Ashen Ascension: The Divided Flame-Chapter 58: The Deep

Nara drew in a slow breath before continuing, as if steadying himself for what came next.

"Everhold is only what we see," he said. "The sky, the cities, the domains, the Scars we train in. But beneath this continent lies another world entirely."

He tapped the ground lightly with his hand.

"Directly below us is the Veiled Deep. And below that... the Sealed Deep."

Ivor remained silent, listening.

"The Veiled Deep is the first underground layer," Nara explained. "It stretches beneath the entire continent. Most people on the surface never see it. Entry is strictly controlled by the unions and the domains. Only authorized forces are allowed to descend."

"Why?" Ivor asked.

"Because that’s where the resources are," Nara replied without hesitation. "Everhold has been stripped clean over centuries. The important metals, high-grade mana crystals, rare ores, ancient relics—almost none of it exists on the surface anymore. Everything that sustains our cities, our weapons, our formations, even the barriers protecting domains... it all comes from the Veiled Deep."

He paused, then added quietly, "And from the Sealed Deep."

Ivor’s eyes sharpened slightly.

"The Veiled Deep is dangerous," Nara continued. "It is filled with Scars. Not the weak ones we train in. Real Scars. Volatile. Unstable. Many of them can’t be sealed permanently. Our forces push them into dormancy, extract resources, then retreat before they flare again."

"And the Sealed Deep?" Ivor asked.

Nara’s expression darkened.

"The Sealed Deep is worse. Far worse. The Scars there are older. Larger. Some are tied to the Catastrophe itself. The corrupted mana that leaks from them is dense enough to warp the environment. Entire regions down there are twisted."

He looked at Ivor carefully.

"If we don’t keep pushing those Scars back into dormancy, they break through. Corrupted mana rises. When it reaches the surface, it weakens the stability of Everhold. New Scars open here. Sometimes denizens from below break through directly."

Ivor understood that much. He had seen enough inside the Scar to imagine what that meant.

"So the strongest fighters stay below?" he asked.

Nara nodded.

"Most of our true strength is stationed in the Veiled Deep and Sealed Deep. The unions fight each other for territory and mining rights. Domains compete for contracts and influence. Families send their elites to secure zones. It’s constant conflict, even if the surface looks stable."

His voice grew quieter.

"And that is one reason beasts still exist."

Ivor’s gaze flickered.

"There are Scars in the Deep that humans cannot enter," Nara said. "Some react only to soul resonance. Some reject mana entirely. Some have conditions written into their structure that require beast instinct to navigate or stabilize them. Without beasts, certain Scars cannot be pushed into dormancy."

"So they need them," Ivor said.

Nara nodded and glanced toward Luna.

"That is why the Beast Kingdom still stands. Primora exists because it is useful. Not because humans are merciful."

Ivor did not react.

"Primora lies near the center of Everhold," Nara continued. "Surrounded on all sides by territories controlled by the three unions. It is watched. Restricted. Pressured. Inside their borders, beasts are free. Outside... it’s different."

His jaw tightened.

"Any beast captured outside Primora can be enslaved under union law. Collars are legal. Contracts are legal. There are more beasts serving inside human domains than there are beasts living freely in Primora."

The forest felt quieter as he spoke.

Ivor processed what he had heard in silence. Everhold was only the surface. Beneath it lay the Veiled Deep. And beneath that, the Sealed Deep. A layered world hidden under their feet, carrying the true weight of survival.

What lingered most in his mind, however, was something else.

There were Scars that only beasts could enter.

If that was true, then there must also be Scars that rejected beasts and allowed only humans inside. Different structures. Different conditions. Different keys.

His gaze lowered slightly.

If both existed... then he could enter both.

Nara continued, unaware of where Ivor’s thoughts had drifted.

"There’s a legend," he said, his voice steady but subdued, "that the true solution to Phelios lies in the Sealed Deep. There are Scars down there that cannot be pushed into dormancy. They cannot be mined. They cannot be stabilized."

He looked at Ivor directly.

"They are tied to the Catastrophe itself. Some say they contain the real history of what happened. Not the version written by unions or told by survivors. The truth."

Ivor held his gaze.

"And if those Scars are closed," Nara went on, "if whatever anchors them is resolved... then maybe the damage to Phelios can be reversed. Maybe the layers can be healed. Maybe Everhold won’t remain a thin shell forever."

"Then why not do it?" Ivor asked.

The question was simple.

Nara did not hesitate.

"Because we are not strong enough."

Ivor nodded once. That part he understood. Strength decided what was possible and what remained legend.

But there was something Nara had still not answered.

"How does this help Luna’s sister?" Ivor asked.

Nara drew in a breath, as if reminding himself why he had started speaking at all.

"I’m getting there," he said. "But first, how did you enter this Scar? And you’re really from the Shrouded District?"

Ivor held his gaze for a moment before answering. There was no point hiding that much.

"Yes. I’m from Shrouded. And I came in through the entrance."

Nara studied him carefully, perhaps expecting more. None came. Ivor’s words were measured and sparse, as if each one cost him something.

"Fine," Nara said at last. "Then I’ll assume you don’t know what we’re doing here."

He shifted slightly against the tree.

"Every awakened kid is assigned a handler. Usually an Adept-rank Umbra warrior from our family. Each handler oversees twenty to twenty-five kids. We’re sent into Scars like this to fight, survive, and collect mana crystals. We get seven days each month inside the Scar. The rest of the time is training."

Ivor listened without interruption.

"The idea," Nara continued, "is simple. We bring back crystals. The handler records them. A portion goes to the family. A portion goes to the union. What we keep depends on performance."

He looked at Luna’s still form.

"My idea is this. You help me steal the mana crystals from this Scar. From the others too. I’ll take them out, convert them to mana tokens, and use that to negotiate."

"Negotiate what?" Ivor asked.

"Lily’s freedom," Nara replied. "For now. Ten thousand mana tokens should be enough to secure one more year."

Ivor’s expression did not change, but his thoughts shifted.

A year of freedom had a price.

"I will use the crystals for myself," Ivor said calmly.

Nara blinked. "For attuning nodes?"

Ivor nodded once.

He had ten soul nodes already. His mana circuit still lagged behind. He needed to close that gap.

Nara exhaled slowly. "These are the lowest-grade unrefined crystals. If you absorb too much impure mana, it will accumulate in your core. It may not hurt you now, but it will damage your foundation later."

Ivor did not look convinced.

"For ten thousand mana tokens," Nara continued, "I would need one hundred refined impure crystals. That means at least one thousand raw crystals from this Scar."

He held Ivor’s gaze.