Lila felt a strange pull as she stood before the ancient ruins, a sensation that tugged at her chest, urging her to step forward. The temple, covered in moss and time, felt like a sleeping beast, waiting for something to awaken it. A part of her wanted to turn back, to flee into the wilderness and never look back. But the other part, the part that had been awakened by the serpent's power, knew there was no escaping it. Not anymore.
Lucian's words echoed in her mind: The serpent will test you. It will demand something from you.
She shuddered, her heart racing.
"I'm not ready for this," she muttered under her breath.
Lucian, sensing her hesitation, turned to face her fully. His dark eyes were unreadable, but there was a certain intensity in his gaze—a mix of determination and something else. Perhaps understanding. Perhaps something more.
"You don't have to be ready," he said, his voice low and steady. "You just have to be willing. The power will either consume you or empower you. But the choice is yours to make."
Lila looked at him, her throat tight with the weight of his words. The choice is yours to make.
It sounded so simple. But nothing about this was simple. Nothing about the serpent's curse, about the life she had inherited, was easy.
"What happens if I can't control it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't want to hear the answer, but she had to ask.
Lucian's expression softened, his jaw tightening for a moment as if the question hit too close to home. "Then it controls you."
Lila's pulse quickened. That was the last thing she wanted. She wasn't sure who or what Lucian was—he was as much a mystery as the serpent itself—but she knew one thing. He seemed to know more than anyone else. And she needed to trust him, at least for now.
She glanced once more at the temple. There was something about it that made her skin crawl. It wasn't just the power of the serpent—it was the sense that it had been waiting here, dormant, for centuries, only to awaken with her arrival.
Lucian began to walk toward the entrance of the temple, his steps sure and deliberate. Lila hesitated for a moment, but then followed. She didn't want to be left behind. Not now. Not when she was so close to understanding everything.
The door to the temple was barely a door at all, more like a hollowed-out frame of stone, the remnants of what had once been a grand entrance now reduced to rubble. Beyond it lay a long, dark corridor, shrouded in shadows that seemed to absorb the light from the outside. Lila felt her pulse quicken, her instincts screaming at her to turn back, to flee.
But Lucian walked ahead without a second glance, his presence commanding, as if he were intimately familiar with the darkness surrounding them.
"Stay close," he called over his shoulder, his voice echoing through the empty temple. "This place is more than just a relic. It's a prison."
Lila swallowed hard, forcing herself to move forward. The air grew colder as she entered the temple, her breath misting in front of her. She could almost feel the weight of centuries pressing down on her, as if the walls themselves were watching her every move.
They walked deeper into the heart of the temple, the path growing narrower and more treacherous with each step. The darkness was thick here, almost tangible, and the stone beneath their feet was slick with moisture. Lila's heart raced as they moved deeper, the walls closing in around them.
"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would disturb something sleeping in the shadows.
"We're almost there," Lucian replied, his voice unwavering. "This is where it all begins. Where the first of your ancestors made their pact."
Lila's thoughts whirled. A pact with the serpent. Was that what she was about to do? Was she about to take the same step they had?
She stopped walking, the weight of the decision sinking into her chest. Her breath caught in her throat.
"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered. "I'm not like them."
Lucian turned to face her, his dark eyes softening for the first time since they entered the temple. He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers.
"You are exactly like them, Lila," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "You carry the same blood, the same power. The serpent chose you for a reason. It always chooses its heir."
Lila shook her head. "I don't want it. I don't want to be its heir."
"I know," Lucian replied, his voice quiet. "But this isn't a matter of want. It's a matter of fate."
Lila closed her eyes for a moment, her fists clenched. She felt the serpent stir inside her, its restless energy seeping into her bones, demanding her attention. I can't ignore it. I can't fight it.
She opened her eyes and looked at Lucian, her voice filled with resignation. "What do I have to do?"
Lucian smiled, his expression like that of someone who had waited a long time for this moment. "Follow me. And be prepared for what comes next."
He turned away and led her deeper into the temple, his figure disappearing into the shadows. Lila followed, though every instinct screamed at her to stop, to turn and flee.
They reached a large, circular chamber deep within the temple. At the center of the room was a massive stone altar, surrounded by ancient symbols etched into the floor. The symbols were glowing faintly, a deep crimson that seemed to pulse with an ancient power.
"This is where the first pact was made," Lucian said, his voice low and reverent. "The binding circle. Where blood was spilled and power was transferred. Where your ancestors swore their loyalty to the serpent."
Lila's stomach turned. She could feel the power radiating from the altar, dark and intoxicating, calling to her. Her fingers tingled as if they were being drawn toward the symbols, toward the blood-stained stone.
Lucian turned to her, his expression serious. "This is your choice, Lila. You can step into the circle, bind yourself to the serpent's legacy, and take control of its power. Or you can walk away and let it consume you."
Lila looked at the circle, at the altar, and for the first time since she had learned of the serpent's curse, she felt a sense of finality. This was it. There was no turning back from this.
She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Let's do it," she said, her voice steady.
Lucian nodded and stepped aside, motioning for her to approach the altar.
With trembling hands, Lila stepped forward, the symbols on the floor glowing brighter as she crossed into the circle. The air grew thick with energy, and the serpent inside her stirred, eager and restless.
As she stood at the center of the altar, she could feel it—the weight of her ancestors' pact, the pull of the serpent's power. The ancient magic was calling to her, offering her everything.
And in that moment, Lila made her choice.
The serpent's legacy would be hers to control.