2 The Black Serpent

Jolting from sleep with a ringing alarm, Zyda sluggishly stretched her arm to snooze it. She stared at the ceiling; fresh memories from yesterday flashed through her mind. Tears flowed from her eyes; it was the only thing she could think of to reduce her sorrow.

A clear image of her younger brother immediately flashed in her eyes. His poker face was filled with worry, perfectly masked with anger. Only she could fathom her brother's face and knew the person behind the blank expression like the back of her hand. All the memories played back like a movie.

Zyda finally managed to freshen up for the day. She planned to apologize to her brother for the harsh words she had said to him the previous day. Rolam was trying his best to help, and she was aware of it but was blinded in her sorrows. Zyda stared at the mirror while combing her hair; the reflection looked fresh and immaculate, only that her face was gaunt and haggard.

Her mind drifted into a session of thoughts. She was traumatized in that she was consistently spaced out. Everything seemed haywire to her.

Zyda closed the door to her room and sauntered toward the dining area. The dining area was in the middle of the kitchen, and the kitchen had a small window that faced a corridor leading to the bedroom ends.

"Good morning Ms Kutz?" Zyda greeted the housekeeper leaning at the small window in the kitchen.

"Oh! Morning Zyd. How are you feeling now? Breakfast is ready." The old lady replied in a slightly surprised, neutral tone and continued cleaning up the dishes.

Staring at an empty seat in the right-hand side corner of the sitting room, Zyda knitted her thin brows and asked concerningly. " Ms Kutz, have you seen Ro anywhere?"

" He left earlier than usual today,"

A brief silence followed as Zyda thought for a moment; she finally asked, looking at Miss Kutz, "Did he leave any message for me perhaps?"

" Unfortunately he didn't leave anything," the housekeeper spoke, shaking her head with a frown.

Everyone departed to their businesses after the short conversation.

Zyda took her breakfast, but everything she ate seemed bitter. Naturally, she was used to having breakfast with her brother sitting opposite her. It was his seat since childhood. She looked around the area, and an image of her family having breakfast flashed; a small voice of a little boy rung into her mind.

"I will sit here with my Zyd. From today it's my permanent seat." a little ten-year-old boy muttered bravely. His words were thoughtful, but everyone glanced at his cute actions.

"Haha, you sure are silly," a little girl uttered, gently ruffling the boy's hair.

Those days were lovely, and now things look dark. Zyda looked like a zombie, for the past days had tormented her. She wished to reverse the previous day so she could apologize to Ro. He simply disappeared without a trace, no message or anything.

Zyda sluggishly went to Rolam's room, hoping to get something about his rendezvous. A king-sized bed was sitting alongside the right side of the room. It was neatly laid in his black and white painted room. His small bookshelf that stood on the left side of the room held a couple of books adequately stacked.

Beside the bookshelf was a standard chair and table, black and white. His room was arranged in an apple pie order; not even a trace of dust existed. A neat freak he was. All the hope Zyda held vanished to mist. This time it was crystal clear that he had disappeared. Zyda spent hours in Rolam's room searching for clues but all in vain. She sat on the floor defeatedly.

"I'm sorry Ro... I'm sorry. I promise to find you and this time... I won't let anything bad happen to you." she swore to herself with determined teary eyes.

Moments later, the room was in disarray since Rolam's stuff was disoriented due to Zyda's playing detective work. The following days were quiet and somber since Zyda controlled her emotions. She took walks on the beach, though, as the loneliness crept around her. For sure, life was never and would never be fair.

Sitting on the beach rock in the evening, watching the singing ocean waves as the skylarks happily flew away in majestic groups. It was a breathtaking scene. Zyda subconsciously drew a serpent on the beach sand.

"Whoosh!"

A black misty wind gushed from the ground forming a dragon-like serpent, black in color and massive, its black eyes stared intensely at her, but in the shake of a lamb's tail, the dragon disappeared.

Struck with awe, Zyda stared on, her mouth agape. Her head reeled with many thoughts; first, it was her parents, then her brother, and now mysterious energy emanating out of nowhere. It was just the beginning, and she was unaware of too much.

Maybe I am going nuts, she thought. With that, she ran home as fast as her legs carried her. Reaching the vicinities of their house, she calmed her thumping heart and wore a serene face. 

Zyda entered the house and straightly ran to her room to thoroughly contemplate her mind.

 Once in her room, she swiftly entered the bathroom and sat under the already flowing shower, fully dressed in her clothes with her knees brought to her chin.

"This is crazy, right? " she murmured, holding her head in confusion. She looked forlorn; her now wet hair further enhanced her chaotic situation.

A long journey awaited her, and she was to get ready for a roller coaster ride. Unfortunately, the 18-year-old girl had no clue. After spending half an hour in the shower room, Zyda came out of the bathroom completely wet. She dressed into her pajamas and slipped into her bed. She blankly glared at the white ceiling.

A sharp sensation attacked her chest. She felt numb rather than painful; it was as if her soul was floating. With that, her eyes rapidly closed. Strange burning energy generated in her body, making her feminine and fragile physique suddenly more potent, and it felt weirdly familiar.

Meanwhile, somewhere in an enchanted golden manor, in a pitch dark room with tightly locked metallic gates, stood a red-bearded old man with long white hair dressed in a long black robe faced the window, his left eye covered with a black patch. His lips suddenly curled into an evil grin, his right black eye sparked red.

He then whispered, "She is coming."