In The Shadow Of The Mine Novels & Stories

“But you come back in one piece.” I cupped her cheek briefly, my thumb brushing beneath her eye. “I will.” Ronald gave orders to the guards quickly and we moved out within the hour. We reached the mine’s entrance just before noon. “This place amplifies the dark aura,” Ronald muttered. “No wonder he chose it.” We stepped inside. The deeper we went, the stronger the darkness felt, it was like something was watching from beneath the stone. Faint markings lined the walls. Then we found it.

My workplace knew all about the skeletons in my closet and kept a tight lid on any info about me. To keep my parents from tracking me down, they had spun a yarn about me skipping the country after getting my master's. My parents finally stopped chasing ghosts. They needed cash and had debts to clear, so they hit the pavement looking for any work. However, the past scandal had left a lasting impact, and their rap sheets did not do them any favors. No one would touch them with a ten-foot pole. Before long, on the streets of the town I once called home, an old couple scraped by, living off what they could salvage from the trash.

The sun hung high in the sky, casting a soft, golden hue over the sprawling grounds of New Moon Academy. The castle-like estate loomed majestically, its turrets piercing the clouds, while ivy clung to the stone walls like a protective embrace. Charlie Hale stood at the entrance, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Today marked a new beginning, a chance to leave behind the shadows of her past.

Just the sudden, silent absence of threat. Kael lowered the unconscious man to the ground. He looked at Elira. Her face set in determined lines. She gave a single, sharp nod. The way was clear. The mine entrance was a gaping maw, breathing out air that was cold and heavy with the stink of dampness, rock dust, and something acrid—a chemical tang that clung to the back of the throat. Torches flickered intermittently, casting long, dancing shadows that made the narrow, descending passage feel alive and malevolent.

“We have to go. Now.” They hoisted Nyra between them and pressed forward, deeper into the mine. The air grew colder. The walls were dampened with something darker than water. And then they saw it. Light. Moonlight pouring through a crack ahead. The south corridor. Freedom. Lyra almost cried with relief—until a howl rang out behind them. Dozens of them. The tunnel behind them exploded with sound. Shadows moved. And from the darkness, red eyes appeared — dozens. Riven spun, sword raised. “We’re not alone.”

Much older. We sink to the ground, our breathing ragged, silence settling over us like a suffocating veil. Outside the cave, we hear nothing—only the distant rumble of the earth shifting whenever the wyrm moves. “We’re safe. For now,” Shadow says—but he doesn’t sound convinced. His face is lined with worry. He looks like someone waiting for the next blow to fall. And I... I want to believe him. I need to believe him. But I can’t.

Lucky there’s nothing deep needing stitches. In my grieving and broken state, I begin to feel faint. I let myself go and pass out. Opening my eyes I feel myself transported into another realm. Standing in front of me is my grandmother’s house which stands in front of a looming property which I dare not go near. The “LeFleur” mansion. A place said to belong to my ancestors from centuries ago. A place that continues to haunt my dreams since a child. Something about this place calls to my soul, it pulls me and begs me to return. The house stands in the Normandy countryside. She feels it in the wind and air, she feels it in the depths of the earth, it’s as if a spirit like a piece of me is locke