Full Chapter – Depths of Trial, Heights of Flame
Location: The Starlight Caverns – Beneath the fractured ridges of Thalum, hidden where sunlight never touches. Within these crystaletched tunnels lies the second key to Sparks' body: a vein of pure starlight ore — only harvestable by flame worthy enough to reflect the sky.
The Descent
The path was steep, the air thin.
Each step deeper into the caverns was like walking into a dream not meant for mortals — glowing veins shimmered along the walls, and the ceiling above was dotted with flickering light like a mirror to the night sky.
Grim led them forward, the Ashen Crown mark faintly glowing with every pulse of the cave.
Sparks hovered just behind him, oddly quiet.
"It's beautiful," she finally whispered. "I can almost feel the stars again… like when I first woke up in your core."
"You were screaming when you first woke up."
"True. But even chaos needs a moment of beauty."
Guarded Light
At the cavern's heart lay the ore — starlight frozen into crystal veins, suspended in antigravity spirals.
But something else was there.
Waiting.
A being formed of mirrored flame and stardust — a Watcher of Balance, neither living nor dead. Its voice echoed in many tones at once.
"You seek to claim the light that dreams. Yet none of you dream clearly."
Ayesha stepped forward. "We do. We dream of protecting one of our own."
"One who does not yet walk."
"She burns beside us," Grim said.
"And she will burn out," the Watcher replied. "Unless your flame becomes more than reaction… it must become will."
It raised its hand.
And the Trial began.
The Trial of Flame and Star
Each sibling was flung into a mirrored reality — confronted by the version of themselves that had given up.
Max faced a version of him who let his darkness consume him.
Hadi was swallowed in raw energy, unbound and uncontrollable.
Tristan stared down a frozen wasteland where he stood alone, unable to protect anyone.
Ayesha saw herself shatter, soundless, voiceless — forgotten.
And Grim… saw himself.
Burned. Crown broken. Sparks gone.
"You failed," the vision said. "You always do."
But Grim clenched his fists, rising.
"Then I'll fail better. Burn stronger. Rise again."
All five of them did.
Together.
And in doing so…
The starlight responded.
Ascension
When the light faded, they stood at the cavern's heart once more — and the Watcher was gone.
In its place: pure, living starlight ore, humming in resonance.
And the siblings?
Their cores surged.
Flames pulsed.
Energy cracked through their bones.
One by one, each of them crossed the threshold they'd been chasing since Grim's return:
Low Ember Grade.
Their auras no longer flickered.
They blazed.
A New Flame in the Deep
Grim approached the ore and placed his palm over it. Sparks hovered beside him.
"This… this will be the spine of your vessel," he said.
She shimmered brighter.
"Then I want it to burn as strong as all of you. No more hiding behind your back, Grim."
He glanced at her — and this time, she wasn't just flame.
She was becoming.