Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 69: Chapter 69 — The Feather

Chapter 69 — The Feather

As the woman glanced around the tribe, making certain that every one of them understood her words.

The Shaman remained prostrate on the ground.

He didn’t dare look up at her.

Nobody did.

The elders remained bowed. The tribe members kept their heads lowered. Not a single person dared meet the eyes of the Guardian Spirit after hearing her warning.

Victor was perhaps the only one who continued looking in her direction.

But even then, his attention wasn’t entirely focused on the woman.

His eyes kept drifting toward the little bird resting in her arms.

The little Firebird had completely changed from the terrified creature that had been trapped inside the cage only moments ago. Now, she was pressed comfortably against her mother’s body, occasionally nuzzling against her as though nothing had happened.

The woman slowly turned, preparing to leave.

Then—

Chirp.

She stopped.

The little bird began chirping repeatedly, looking up toward her mother as though she was desperately trying to tell her something.

The woman’s expression softened.

She looked down at her daughter with a loving smile.

For several moments, she simply listened.

Then she slowly nodded.

"I understand."

The little bird chirped again.

The woman smiled faintly.

"I understand, Nala."

Then her eyes suddenly moved.

They turned toward the altar.

Toward Victor.

Victor immediately became still.

The woman’s gaze rested on him.

"Nala says that you are her friend."

Victor’s eyes widened slightly.

"And she has asked me to help you."

The woman slowly turned her attention toward the kneeling tribe.

Her expression hardened.

"You shall not touch a hair on this boy’s head."

Her voice was calm.

But the threat behind those words was unmistakable.

Nala immediately gave several chirps.

Almost as though she was backing up her mother’s words.

The woman looked down at the little Firebird and smiled.

Nala nuzzled against her mother’s face again.

Then—

Chirp.

Chirp.

Chirp.

The little bird began speaking again.

The woman listened.

But this time, her expression slowly changed.

A faint look of confusion appeared on her face.

Her eyes returned to Victor.

And suddenly—

Victor felt something.

The woman’s gaze changed.

It was no longer simply the gaze of someone looking at him.

Victor felt as though she was looking through him.

Straight through him.

A strange pressure washed over his body.

Victor remained completely still.

For a brief moment, he felt as though every secret he possessed had been exposed.

As though there was nowhere he could hide.

The woman stared at him.

Then she took a faint breath.

Almost like she was smelling the air.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Ah."

Victor’s heart immediately tightened.

The woman continued looking at him.

"You possess the bloodline of the Black Phoenix."

Victor froze.

For the first time since arriving in this world—

Someone had recognized it.

Fear immediately rose inside him.

Everything he had learned about the Black Phoenix inheritance had taught him that it was something incredibly valuable. The memories and knowledge contained within that inheritance were things that people might be willing to kill for.

And now—

Someone had seen through him.

Victor didn’t know what the woman might do.

For several seconds, he simply remained silent.

Then the woman smiled.

"Don’t worry, boy."

Victor looked toward her.

"I won’t hurt you."

She glanced down toward Nala.

"Nala here has vouched for you."

The little Firebird chirped happily.

The woman smiled faintly.

"She says that you are her true friend."

Her eyes returned toward Victor.

"And any true friend of Nala..."

She paused.

"...I will also treat as my friend."

Nala immediately gave several more happy chirps.

Victor remained silent.

He honestly didn’t know what to say.

The woman continued looking at him.

But her attention had clearly returned to something else.

The Black Phoenix bloodline.

Her expression slowly changed.

There was a faint look of disbelief in her eyes.

The bloodline still existed.

For thousands of years, she had believed it was gone.

Extinct.

A remnant of an ancient era that had disappeared from the world.

And yet—

Here it was.

Inside the body of a young boy lying on an altar in the middle of a forest.

The woman remained quiet for several moments.

Then she slowly shook her head.

The fact that the Black Phoenix bloodline still existed was nothing short of a miracle.

Her eyes moved toward the dark flame hidden deep within Victor.

Then she looked back toward him.

"Interesting."

Victor swallowed.

The woman glanced down toward Nala.

Then her expression became more serious.

"Nala will have to come with me."

Victor looked toward the little bird.

The woman continued.

"It seems that whatever experience the two of you shared has caused her evolution to begin sooner than expected."

Victor’s eyes widened slightly.

The woman gently held Nala closer.

"So I must take her with me."

Nala immediately began chirping.

The little Firebird struggled slightly against her mother’s hold.

Almost in defiance.

The woman sighed.

"I know."

Nala chirped again.

"But you must come with me."

The little bird continued protesting.

The woman looked down at her.

"When your evolution is complete, you’ll be allowed to return to him."

Nala suddenly became quiet.

Victor watched her.

For the entire conversation, he hadn’t said much.

There was simply too much happening.

Only minutes ago, he had been preparing to die.

Now he was learning that the little bird beside him had a powerful mother, that the woman standing before him knew about the Black Phoenix bloodline, and that Nala was about to undergo some kind of evolution.

Victor could only listen.

The woman looked toward him again.

Then she reached behind her.

One of her feathers was slowly pulled free from her wing.

Victor watched as she held it toward him.

He slowly accepted it.

The moment the feather touched his hand, Victor felt a faint warmth.

"Keep this feather on you that way when Nala is done with her evolution. She will have a way to find you."

Victor looked down at the feather.

The woman smiled faintly.

"I look forward to seeing how you blossom."

Before Victor could respond, Nala suddenly flew from her mother’s embrace.

The little Firebird flew directly toward him.

Victor smiled.

Nala landed against him and immediately began nuzzling against his face.

For the first time since everything had happened, Victor couldn’t help but laugh quietly.

He gently wrapped his arms around the little creature.

Nala gave a few soft chirps.

Victor held her for a moment.

Then the little bird pulled away.

Victor looked into her small eyes.

A faint smile remained on his face.

Nala chirped once more.

Then she flew back toward her mother.

The woman gently caught her.

For several moments, she looked toward Victor.

Then her gaze slowly moved across the tribe.

Nobody had moved.

The Shaman remained on the ground.

The elders remained bowed.

The entire tribe was still terrified to even look up.

The woman looked back toward Victor.

"Until we meet again."

And then—

She was gone.

One second, she had been standing there.

The next—

Nothing.

Victor’s eyes widened.

He couldn’t even see her leave.

Her speed was completely unfathomable.

For several moments, the entire village remained silent.

Victor slowly sat up.

The stone altar beneath him was still stained with blood.

The crowd remained frozen in place around him.

But Victor barely paid attention to any of it.

He looked down at the feather resting in his hand.

Then he slowly closed his fingers around it.

For the first time that day, Victor allowed himself to truly understand what had happened.

He was alive.

Just moments ago, he had been preparing to die.

Now—

He had survived.

Victor sat quietly on the altar, the feather held tightly in his hand.

And for the first time since arriving in this world—

He simply took a moment to relish the fact that he was still alive.

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