Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 63: Chapter 63 — A Reason to Smile

Chapter 63 — A Reason to Smile

Victor sat cross-legged on the cold floor of the Mana Lock Prison, his back resting lightly against the wooden wall behind him.

He had spent the past several hours thinking about possible ways to escape. He had examined every possibility he could come up with, turning each one over in his mind again and again.

But every solution eventually reached the same conclusion.

It wouldn’t work.

Victor slowly lowered his head.

His situation was terrible.

There was no point pretending otherwise.

The more he thought about it, the more he found himself slowly accepting that fact.

Then Jacob’s words surfaced in his mind.

If you make a decision, have conviction in it.

Never regret the path you chose.

Victor closed his eyes.

He didn’t regret entering the Spirit Pond.

Everything that had happened inside that sacred pool had changed him.

He couldn’t bring himself to regret it.

That didn’t mean he wanted to die.

A bitter smile appeared on his face.

There was a difference between accepting death and wanting it.

The thought of dying terrified him.

No matter how much he tried to accept his circumstances, no matter how calmly he attempted to look at the situation, a part of him was still afraid.

Victor slowly shook his head.

Then he cleared his thoughts.

There was nothing he could accomplish by sitting here and driving himself insane.

At least not right now.

Just as he opened his eyes, the heavy door to the prison hut creaked open.

Victor looked up.

Moonlight stepped inside.

She carried a plate of food in both hands.

But something was different.

Victor noticed it immediately.

Moonlight usually entered the prison with a strange mixture of curiosity and excitement. Even when she tried to appear composed, there was always something alive behind her eyes.

Today...

Her expression was quiet.

She walked toward Victor’s cell without saying a word and placed the food down in front of him.

Then she simply stood there.

Victor watched her for a moment.

"What?" he finally asked.

Moonlight looked at him.

Victor tilted his head slightly.

"You finally run out of questions?"

For the briefest moment, a small smile appeared on her face.

"No."

Victor laughed softly.

"Honestly, I never thought I’d see the day."

Moonlight looked down again.

The smile disappeared.

Victor’s expression slowly changed.

He studied her for another moment.

"Are you okay?"

Moonlight looked up.

For a brief second, their eyes met.

Then she quickly looked away.

"I’m fine."

Victor raised an eyebrow.

"You really try hard to hide your emotions."

Moonlight looked back toward him.

Victor gave her a faint smile.

"I’m sorry, but it’s clearly written all over your face."

Moonlight stared at him for a moment, almost looking slightly offended.

Victor waited.

Eventually, the silence became too much.

"So," he said quietly. "What really happened?"

Moonlight remained still.

For several seconds, she didn’t answer.

Then she finally spoke.

"I spoke with Oheema."

Victor’s expression changed.

Something immediately clicked.

Moonlight lowered her eyes.

"I asked if she could stop the judgment. If there was some way she could revoke your sentence."

Victor stared at her.

Moonlight’s hands slowly tightened at her sides.

"But..."

She paused.

"I’m sorry."

Victor frowned.

Moonlight continued.

"She said she couldn’t change anything."

Victor was quiet for a moment.

Then he looked genuinely confused.

"For what?"

Moonlight looked at him.

Victor leaned forward slightly.

"What are you apologizing for?"

Victor stared at her.

Then he slowly shook his head.

"Moonlight, that wasn’t your responsibility."

Moonlight didn’t respond.

But Victor could tell immediately that she didn’t agree.

She had gone to Oheema.

She had tried.

She had done something Victor himself hadn’t even asked her to do.

Because she didn’t want him to die.

Her voice was quiet.

"I didn’t want you to end up being sacrificed."

Victor looked at her.

For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

Then he realized something.

Moonlight was more upset about his situation than he was.

Or at least...

She was showing it more.

Victor looked toward the food sitting beside him.

Then he suddenly smiled.

"You know what?"

Moonlight looked at him.

"What?"

Victor leaned back against the wall.

"Do you know one of the coolest things about the outside world that I’ve never told you about?"

Moonlight blinked.

For the first time since entering the prison, something changed in her expression.

A faint spark of curiosity returned.

"What?"

Victor smiled.

"Kingdoms."

Moonlight tilted her head.

"Kingdoms?"

"Yeah."

Victor began explaining.

"Outside the forest, there are places where thousands and thousands of people live together. Huge kingdoms filled with people everywhere you look."

Moonlight’s expression slowly began to change.

Victor continued.

"There are shops everywhere. Long brick roads and houses bigger than anything you’ve probably ever seen."

Moonlight listened quietly.

"And in every kingdom there’s a king."

Her eyes narrowed slightly with curiosity.

"A king?"

Victor nodded.

"And the king lives in something called a castle."

Moonlight stepped slightly closer.

"What’s a castle?"

Victor smiled.

"It’s basically a massive fortress made completely out of stone."

As Victor continued explaining, Moonlight’s expression slowly became lighter.

He described the enormous walls.

The towers.

The gates.

The massive rooms inside.

Moonlight listened carefully, occasionally asking questions despite herself.

For several minutes, Victor continued talking.

And for the first time since she entered the prison...

Moonlight looked almost like herself again.

Then she suddenly became quiet.

Victor noticed.

Moonlight looked directly at him.

"Aren’t you scared?"

Victor stopped speaking.

The question caught him off guard.

For several seconds, he didn’t answer.

Moonlight waited.

Victor slowly looked into her eyes.

Then he smiled.

"I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t."

Moonlight’s expression changed slightly.

Victor looked down toward the floor.

"If there was something I could do about this situation, maybe I’d be acting differently."

He paused.

"But right now..."

Victor looked back toward her.

"There’s not much I can do."

Moonlight stared at him silently.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Then movement sounded near the entrance.

The guard.

Moonlight immediately looked toward the doorway.

Victor noticed her expression change.

She looked back toward him.

It was clear there were things she still wanted to say.

But there wasn’t time.

Moonlight suddenly stepped forward.

Victor barely had time to react.

She leaned down and gave him a hug.

Victor froze.

Moonlight held him for only a moment.

Then footsteps grew closer.

She immediately pulled away.

Before Victor could even understand what had just happened, Moonlight grabbed the empty plate.

Then she turned and hurried toward the exit.

Moonlight disappeared through the doorway just as the guard approached.

For several seconds, Victor remained where he was.

Then a small smile slowly appeared on his face.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!