Lila's hand trembled as she withdrew it from the dark stone, the strange energy still pulsing through her veins like fire. She stumbled back, her heart hammering in her chest, but the voice that had filled the chamber lingered in her ears. You will either destroy or awaken the darkness…
The words echoed endlessly, twisting and turning in her mind, leaving her breathless, unsteady. She had come here seeking answers, but what she had found was a terrifying truth—a truth that she wasn't sure she was ready to face. The serpent, her bloodline, her family—everything she had known was now a lie. Her father's warnings, her family's traditions, all seemed to crumble in the wake of what the stone had revealed.
Lila's legs felt weak beneath her, the air in the chamber oppressive. She had to get out of here. But as she turned to leave, the faintest of sounds reached her ears, a whisper that was more felt than heard.
"You are the one."
Her pulse spiked. She froze, looking around the chamber, her breath caught in her throat. The voice seemed to come from within her, a presence she couldn't see but could feel, like a shadow over her thoughts. For a long moment, everything stood still, the silence almost unbearable.
And then, without warning, the stone beneath her feet shifted, as though reacting to the voice. The walls of the chamber began to pulse, the carvings of serpents lighting up one by one, their eyes glowing with a sinister, emerald hue. The temperature in the room dropped, a coldness creeping along her skin as though the air itself was alive, watching her.
Lila took a hesitant step backward, her heart pounding in her throat. "What is this?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Before she could move further, the stone pedestal at the center of the room began to glow brighter, the obsidian stone shimmering with an otherworldly light. It hummed, vibrating beneath her feet, and Lila felt the pull again, stronger this time, as if the stone were calling her, reaching out to her.
A sudden vision struck her—flashes of images, blurred and disjointed, like memories from another life. Her hands stained with blood. A battle. A powerful figure, a woman with dark eyes, her face twisted in agony. The serpent wrapped around her, but it wasn't protective. It was consuming her. And then, her eyes—her own eyes—glowing with an unholy light.
Lila stumbled backward, gasping for air. No. This isn't real. This can't be real.
But the images wouldn't leave her. She felt them seeping into her very being, invading her mind, and for a moment, she thought she might lose herself completely.
A cold voice broke through her panic. "You cannot run from this, Lila."
Lucian. He stepped from the shadows, his figure emerging from the darkness like a specter. His eyes were unreadable, but there was something about his presence that made her blood run cold.
"What did you do?" Lila gasped, her voice shaking with a mix of anger and fear. "You've been watching me—manipulating me."
Lucian didn't flinch. He stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. "I didn't manipulate you, Lila. I just gave you the truth. And now, it's up to you to decide what to do with it."
Lila clenched her fists, her breath coming in short, frantic bursts. "What are you talking about? What truth?"
He tilted his head slightly, studying her, his expression unreadable. "Your bloodline. Your heritage. The power you carry within you—it's not just a gift. It's a curse. The curse of the serpent."
Lila took a step back, her body shaking. "No… this isn't happening. It can't be. I'm not like them. I'm not a monster."
Lucian's gaze softened slightly, though his words remained firm. "You aren't a monster, Lila. But you are part of something much older, something much darker. You've always had a choice—but now, the path is before you. You can destroy the serpent's legacy, or you can become its vessel. But the choice is yours."
Lila swallowed hard, her thoughts racing. Destroy it? Become it? What does that even mean? She had always believed she was the hunter, the protector. But now, everything had shifted. She wasn't sure what side she was on anymore.
"Why are you telling me this?" she demanded, her voice low and furious. "You want me to join you, don't you? To become one of them."
Lucian's expression didn't change, though there was a flicker of something in his eyes—a hint of something darker, more dangerous. "I don't want you to join me, Lila. I want you to understand. You aren't just a hunter, and you're not just a weapon. You are the key to ending this war. But only if you choose to embrace it."
Lila felt a cold rush of fear flood through her veins. She didn't know what to think anymore. She didn't know who to trust. But as the stone beneath her feet hummed louder, vibrating with an energy she could almost taste, she knew one thing for certain: she could not escape her fate.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently, the walls of the chamber cracking as the glowing serpent carvings pulsed with an eerie light. The voice from earlier—You are the one—came again, louder this time, filling the space around her, echoing off the stone.
Lucian stepped back, his eyes narrowing. "It's already started. The awakening. You can't stop it."
Lila looked around, panic rising in her chest as she felt the walls close in around her. The temple was alive now, the dark energy building, pushing against her, pulling her closer to the pedestal.
But then something inside her snapped. I can't let this happen.
With a defiant cry, Lila lunged forward, her hand gripping the obsidian stone, forcing herself to stand tall against the overwhelming power that sought to consume her. For a moment, the world went dark.
And then, in the void, she felt it—a rush of power, of knowledge, flowing through her. Images, memories—her ancestors, her bloodline, the serpent's curse—flooded her mind. The power was hers, but it was dangerous. It was a weapon. And it was awakening.
Lila gasped, her heart pounding in her chest as the power surged inside her. She didn't know how to control it, how to stop it. But she knew one thing—she was no longer just a pawn in this war.
She was the storm.