Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 97: Chapter 97 — The Hidden Door

Chapter 97 — The Hidden Door

Victor entered the cavern slowly.

Silently.

Every step was deliberate as he moved deeper into the darkness, his senses stretched as far as they could go.

Eventually, he spotted the Shadow Fox.

She was lying where he had left her, seemingly asleep.

Victor approached carefully.

Closer.

And closer.

When he reached her, he knelt directly in front of her.

Then he placed a hand over her mouth.

The Shadow Fox’s eyes snapped open.

Panic immediately flashed across her face.

I knew it.

She had suspected the human would eventually make a move.

Her body tensed as she prepared to struggle.

Victor immediately leaned closer.

"Shh."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Be quiet."

The Shadow Fox stared at him.

Victor glanced toward the cave entrance.

"The Barganchula is outside."

Her eyes widened slightly.

"It followed our trail. It probably has your scent."

Victor lowered his voice even further.

"Maybe it followed the scent of your blood."

The Shadow Fox’s expression tightened.

"We can’t leave through the entrance anymore. It’s standing outside."

Victor looked deeper into the cave.

"Our only choice is to go farther in."

The Shadow Fox continued staring at him.

Victor slowly began removing his hand.

"I’m going to take my hand off your mouth."

He paused.

"But you have to promise me you’re not going to yell."

She hesitated.

Victor looked into her eyes.

"Deal?"

After a moment, she nodded.

"Good."

Victor carefully removed his hand.

The Shadow Fox remained silent.

Victor reached down and offered his hand to help her stand.

She immediately pushed it away.

"I can do it myself."

Victor sighed.

"Fine."

She planted her hands against the ground and slowly pushed herself upright.

Her legs trembled beneath her.

She managed to stand.

Barely.

Then—

ROOOOOAR!

The cavern shook.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

The Shadow Fox’s eyes widened.

Victor turned toward the entrance.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the darkness.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Something massive was entering the cave.

The sound of claws scraping against stone followed.

He could hear it.

The creature’s breathing.

Deep.

Heavy.

And getting louder.

The Barganchula was coming.

Victor glanced toward the entrance.

A massive black shape slowly emerged from the darkness.

Its enormous body barely fit through the cave opening.

Victor looked toward the Shadow Fox.

He knew exactly what she would say if he picked her up.

He also didn’t care.

He had already made his decision.

He was going to keep her alive.

Whether she liked it or not.

Victor grabbed her.

"What are you—"

He threw her over his shoulder.

The Shadow Fox immediately began struggling.

"Put me down!"

She struck his back.

Victor ignored her.

Then she looked past him.

Her movements stopped.

The Barganchula had entered the cave.

The creature’s enormous black body emerged fully from the darkness.

Its eyes locked onto them.

The Shadow Fox’s expression changed.

Fear spread across her features.

Her hands slowly stopped beating against Victor’s back.

She stared at the creature.

Victor didn’t wait.

He activated his Flash Step.

His body shot forward.

The darkness swallowed them.

Victor moved deeper into the cavern.

The cave seemed to stretch endlessly beneath the earth.

There was no natural light.

Only darkness.

Victor could barely see several feet ahead of himself.

He continued anyway.

His Flash Step carried them deeper and deeper into the cavern.

The Shadow Fox remained silent.

Unlike Victor, she had no trouble seeing in the darkness.

Shadow Foxes possessed exceptional night vision. They were nocturnal beasts, naturally adapted to environments where ordinary creatures would be completely blind.

The Barganchula was still following them.

For nearly ten minutes, they continued deeper.

Then the Shadow Fox spoke.

"Wait."

Victor stopped.

He looked ahead.

At first, he saw nothing but stone.

Then he noticed it.

A massive door.

It looked as though it had been carved directly into the cavern wall.

Victor narrowed his eyes.

The limited light made it difficult to see the details.

The Shadow Fox, however, could see it clearly.

"There are drawings on it."

Victor lowered her from his shoulder.

"What kind of drawings?"

She stepped closer.

"There is a huge symbol."

She pointed toward the center.

"And beneath it..."

She paused.

"There is a man."

She focused on the drawing on the door.

"He has a flame in his hand."

She pointed toward a small opening in the center of the door.

"He’s pointing the flame toward that hole."

Victor stared at it.

A strange feeling settled over him.

A man.

A flame.

A hole in the door.

He thought about it.

Then his eyes narrowed.

Bloodline Flame.

That was the only thing that made sense.

Victor raised his hand.

The Black Flame appeared.

The Shadow Fox’s eyes widened.

She stared at it.

There was something about that flame she recognized.

Not enough to understand what it meant.

But her clan had stories.

Stories about flames.

Stories about people who possessed flames.

She didn’t know the details.

Only that such a flame meant one thing.

The person who possessed it was special.

Victor stepped toward the door.

The Shadow Fox pointed.

"There."

Victor approached the opening.

He raised his hand.

Then placed the Black Flame into the hole.

Nothing happened.

Victor’s expression tightened.

Then—

ROOOOOAR!

The cavern shook.

Victor and the Shadow Fox turned around.

The Barganchula had caught up.

It stood roughly fifty feet away.

Its enormous body filled the passage.

It slowly stepped toward them.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

There was nowhere left to run.

Victor looked at the door.

Then at the creature.

The Shadow Fox’s expression had become tense.

Fear was beginning to creep into both of them.

The Barganchula was getting closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Its breath filled the passage.

The smell reached Victor.

Death.

Decay.

Something foul enough to make his stomach turn.

The creature was only steps away.

Victor gritted his teeth.

Come on.

The Barganchula raised one massive paw.

Victor looked toward the Shadow Fox.

She looked back at him.

Neither of them needed to say anything.

They were out of options.

Then—

Click.

Victor froze.

Another sound followed.

Click.

Then another.

Clank.

Something moved inside the door.

A deep mechanical rumble echoed through the stone.

The Shadow Fox’s eyes widened.

Victor stared.

The entire door began shifting.

Sections of stone moved independently from one another.

Interlocking pieces slid apart from the center, each section locking into a new position as the massive doorway slowly opened.

Victor didn’t hesitate.

"Go!"

He grabbed the Shadow Fox.

The Barganchula lunged.

Victor pulled her forward.

They jumped through the opening.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the door began closing behind them.

BOOM!

The Barganchula slammed into it.

The impact shook the entire cavern.

Victor and the Shadow Fox were thrown forward into the darkness.

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