Chapter 220: Caves, Crystals, And Calling Fire

Kane wrung water from his hair, amber eyes adjusting to the cave’s gloom.

The darkness wasn’t absolute—bioluminescent algae clung to the walls in patches, casting everything in faint blue-green light.

Whatever gases Cyrus had warned about were gone—or never real to begin with.

"Your toxic volcanic gases seem pretty breathable," Kane muttered, pushing himself upright.

Cyrus didn’t respond.

Kane pushed himself fully upright, his soaked linen shirt clinging to his frame as he surveyed the cave.

Pretty much what he’d expected—stalactites hung from the ceiling like stone teeth, water dripped in echoing rhythm somewhere deeper in, and clusters of bats clung to the shadows above.

"Hey." Kane glanced back at Cyrus with a smirk. "Your wings kinda look like theirs when they’re all folded up like that."

Cyrus’s expression remained flat.

"Hilarious."

"I thought so." Kane wrung more water from his shirt, tilting his head as he peered deeper into the cave.

The bioluminescent glow faded into absolute darkness about thirty feet in. "Wonder how deep this thing goes. Could be a whole network of tunnels back there, or maybe it connects to—"

Cyrus’s hand clamped around Kane’s arm.

"We’re not exploring further," Cyrus said, his voice carrying an edge that made Kane’s ears flatten instinctively.

Kane tried to pull free.

The grip tightened.

"I was just looking—"

"No." Cyrus stood, water streaming from his wings as he pulled Kane away from the cave’s depths. "We stay here. Near the entrance. Until the storm passes."

Kane’s ears flattened.

"What aren’t you telling me?" He planted his feet, resisting Cyrus’s pull toward the entrance. "What’s in there that’s got you this spooked?"

"Nothing." Cyrus’s jaw tightened. "The cave system is unstable. Volcanic activity could resume at any moment."

"Bullshit." Kane jerked his arm free, tails bristling. "You’re a dragon. I’m a nine-tailed fox. What’s in there that we couldn’t handle?"

Cyrus moved between Kane and the darkness, wings spreading slightly despite their waterlogged state.

Protective.

Or blocking.

Kane’s amber eyes narrowed.

"You knew about this cave before we got here. You steered us away from it earlier." He took a step sideways, trying to see past Cyrus’s shoulder.

"What’s back there? Some kind of ancient spirit? A ward you don’t want me triggering?"

"Kane—"

"Is it something from your past? From when you lived here?" Kane’s voice rose, echoing off the stone walls. "Because that’s the only reason you’d be this—"

Just then, a low growl rolled from the darkness.

Deep and resonant. Not quite animal, not quite anything Kane could identify.

The sound made his bones vibrate in ways that shouldn’t be possible.

The bats stirred overhead, their chittering nervous as leathery wings rustled against stone.

Kane’s head whipped toward the depths, ears perked forward despite the warning tightening in his chest.

His nine tails fanned out behind him, silver fur catching the bioluminescent glow.

"What was that?"

Cyrus’s hand shot out, catching Kane’s shoulder before he could move.

"We’re staying here."

"Like hell." Kane shrugged free, already stepping into the darkness.

"Something’s down there. Something big, judging by that sound." His amber eyes gleamed with curiosity instead of caution. "Could be injured. Trapped. We should at least—"

The growl came again.

Louder this time.

Kane’s pulse quickened—not with fear, but with the electric thrill of discovery. His fingers flexed, silver foxfire already sparking to life around his knuckles.

"Kane—" Cyrus’s voice dropped to pure dragon command. "No."

But Kane was already walking into the dark.

Cyrus sighed, the sound resonating through his chest like distant thunder.

But he followed, crimson fire blooming in his palm to illuminate the path ahead.

The light cast dancing shadows across walls of volcanic glass, smooth and black as obsidian. Stalactites dripped with mineral deposits that glittered like frozen tears.

"It’s just rumbles of volcanic activity," Cyrus said, his tone too controlled. "Nothing more."

Kane’s ears flicked back without turning around.

"Sure it is."

The lie sat heavy in the air between them. Kane had spent enough time interrogating suspects to recognize evasion when he heard it.

The cave narrowed, forcing them single-file. Kane’s tails brushed against the walls, leaving faint trails in the condensation.

The temperature climbed with each step deeper. Not uncomfortably hot, but warmer than the entrance.

Steam rose from fissures in the floor, carrying the scent of sulfur and something else.

Something ancient.

Kane pressed forward, ignoring Cyrus’s muttered warnings.

The tunnel opened into a chamber.

Kane stopped in his path. The chamber stretched impossibly vast, its ceiling lost in darkness above.

Streams of molten lava carved glowing rivers through black stone, creating a network of luminous veins that pulsed like a living heartbeat.

The air shimmered with heat, but not oppressively—more like stepping into a sauna designed by gods.

Kane’s breath caught.

Vegetation sprouted along the chamber’s edges where the lava didn’t reach—plants with leaves that gleamed metallic silver, flowers that bloomed in impossible colors, and vines that moved without wind.

A small creature skittered across a rock near his feet.

Six-legged, crystalline scales, eyes that glowed with inner fire.

Kane crouched, extending his hand toward it.

The creature chirped—a sound like breaking glass—before darting into a crevice.

"Primordial spirits," Kane whispered, recognition clicking into place.

He’d seen illustrations in BSA archives and read accounts in ancient texts. These weren’t spirits that had crossed from the Spirit Realm.

These were spirits that had never left.

"They’re from before the realms separated," Kane breathed, amber eyes wide as he watched a bird-like creature with four wings glide overhead, trailing sparks. "Before the Night of Falling Stars."

His gaze snapped to Cyrus.

"This isn’t just a cave."

"Fine, you’re right." Cyrus’s crimson eyes reflected the lava’s glow. "The island is a nexus point. Like the temple, but far older."

"This is why I chose this place after the Night of Falling Stars." His voice carried weight, centuries of memory compressed into simple words.

Kane’s ears perked forward, amber eyes still drinking in the impossible chamber.

"Now you’ve seen it." Cyrus stepped closer, wings folding tight against his back. "Your curiosity should be satisfied. We should turn back."

"But—"

"The cave grows hotter if you go deeper." Cyrus’s tone brooked no argument. "There’s nothing else to see."

Kane’s mouth opened to protest.

Then he heard it again.

That low growl, rolling from somewhere beyond the chamber. Not threatening—more like...calling.

The sound resonated in his chest and tugged at something primal in his spirit.

"You hear that, right?" Kane asked, already taking another step forward. "Something’s down there."