We didn’t get much sleep after we returned from seeing Master Asuras. Instead, she invited us to chat in her room. Saying it was more secure against eavesdropping. She wanted us to have a recap session.

It was a given that Edde would be quietly listening to the conversation from her spot outside the cloth door. So, I was concerned and curious to know what she thought of me containing a mysterious and somewhat dangerous magic. But, well, something’s can be overthought. Now was as good as anytime to check for her response.

Edde’s room was more like a closet space just big enough for her cot, a two-leg nightstand, and a prayer mat space. Kalia and I were wedged tight on the floor, hugging our knees. Half of my backside was being pushed out of the cloth door.

“Can you move over a bit more?” Kalia squirmed as she tried to get more breathing space.

“I’d be out the door.” But I shuffled around, so my back was against her shoulder. And my head was facing the door. At least I could stretch my legs this way.

Edde sighed and began speaking.

“Neven. I know yuh don’t have much choice. But I’m worried about yuh using magic.” She didn’t hide her concerns and tensions in her voice.

“Trust me, Edde. I’m as worried about it, as yah are,” I said to reassure her.

She nodded.

“I know. I heard yuh response and was relieved.” Her expression eased with curiosity. “Did yuh always have magic?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” I shrugged my shoulders, prompting Kalia to add to the conversation.

“Edde, Neven is called Neven because she doesn’t know who she is.”

“Oh, yeah. Do yuh know why’s that?”

I shook my head and skewed it around to slightly to face her. “Maybe ‘cause I was dying. But I get moments where knowledge comes to me. Pieces of random conversations in my head that’s gone before I can remember. But nothing adds up or sticks out to say that’s who I am.”

She frowned and folded her arms, as she eased more onto her cot. She leaned back on the wall and crossed her legs. Her head was raised, so she was staring at the gray rock ceiling with her thoughts.

“It’s been a long time to not remember. Maybe the magic inside yuh is blocking these memories?” She mused aloud, more to herself.

I gasped, never having thought of my memory loss that way. True, it was odd to go so long without having to remember my own name. If I looked at it from this angle, with the Dark Matter Magic being a disruptor, it’s very possible my memory loss was being intentionally blocked. Or was a consequence of some magic spell that had happened to me when I was in the Morsaquasis River.

“That’s a strong possibility.” Another thought occurred to me. “Also, Kalia, Edde. Thank yah for believing me.”

“Huh? Why would you say that?” Kalia looked perplexed.

But Edde nodded with understanding. “The master believes yuh genuinely can’t remember who yuh are. That’s proof enough for me.”

“Well, I for one, can’t see what you would gain in pretending not to know who you are. I never thought to doubt your word.” Kalia nonchalantly added.

“Yeah. Thanks. I don’t think anyone thought I was putting it on, but…” I frowned.

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If what Edde said was true, that my magic could be blocking my identity—then who I was might actually be a scary thing. Maybe someone powerful sealed my identity with some ancient curse or something. Either way, it was probably safest to be Neven.

“Neven?”

I shook my head. “Never mind. Just something that went in and out of my head before I could grab it.”

Edde nodded and decided to talk about something else.

She told us about The Zone’s foundations. The information she had been able to gleam from gossip over the years.

“How long have you been here?” Kalia politely asked.

Edde sighed. “Be about six summers. I was yuh age when I got here. Lucky too.”

I sensed a deep sadness in her tones, but they eased when she returned to the subject.

It seemed the underground caverns dated back in time beyond the Leinard Empire. And perhaps even further. From the various fossils and odd pieces of artifacts discovered, The Zone might have been a grand and magical city.

“No one can say if it was buried underground because of the Black Guard disaster. Or if it’s always been this way. Nor why there’s not much left of it.”

I nodded and stifled a chuckle when Kalia’s eyes became animated at the various mineral names Edde was dropping in with her history lesson.

“There are some places around here where square gold bricks have been discovered carrying silver words of ancient magic.”

“Gold bricks? Magic words?” Kalia whispered, wonderstruck.

Edde nodded and leaned in closer. “And the henchmen’s bull helmets are in fact taken from the likeness of some wall carvings that were also discovered here. They’re now displayed at City Hall.”

Her conversation shifted to present times and the basic social structure of The Zone. On official papers, the place was classified as an underground mining company registered with a business entity called the Boss Gem Trade. However, the true owners who sponsored the operations were the subsidiary militia called the Illuminate Group.

“They belong to the High Emperor?” I asked.

Edde frowned. “I dunno. They seem too, but also have their own agenda. I can’t understand the politics.”

I nodded.

She explained that the majority of The Zone’s occupants were slaves. The few patrons and free-voice soldiers worked for the Illuminate Group to operate the Boss Gem business.

I listened as Edde explained the hierarchy of the henchmen. The lower-ranked henchmen were slaves who reported to a chief. Chiefs were free men who were entitled to an entourage of slave workers and henchmen, provided they paid their duty tithe to the temples of their governing gods or goddesses.

Those who didn’t pay were forced to give up their rights to their slaves and submit them to their god’s care. A chief was only as important and influential as the number of slaves he had under his control. For this reason, most were wise to pay.

Edde said that it was the oldest trick in the book to overpower a chief by tricking him with payment dates and ensuring a tithe payment was missed. If the chief couldn’t compensate the temples in quick time, powers were usually taken away, and they could become slaves themselves. Compensation was usually five times the regular tithe, which was large in itself. There was also the saving face they had to do with the other chiefs, which usually took some bribes and groveling.

“So slaves are like bargaining chips or currency.” I frowned, feeling my anger swell.

Edde eyed me carefully. She nodded.

The price of life was so cheap for these people. I’ll never understand that. Those little ones who didn’t make it back on the way here—they could’ve been someone! But not in this...

“Ouch!” I yelped at the hard whack I felt on my head.

“Yuh slipping.” Edde’s voice was deadpan, but her eyes were livid.

I looked at my hands and saw the residuals of Dark Matter Magic seeping into my skin. After a fleeting moment, it was gone. I sighed.

“Sorry Edde. The subject of slavery affects my emotions.”

“Yuh need to control that. If the mothers saw yuh hands like that, yuh’d be expelled to death.”

I felt Kalia’s body leaning into me and saw her eyes drooping. Edde noticed it as well and told us to go to sleep. We padded back into the alcove. I helped Kalia into her cot. She fell asleep instantly. I turned to Edde to say goodnight.

“Neven, be careful of the mothers. If they see yuh or hear of yuh doing any bit of magic…”

I flashed her a cocky grin. “Like I would give them the excuse.”

A small smile eased across her face. She nodded and slipped back into her room.

I dumped myself down on my cot and was soon slipping into sleep.