The relative calm of the Sorcerai camp was a fragile bubble easily punctured by the grim realities outside. Scavenging runs became essential, not just for food, but for materials, metal scraps for Ferran, salvageable tech components for Boltar, medical supplies for Mireia, and sturdy structural elements for Gravus. These runs were often tense, dangerous affairs, venturing deeper into the unstable ruins.
One evening, under a heavy, bruised sky threatening rain, a run was deemed necessary. Boltar needed specific conductive alloys, believed to be housed in a large manufacturing plant on the western fringe, a structure noted for its relatively intact roof sections. Flareon, Gravus, and Ferran drew the assignment.
They moved through the darkening ruins as the first fat drops of rain began to spot the dusty ground. The factory loomed before them, a colossal structure of steel and ferrocrete, scarred but seemingly more stable than many buildings nearby. Its vast halls were filled with the ghostly shapes of silent machinery, overturned gantries, and scattered debris, illuminated by the ambient twilight filtering through high, grimy windows.
Inside, the air was still and heavy. Flareon summoned a controlled ball of fire, its flickering light casting long shadows across rusted assembly lines and overturned robotic arms.
Ferran observed, his Metal Sorcerai eyes scanning the high trusses overhead.
He pointed towards a section where alloy casings, likely housing sensitive equipment, lay partially buried under fallen ductwork.
Gravus nodded slowly, his Earth Sorcerai senses mapping the floor, the foundations.
Flareon murmured, tracing the letters.
Gravus grunted.
They reached the targeted area, Ferran quickly identifying the specific casings Boltar needed. He began carefully leveraging fallen ductwork aside with controlled applications of his power, the metal groaning softly. Gravus stood watchful, his hands resting lightly on a nearby support pillar, feeling the faint vibrations of the structure. Flareon provided light, occasionally melting small obstructions.
Suddenly, the atmosphere outside changed drastically. The light drizzle became a torrential downpour, hammering against the metal roof with deafening force. Wind began to howl through broken vents and gaps in the walls, creating eerie whistling sounds that echoed through the vast space. A deafening crack of thunder exploded directly overhead, shaking the entire building.
The factory groaned, a deep, protesting sound of stressed metal and shifting foundations. Dust sifted down from the high ceiling.
Ferran shouted over the rising din, glancing upwards uneasily.
As he spoke, a violent crack echoed from high above. This time, it wasn't thunder. Flareon's head snapped up, his firelight illuminating a horrifying sight, a massive section of the reinforced ceiling, battered by the sudden, intense downpour and wind shear, was buckling, tearing away from its supports, threatening to collapse directly onto them.
Gravus roared, acting purely on instinct.
There was no time to run. As tons of ferrocrete and twisted steel began to fall, Gravus slammed his hands onto the factory floor. A thick dome of raw earth, concrete dust, and fragmented stone erupted upwards, meeting the collapsing ceiling section with a deafening crunch. The makeshift shield buckled instantly under the immense weight, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.
Simultaneously, Ferran reacted. With a yell of exertion, he thrust his hands forward. Thick, salvaged girders and support beams lying nearby flew through the air with impossible speed, slamming into place beneath the crumbling earthen dome, screeching as they wedged themselves against the floor and the underside of Gravus's shield, desperately buttressing it against the crushing weight. Sparks showered as metal ground against stone and stressed concrete.
The ground shook violently as the main weight settled onto the combined shield. Gravus gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face, the earthen dome visibly straining, threatening to disintegrate. Ferran's knuckles were white, his focus absolute as he fought to hold the metal supports steady against the immense pressure.
Gravus bellowed, his voice strained.
They didn't hesitate. Scrabbling backwards, dragging the salvaged casings with them, they scrambled out from under the groaning shield just as it began to fracture completely. With a final, terrifying roar, the ceiling section collapsed fully, bringing down more debris in a thunderous cascade that shook the entire factory. They threw themselves flat behind a sturdy piece of machinery as dust and wreckage filled the air.
When the immediate roar subsided, replaced by the settling groan of debris and the relentless drumming of rain, they pushed themselves up, coughing in the thick dust. The area where they had stood moments before was buried under meters of rubble. They had escaped by the narrowest of margins, caught completely off guard by the storm's sudden, brutal intensification.
Ferran stated grimly, wiping rain and dust from his face.
They beat a hasty retreat, plunging back out into the raging storm, leaving the groaning factory to its fate.
Unseen by them, perched precariously on the jagged remains of a neighbouring building's roof high above, a lone figure had watched the entire event unfold. Cloaked and hooded against the driving rain, their silhouette was barely distinguishable against the tempestuous night sky. Lightning flashed, illuminating them for a fraction of a second. The watcher's eyes glowed with the deep, steady luminescence of an Earth Sorcerai. As they turned to depart, currents of wind gathered visibly around them, lifting them effortlessly into the stormy air. They flew away, swallowed by the rain and darkness.