Ashen Ascension: The Divided Flame-Chapter 44: Betrayal

Nara remained quiet, his eyes looking around for an opening to escape. Ryker’s gaze lingered on Nara for a moment longer.

"I have heard of your family," Ryker said at last. "They say you carry yourself well."

His fingers adjusted slightly on the grip of his sword.

"Let me test if that is true."

He moved without warning.

The distance between them collapsed instantly as Ryker stepped forward, his blade rising in a clean, direct arc aimed to pierce Nara’s chest.

Nara reacted on instinct.

His body shifted sideways, his dagger rising to intercept. Metal struck metal, the impact sharp as he absorbed the force and redirected it away from his center. The strength behind Ryker’s strike traveled through his arm, heavier than he had anticipated.

Ryker did not pause.

His wrist turned, the blade sliding down along Nara’s dagger before cutting back toward his midsection. Nara twisted his body away and countered immediately, his own dagger darkening as shadows condensed around it. The shadow thickened along the blade’s edge, reinforcing it as he slashed toward Ryker’s exposed flank.

Ryker stepped back just enough to avoid the strike, his expression unchanged.

Behind them, the circle broke.

One of the boys rushed Luna, seeing her attention fixed on the clash. She saw the attack and did not lower Ivor.

Her leg moved.

Energy gathered instantly along her muscles as she activated her skill and burst forward in a sudden dash, her speed compressing distance into nothing. Her foot rose in a tight arc and connected with the attacker’s midsection. The impact twisted his body sideways, sending him collapsing to the ground.

She adjusted Ivor’s weight across her shoulder without breaking balance, her senses fully alert.

"Nara," she said sharply.

He understood immediately. He could not win this here.

He disengaged from Ryker, stepping back as the shadow shifted from one dagger to the other.

"Luna," he called. "Drop him. We will retreat."

She did not obey.

Her grip tightened around Ivor. She had already decided.

Ryker saw Nara retreating.

His body moved again, faster now. His blade swept forward, forcing Nara to defend instead of advance. The pressure came relentlessly, each strike calculated to hold him in place.

Nara countered as best he could, his reinforced dagger deflecting one strike before another forced him backward.

Ryker was not trying to kill him. He was preventing him from leaving.

Behind him, Luna moved.

Her legs coiled and released as she burst forward in another sudden dash, slipping through the narrow opening between two of the boys before they could react. Her body blurred past them, her speed carrying her beyond the encirclement.

For a moment, no one moved.

Then realization struck.

"She’s escaping!"

Three of them turned immediately and gave chase.

Nara saw her go. Shock flickered across his face. He had not expected her to abandon the formation. He had not expected her to ignore him.

Ryker did not look back. His blade came down again, forcing Nara to remain where he was. Around them, the remaining boys closed in.

Five of them.

Their weapons rose as they stepped forward, tightening the circle once more, their confidence returning now that Luna had broken away and Nara stood alone.

Ryker did not hesitate.

His sword moved in a clean horizontal arc, aimed low.

Nara saw it coming and reacted instantly, pushing off the ground and lifting his legs to avoid the strike. The blade passed beneath him, slicing through empty air where his knees had been a fraction of a second earlier.

But the attack had never been alone.

The moment his feet left the ground, one of the boys behind him stepped in and drove a kick into his back. The force struck squarely against his spine, knocking the air from his lungs and sending him crashing forward onto the dirt.

He hit hard, pain flaring across his body, but instinct carried him through the fall. He rolled immediately, forcing himself upright before they could collapse on him completely.

He had barely regained his footing when Ryker moved again.

Mana surged along Ryker’s legs, gathering in a dense burst before releasing all at once. His body blurred forward, the distance between them vanishing instantly as he activated his movement skill.

The speed was overwhelming. His sword flashed diagonally. The blade cut cleanly across Nara’s chest before he could fully defend. Blood burst outward as the edge tore through cloth and skin, the force of the strike driving him backward. Nara shouted despite himself, shock and pain mixing as he staggered, his balance broken.

He tried to stabilize.

He never got the chance.

Another boy stepped in from the side, his leg rising and slamming into Nara’s ribs. The impact twisted his body sideways, sending him off balance again.

Then they closed in.

One grabbed his arm, pulling him downward while another drove a fist into his stomach. The blow folded him forward, his breath failing as pain spread through his chest and abdomen. A kick struck his shoulder, forcing him onto his knees.

He tried to push himself back up. A boot crashed into his side, knocking him flat. The ground hit him again, harder this time.

Before he could recover, they were on him.

Boots struck his back, his sides, his legs. Each impact drove him deeper into the dirt, his body forced to absorb the blows without space to escape. He tried to shield himself, his arms rising instinctively, but the attacks came from every angle.

Ryker stood just beyond them, watching.

Nara’s body curled instinctively under the assault, his arms rising in weak defense as the blows continued to rain down on him. Each strike drove what little strength he had left further out of him. His chest burned where Ryker’s blade had cut through him, blood soaking into his clothes, making every breath heavier than the last.

He tried to inhale.

His lungs refused.

A boot struck his ribs again, and the pain shattered whatever control he had left. His vision blurred, darkening at the edges as his body struggled to remain conscious.

He forced himself to move. His fingers dug into the soil beneath him, trying to push himself up, but his arm trembled and gave way. Another kick landed against his shoulder, forcing him back down.

Thirty seconds passed like an eternity. Then his body stopped responding. The tension drained out of his limbs as consciousness slipped away, leaving him motionless on the ground.

"Stop."

Ryker’s voice cut through the clearing.

The blows ceased immediately.

The boys stepped back without question, their breathing heavy as they withdrew from Nara’s broken form.

Ryker slid his sword back into its sheath with calm precision.

"This will be enough," he said evenly, his gaze lingering briefly on Nara. "He will learn not to stand in my way again."

There was no anger in his voice, just calmness. Then he turned his head. His eyes settled on the path Luna had taken.

"Follow them," he said.

He began walking first, his pace steady, unhurried. The others fell in behind him without hesitation, their bodies moving quickly to close the distance.

Within moments, the clearing was empty.

Only Nara remained behind, lying unconscious where he had fallen.

******

Luna ran through the forest, her jaw clenched and sweat running down her skin. It was not from exhaustion. She had endured far worse strain before. It was the heat from Ivor’s body that overwhelmed her. Even at such high speed, with the wind rushing past them, the heat did not fade. It pressed against her shoulder and neck, intense and relentless.

As she ran, the reality of what she had done settled heavily in her mind.

She had left Nara behind and betrayed him.

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