Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 65: Chapter 65 — The Festival of Mana

Chapter 65 — The Festival of Mana

Two weeks passed.

As the days slowly counted down toward the Festival of Mana, Victor’s acceptance of his situation gradually solidified.

That didn’t mean he wanted to die.

Nobody wanted to die.

But there was a difference between being afraid and allowing that fear to consume him.

So, as the final day arrived, Victor sat quietly inside his cell with a stoic expression on his face.

The Mana Lock Prison felt different today.

Victor could hear it.

The village outside was alive.

Loud tribal drums echoed through the air, their deep rhythm carrying all the way through the thick wooden walls of the prison. There were voices everywhere. The usual sounds of the village had changed into something much larger and more energetic.

Today was important.

Victor slowly opened his eyes.

The Day of Mana had finally arrived.

For a moment, his thoughts drifted toward Moonlight.

It had been roughly two weeks since she had stopped coming.

Before that, she had been consistent.

Every day, Moonlight had arrived with his food. Every day, they had talked. She would ask questions about the outside world, and Victor would answer them as best as he could. Somewhere along the way, those conversations had become something Victor genuinely looked forward to.

Then, suddenly—

She stopped coming.

Victor had never learned why.

At first, he had been confused.

But eventually, he came up with his own explanation.

Maybe Moonlight simply didn’t want to make the situation harder for herself.

Maybe she had decided that becoming closer to him would only make what was going to happen more painful.

Victor couldn’t blame her for that.

If anything, he understood.

Victor slowly looked down beside him.

The little Firebird was sitting quietly nearby.

For once, the creature wasn’t chirping.

It simply looked toward Victor.

Its small eyes seemed strangely sad.

Victor stared at the bird for a moment.

Then he ran his hands through his hair.

”Well,” Victor said quietly, ”looks like it’s time.”

Then the door to the prison opened.

A guard entered.

Victor slowly stood.

A few moments later, shackles were placed around his wrists and ankles.

The little bird was placed inside its cage.

Then they were taken outside.

The moment Victor stepped into the village, he immediately realized how different everything looked.

Today wasn’t an ordinary day.

The entire village had changed.

Decorations had been placed throughout the streets and around the wooden huts. Strange symbols and ornaments hung from different structures. Tribe members wore clothing and jewelry that Victor hadn’t seen them wearing before.

Everyone seemed to be dressed for the occasion.

The atmosphere was almost overwhelming.

Drums beat constantly.

People moved through the village while dancing in strange circles, their bodies moving freely to the rhythm of the drums. Some of the dances looked almost wild, their movements resembling free spirits galloping around in circles.

And everywhere Victor looked—

There was a sense of Fanaticism.

People watched him pass with intense expressions in their eyes.

Victor remained silent as the guards pushed him forward.

Then he noticed something.

There were other prisoners.

Victor’s eyes moved toward several tribe members walking nearby.

They were shackled.

Just like him.

Victor looked at them curiously.

He didn’t know what they had done.

But judging by the direction they were being taken, they were all headed toward the same place.

Victor continued walking.

Then he rounded the corner.

His steps slowly came to a stop.

In front of him stood the largest structure he had seen since arriving in the village.

It was made entirely from stone bricks.

Unlike the wooden huts surrounding it, this structure looked ancient.

A massive staircase led upward toward a raised platform.

It almost resembled a pyramid, though it wasn’t shaped like one. Instead, the stone steps climbed toward a large platform at the very top.

And resting on that platform was what looked like a large stone altar.

Victor stared at it.

Then the guards pushed him forward.

He reached the first step.

And suddenly—

The reality of the situation finally crashed down on him.

Victor looked around.

The tribe had gathered everywhere.

People surrounded the stone structure.

Their faces were filled with excitement.

Then someone screamed.

”The Day of Blood!”

Another voice followed.

”The Day of Mana!”

More voices joined.

”Today will be a day of sacrifice!”

The crowd erupted.

Victor could hear screaming from every direction.

The intensity of it was almost suffocating.

For the first time since accepting his fate, Victor felt the pressure truly settle onto his shoulders.

This was real.

He wasn’t simply sitting inside a prison anymore.

He was standing at the bottom of the altar where he was going to die.

Victor swallowed.

His mouth had suddenly gone dry.

He lowered his eyes.

Stone steps stretched upward in front of him.

Victor took his first step.

Then another.

The screaming continued below.

With every step, the sound seemed to grow louder.

Victor kept walking.

By the time he was nearing the top, he glanced back.

At the bottom of the steps stood the Shaman.

Victor turned forward again.

Then he reached the platform.

The elders were already waiting.

To one side sat Oheema.

She was seated above the platform, watching everything silently.

Nearby were the other elders Victor had seen during his judgment.

All of them sat in their places, watching the ceremony.

There was something different in their expressions today.

To them, this wasn’t simply an execution.

It was a holy day.

Victor stepped forward.

He was placed in a line beside the other prisoners.

The guard carrying the cage stood nearby.

Inside, the little Firebird remained completely silent.

Victor glanced toward it.

Then he faced forward again.

A moment later, the Shaman reached the top of the stairs.

He took the final step onto the platform.

Then he raised his staff high into the air.

The crowd exploded.

A deafening roar swept across the village.

Victor’s mind nearly went blank from the sheer volume.

For a moment, he could barely think.

The screams.

The drums.

The voices.

Everything blended together into one overwhelming wave of sound.

Then—

The Shaman brought his staff down.

BOOM.

The staff struck the stone platform.

And everything stopped.

The drums fell silent.

The screaming disappeared.

The entire village became completely quiet.

Victor stood among the prisoners.

His heart pounded inside his chest.

The Shaman slowly looked across the gathered tribe.

Then he raised his voice.

”The Festival of Mana begins!”