filled with the shouts of panicked apprentices and the clatter of boots. No one paid attention to a single janitor.
He reached the library. The heavy iron door to the Restricted Section was slightly ajar. The Stone Golem that guarded it stood motionless, its blue eyes dimmed. The Mana Storm had disabled it.
Kaelen didn't hesitate. He slipped inside.
The Restricted Section was dark, lit only by a few candles that burned with a cold, blue flame. The shelves were silent, the floating tomes grounded.
He went straight to the spot where he had found the book on the Vyre larva. He scanned the shelves.
There it was. The Architectural Schematics of Blackwood Tower.
He grabbed it. The chains rattled.
"Going somewhere?"
The voice came from the shadows. The Master Librarian stepped into the light. She looked calm, unruffled by the storm raging outside.
"You," Kaelen said, his voice flat.
"I warned you," the librarian said. She raised her hand. A sphere of crackling blue energy formed, despite the storm. "You are a thief. And thieves must be punished."
Kaelen didn't wait for her to attack. He pulled one of his Mana Disruption Bombs from his belt and threw it at her feet.
POP!
A wave of invisible force expanded outward. The librarian's energy sphere fizzled and died. Her eyes widened in shock.
Kaelen didn't stop. He lunged forward, his mutated arm raised.
The librarian was fast. She dodged, but Kaelen was faster. He grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into a bookshelf. Books crashed down around them.
"Move," Kaelen growled.
The librarian struggled, but Kaelen's grip was like iron. She looked into his eyes—cold, dead, and utterly devoid of mercy.
"Fine," she gasped. "Take it. But you'll never make it out. The Tower is sealed."
Kaelen released her. He grabbed the schematic book and turned to leave.
"Goodbye," he said, without looking back.
He didn't kill her. He didn't need to. Fear was a better deterrent.
He raced out of the library and down the stairs. He reached the ground floor. The main entrance was a bottleneck of guards and panicked civilians.
He didn't go that way.
He found a door marked Maintenance Access. He kicked it open. Inside was a narrow, spiral staircase leading down into darkness.
He followed it.
The stairs ended in a damp, narrow tunnel. The air smelled of sewage and damp earth.
He opened the schematic book. The Alchemic Codex scanned the pages, highlighting a route.
Follow the main sewer line for 500 meters. Turn left at the junction. The exit is behind a false wall, marked with a faded "B" symbol.
He moved quickly, his boots splashing through the filth.
He reached the junction. He turned left.
There it was. A section of the wall that looked different. He pressed his hand against it.
It swung open with a groan of rusty hinges.
Beyond the door was the outside world. The Mana Storm raged, the wind howling and the black lightning illuminating the landscape.
Kaelen stepped out into the storm. He was free.
He looked back at the Blackwood Tower. It stood tall and dark against the purple sky.
He turned and walked away, disappearing into the howling wind.
- Writer
