Lila's steps echoed against the stone as they left the temple behind, the heavy doors closing with a resounding thud. The power in her veins still pulsed with a furious energy, but there was something else—a strange, unshakeable awareness. As if every movement she made was now being observed, as if the world itself was waiting for her next decision.
She glanced at Lucian, who walked beside her with an air of calm, almost detached. His eyes were scanning the surroundings, alert, calculating. It was clear he wasn't just guiding her through this. He was preparing for something. Something that was coming.
"We're not safe yet, are we?" Lila asked, her voice low.
Lucian's gaze shifted briefly to her. "No. You've made your claim, but that doesn't mean it's over. There are others who seek the serpent's power. And they will stop at nothing to take it from you."
Lila's heart skipped a beat. Others. The words rang in her mind like a warning bell. How many others? And how dangerous are they?
"You said there were others like me," she said, her voice tight. "What do they want?"
Lucian didn't answer right away. He kept walking, his pace steady, as if he were considering the best way to explain it. Finally, he spoke.
"Some will want to control the serpent's power for their own purposes. To rule, to destroy, to reshape the world in their image. Others…" He paused, his lips curling into something that was almost a smile but wasn't. "Others want the power for more personal reasons. Revenge. Vengeance. Grief."
Lila's stomach twisted at the thought. These people, these others, were out there. And they wouldn't hesitate to tear her apart to get what they wanted.
"How do we find them?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. She felt the weight of the power inside her, the serpent's mark still fresh on her skin, still burning through her veins. It would take time to master it, but she was already acutely aware of its reach. It wasn't just an internal force anymore—it was part of her existence. And whatever these others were, she would fight them. She had no choice.
Lucian shot her a brief, hard look. "You don't find them, Lila. They find you."
Before she could respond, the distant howl of a wolf pierced the silence. It was long, haunting—a sound that was at once familiar and unsettling.
Lila's instincts flared. Her eyes scanned the horizon, but there was nothing in sight. The sun had just begun to set, casting long shadows across the path ahead, the air growing cooler.
Another howl came, closer this time, and then another. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She wasn't sure what it was about that sound, but it felt wrong. Too wrong.
Lucian's posture stiffened. He stopped walking, his hand going to the blade at his side. "Get ready," he said, his voice low and controlled. "They're here."
Lila instinctively reached for her own weapons, though she wasn't sure what good they would do against whatever threat was coming. The serpent's power swirled inside her, restless, and she clenched her fists. She hadn't learned to fully harness it yet—but there was no time for hesitation.
The ground beneath them rumbled slightly, and a cold wind whipped through the trees. Something was coming. Something dangerous.
Then, in the distance, she saw them.
A group of figures, moving swiftly through the trees, their shapes blurring in and out of sight like shadows. There were four of them, tall and lithe, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. They moved with a predatory grace, and Lila felt a chill creep up her spine.
They weren't human.
Not entirely.
The first one broke from the trees, lunging toward them with inhuman speed, its eyes gleaming like molten gold. Lila barely had time to react before Lucian was in motion, his blade flashing as he sliced through the air, catching the creature's arm with a swift, practiced strike. It recoiled with a sharp screech, but it didn't retreat.
"These are the hunters," Lucian said, his voice taut. "They're part of the group that seeks the serpent's power. Druids."
Lila's eyes widened. Druids. She had heard the term before—people who wielded magic tied to the earth, the elements. But these weren't the druids of stories. These were monsters, twisted by dark power.
Another druid emerged from the trees, a woman with wild, untamed hair and eyes that burned with a fiery intensity. She threw her hands out, and a gust of wind howled through the clearing, knocking Lucian off balance. The woman smirked, her lips curling in satisfaction.
"You're the one who has taken the serpent's power," she said, her voice a lilting melody, but cold as ice. "How… quaint."
Lila stood, her heart racing, watching Lucian rise to his feet, his eyes fixed on the druid woman with a mix of wariness and resolve.
"We won't let you have it," Lucian said, his voice steady.
The druid woman laughed. "Oh, how sweet. You think you can protect her?" She stepped forward, her hands glowing with an ethereal energy. "We've waited for this day. The serpent's heir, finally revealed. But it's too late for her. We've already made our offer."
Lila frowned. "Offer?"
The druid's eyes locked onto hers, and she smiled wickedly. "The serpent has its own plans for you, little one. You can't escape it. You think you control it now, but it will devour you. Just like it did with the others."
Lila's blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"
The druid's smile widened. "The serpent's power is a curse, a hunger. It feeds on its host. And soon, it will burn you out. That's why we're here. We've come to offer you a way out. Join us, and we can free you from its grasp. Reject Lucian. Reject the serpent. And together, we can end it."
Lila stood frozen, the druid's words lingering in her mind, the weight of them pressing down on her like a mountain. Was this what awaited her? Would the serpent truly consume her from the inside out?
She felt the power surge within her, a storm of energy that was both beautiful and terrifying. The serpent's voice whispered in the back of her mind, demanding her obedience, urging her to destroy these enemies. But Lucian's words, too, echoed in her ears. Control it. Don't let it control you.
The druid woman reached out, her fingers sparking with energy. "What will it be, heir of the serpent? Will you join us, or will you burn with it?"
Lila took a deep breath. Her fists clenched, and the serpent inside her roused, eager to strike.
"I'll burn," she said, her voice unwavering.
And with that, she summoned the serpent's power—letting it consume her, but only enough to fight.
The battle was about to begin.