ShadowBound: The Need For Power-Chapter 581: How To Descend; The Dylan Way

The moment they truly reached the summit, the group slowed to a stop almost instinctively, boots scraping against slick stone as they bent forward to catch their breath. Chests rose and fell hard, steam mingling with the rain as it poured relentlessly from the darkened sky above. For several long seconds, no one spoke. The climb had demanded too much for words to come easily.

Once their breathing steadied just enough, they finally began to lift their heads and take in their surroundings.

They weren’t alone.

Scattered across the summit were clusters of other students, some standing, some crouched low against the wind and rain, all wearing the same exhausted, frustrated expressions. Judging by the way many of them were still shaking out their hands or rolling their shoulders, it was clear they hadn’t reached the peak much earlier than Sheila’s group had. The air carried a shared tension—relief at having made it this far, and dread at what came next.

And among those faces, one stood out immediately.

Chris Rature.

He stood beneath a rocky overhang with his arms crossed, rainwater streaking down his attire as his usual arrogance warred with visible irritation. Flanking him, as always, were Lucian and Logan. Lucian leaned against the stone wall with a sour expression, while Logan stood rigidly at Chris’s side, eyes sharp and watchful as he scanned the summit.

Sheila took the scene in carefully, her gaze moving from group to group, from the dark clouds overhead to the narrow paths leading back down the mountain. It didn’t take long for the realization to settle in.

They were stuck.

Descending in this weather would be reckless at best and deadly at worst. The paths they had climbed were already treacherous—now soaked, unstable, and actively eroding under the rain. Anyone stubborn enough to force their way down now would be gambling with broken bones or worse.

"We’re not going anywhere for a while," Sheila said quietly, more to herself than to anyone else.

Turning back to the group, she raised her voice just enough to be heard over the rain. "Let’s rest for now," she instructed calmly. "We’ll figure out our next move once everyone’s recovered."

No one argued. If anything, the suggestion was met with visible relief.

They regrouped near a cluster of rocks and quickly raised their makeshift shields, angling them together to form a crude but effective barrier against the downpour. The sound of rain hammering against the wood and reinforced surfaces was constant, but beneath it, they finally had a pocket of relative dryness.

Around them, several other students cast glances their way—some openly envious, others clearly annoyed. A few whispered among themselves, eyes lingering on the shelter Sheila’s group had managed to create. Ariana noticed those looks and shifted uncomfortably.

"They look miserable," she murmured softly, a hint of pity in her voice.

"They should’ve planned better," Asher replied bluntly, not sparing them a glance.

Despite Ariana’s sympathy, the group didn’t engage with anyone else. Instead, they focused inward, using the brief reprieve to think. Voices stayed low as they began discussing possible ways to descend the mountain once conditions changed.

Each idea was worse than the last.

Carefully climbing back down risked slips and rockfalls. Waiting indefinitely wasn’t an option either—the trial wouldn’t pause just because the weather turned ugly. Trying to anchor ropes without myst would be unreliable at best. Every solution came with serious drawbacks, and the frustration of being unable to rely on myst crept steadily into the discussion.

"If we could just reinforce the ground," Max muttered.

"If we could shape the descent," Charlotte added.

"If we could stabilize the slope—"

"But we can’t," Sheila cut in quietly, the weight of the restriction pressing heavily on her words.

As the debate continued, Liam slowly disengaged from the circle. Without saying anything, he stepped away from the shields and walked toward the edge of the summit, rain immediately soaking into his hair and clothes. He stood there for a while, staring down the mountain they had just climbed, watching rivulets of water carve paths through the soil and stone.

The terrain was changing before his eyes.

After a minute, another presence joined him.

"Well," Dylan said as he came to stand beside him, hands on his hips as he peered down the slope, "if this isn’t the universe having a laugh, I don’t know what is. Nearly die getting up here, just to get trapped by rain. Still though... kinda fun, in a messed-up way."

Liam didn’t respond right away. His gaze remained fixed on the mountain.

"Let me ask you something," he said eventually, voice calm and thoughtful. "If you were alone right now—no group, no one to worry about—what’s the most Dylan way you’d get down from here?"

Dylan blinked, clearly caught off guard. He turned to stare at Liam, then slowly straightened, a dramatic hand pressing against his chest. "Wow," he said with exaggerated pride. "Never thought I’d live to see the day where Liam himself seeks my wisdom."

Liam didn’t even look at him.

Dylan coughed lightly, then followed Liam’s gaze back down the mountain. He studied it for a long moment, rain dripping from his hair as his usual joking expression softened into something more thoughtful.

"If it were just me," he said slowly, "I’d use what the rain’s already doing." He nodded toward the slope. "The ground’s softening. You can see it—small slides are already happening. The mountain’s basically helping us at this point."

He paused, then smirked faintly. "I wouldn’t fight it. I’d ride it."

Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly in focus.

"I’d slide down," Dylan finished. "All the way to the base, nice and fast, and get out of this mess before the mountain decides to throw something bigger at me."

Liam’s lips curved into a faint, almost private smirk as he continued to stare down the mountain, his eyes tracing the jagged lines where rainwater had already begun to carve paths through the soil. The wind tugged at his attire, cold and insistent, but he didn’t linger. He turned away from the edge and started back toward the others with an unhurried stride.

"Oi—where are you going?" Dylan called after him, blinking in confusion as he watched Liam’s back retreat through the mist.

Liam didn’t slow. "Back to the group," he replied evenly. "I’m telling them about your plan."

Dylan stopped short, his jaw dropping as the words registered. "—Wait, what?"

He just stood there for a second, rain dripping off his hair, staring at Liam like he’d just been betrayed by fate itself. Liam kept walking.

"Hold on—Liam, you can’t just—!" Dylan spluttered, scrambling after him. "I was speaking hypothetically!"

Liam halted mid-step and turned, fixing Dylan with a calm, unreadable look. "You’ll need to be there though," he said. "Since it’s your idea. You’ll explain it better than I would."

For a moment, Dylan just stared back at him, searching for sarcasm that wasn’t there. Finding none, he let out a breath somewhere between a groan and a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Unbelievable," he muttered, then followed.

By the time they returned, the group was still huddled beneath the makeshift shields, rain hammering against the barriers in a steady, maddening rhythm. The other students remained scattered across the summit, some pacing, others crouched miserably with no real cover at all. A few cast bitter looks in their direction as Liam and Dylan approached, envy plain on their faces.

Liam didn’t acknowledge them. He stepped into the circle and spoke without ceremony.

"Dylan and I were at the edge," he said, voice calm, carrying just enough to cut through the rain. "And... he came up with an idea that might work in my opinion."

At that, every head turned slowly and unavoidably as all eyes settled on Dylan. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"...Why is everyone looking at me like that?" Dylan asked, immediately uncomfortable, though his spine straightened on instinct.

Sheila’s gaze was sharp, analytical. Ariana looked curious but wary. Charlotte leaned back, arms crossed, rain beading on her skin without bothering her. Asher’s expression was already bordering on bored interest, while Max adjusted his stance, clearly bracing for something questionable.

Dylan cleared his throat, then grinned, the familiar dramatic confidence snapping into place like armor. "Alright, alright. No need to look so tense. It’s actually pretty simple."

He gestured vaguely behind them, toward the slope.

"The rain’s softened the ground," he continued. "You’ve probably noticed it shifting already—small slides, loose earth, mud moving downhill on its own. Instead of fighting that, I think it’s best if we use it."

Sheila’s brow furrowed immediately.

"You’re suggesting we... what?" she asked slowly.

"Slide," Dylan said, as if it were obvious. "Controlled, of course. Use the slope, keep our balance, ride it down before something bigger decides to move on its own."

There was a brief silence after he finished.

Then Charlotte shrugged. "I don’t hate it."

Asher nodded. "Fast beats careful right now."

Max hesitated, glancing toward the edge. "It could work," he admitted, "but if someone loses control—"

"That’s the risk with literally every option we’ve listed," Asher cut in.

Ariana shifted uneasily, her hands tightening around the edge attire. "It still sounds... dangerous."

Sheila hadn’t spoken yet, but the tension in her posture spoke volumes. When she finally did, her voice carried the weight of leadership rather than fear.

"Sliding down a rain-soaked mountain is reckless," she said. "On paper, it’s a terrible idea."

Dylan opened his mouth, but she raised a hand, stopping him.

"But," she continued, and the word tasted bitter, "waiting here invites larger landslides. And a slow descent means slips, broken footing, someone getting dragged under. None of our options are safe."

Her jaw tightened as she looked around at the group, responsibility pressing down on her shoulders.

"This one," she admitted quietly, "at least moves faster than the danger."

Still, she didn’t agree. Not yet.

Liam watched the hesitation settle in, subtle but real, and recognized it for what it was. If this dragged on any longer, doubt would win.

So he spoke.

Not loudly or dramatically.

"The slope is already moving," he said, his voice level, directed squarely at Sheila. "Fighting gravity now is worse than aligning with it."

The words landed differently than Dylan’s confidence ever could have.

Sheila inhaled slowly, then exhaled, the decision forming not as surrender—but as justification. Her eyes lifted to Dylan.

"Alright," she said. "Explain it. How do we do this without getting someone killed?"

Dylan blinked, then smiled. "Now that," he said, rubbing his hands together, "is the fun part."