Page 67 of The Hyena’s Guardian

Theron still did not understand how one person could undo centuries of isolation simply by looking at him like he was worth saving.

But for the first time in a very long time, he wanted to find out.

***

The chamber quieted once Vale finished organizing the survivors into movement teams.

The injured were placed near the center of the formation while ammunition, floodlights, and climbing gear were redistributed between the remaining operatives. Nobody looked comfortable anymore, but fear had finally given way to something more focused. Survival.

Theron stood near one of the fractured support pillars studying the rough map Baptiste had sketched across a broken equipment crate. Ancient corridors overlapped the excavation routes in uneven spirals that no longer fully matched the tunnels surrounding them.

Only the occasional groan of settling stone disturbed the silence, a reminder that the mountain hadn’t calmed so much as paused.

Matt stepped beside him and glanced down at the map. “Please tell me your escape plan involves significantly less psychological damage than the rest of tonight.”

Theron’s attention remained fixed on the markings. “Uncertain.”

Matt sighed. “I appreciate your commitment to consistency.”

A few of the wolves shook their heads, the tension easing just enough to breathe again.

Theron noticed. The reaction still seemed unfamiliar to him.

Vale crossed toward them a moment later. “You said there’s a way to stop the First King.”

“There may be.”

“That’s not reassuring wording.”

Theron looked toward the deeper tunnels beyond the chamber before answering. “The prison was never powered by walls alone. The source chamber beneath the mountain sustains the containment structure through a network of anchor points.”

Baptiste furrowed his brow. “The motion anchors.”

Theron nodded once.

Matt looked between them. “Okay, I’m apparently missing important terrifying context again.”

Baptiste gestured toward one of the portable anchor devices resting beside the equipment crates. “The excavation team brought experimental motion anchors to stabilize deeper collapse zones. They draw enormous amounts of energy to maintain localized structural fields.”

Matt blinked once. “And naturally we brought those into the ancient magical nightmare prison.”

“They were not supposed to interact with ancient magical nightmare prisons,” Baptiste said defensively.

Theron crouched beside the rough map and pointed toward several narrow intersections marked deep beneath the mountain. “The original prison anchors still exist here. The source chamber feeds through them continuously.”

Matt's attention fixed fully on Theron as realization started settling in. “And if we overload the modern anchors inside those points…”

“The containment network destabilizes,” Theron finished. “The energy will collapse inward.”

Vale’s expression hardened. “Enough to destroy the First King?”

Theron hesitated.

Matt noticed it instantly.

“Theron.”

The pale eyes lifted toward him briefly before returning to the map. “Enough to destroy the source chamber.”