Page 53 of The Hyena’s Guardian

Matt went still.

Theron glanced deeper into the tunnel system before continuing. “The mountain was built around the source chamber. Old power. Older than the King himself.”

“The thing powering the prison.”

“Yes.”

Matt shifted his weight. “And destroying it kills him?”

Theron’s jaw tightened. “Maybe.”

“That is not the confidence level I prefer in suicide plans.”

“The chamber collapses if the source breaks.”

Matt understood. “The whole catacomb system comes down.”

Theron nodded once.

Silence stretched heavily between them while distant screams echoed again somewhere ahead.

“The survivors are between us and this source chamber?” Matt asked.

“Yes.”

Another tremor shook the corridor. Matt looked toward the darkness ahead, then back toward Theron. “Okay. New plan.”

Theron went still. “You have a plan?”

“First, we save the people still alive. Then we deal with your ancient underground nightmare king problem.”

“It is an intention, not a plan.”

Matt checked the flashlight again before stepping deeper into the tunnel. “No, but it is an emotionally consistent one.”

To Matt’s surprise, Theron followed. For a little while, the growl beneath his breathing remained quieter than before.

The deeper they descended, the mountain answered with increasing force, and the harder Theron had to fight for control. His claws dragged against the walls for balance while silver subtly overtook the pale intelligence in his eyes.

By the time they reached the next chamber, Matt had seen enough. “Stop.”

Theron kept moving.

Matt grabbed his arm before he could disappear deeper into the corridor. “Theron.”

The reaction hit both of them instantly. Heat surged sharply while Theron froze beneath his grip hard enough that Matt felt the restraint locking through his entire body. For one suspended second neither of them moved. Then Theron pulled back carefully, visibly controlling the instinct to either lean closer or flee entirely. “We do not have time.”

Matt stepped in front of him anyway.

The chamber surrounding them looked smaller than the ones above, more like an old guard station than part of the prison itself. Ancient bedframes rusted against one wall beneath collapsed shelves while a narrow underground stream cut through the far side of the room before vanishing back into the stone.

It was defensible, temporary, and good enough.

“Yes, we do,” Matt said firmly. “Because if you lose control halfway to the survivors, we’re both dead.”

Theron’s jaw tightened. “I would not hurt you.”

The certainty in his voice hit harder than Matt expected. There was no hesitation in it and no attempt at reassurance. Just fact.