Guardian Of The Serpent

'Once again, the Darkness is trying to claim me and my soul. Five years of plotting my revenge, only to die from the same hands for the same reason. Useless, pathetic, weak, and unreasonable – that's how I see myself. 

I hurt people around me for my own benefit, to survive, to live…but maybe just one more time, I can make things right.

Perhaps I can find a way to break free from this cycle of darkness and pain. But as I lay here wounded and broken, I still have hope stirring within me. 

Despite the overwhelming despair, I can't shake the feeling that there's still a chance for redemption, for revenge…'

Sera nestled up to Karyan, her cold, damaged, and torn skin enveloping his wounded hand, offering comfort and solace as he prepared to leave in peace.

Karyan fought against his failing body, blood seeping from his head, lips, nose, broken ribs, and leg. 

Despite his physical struggle, he yearned to reach out and caress Sera with his other hand.

"S-Sera?" He strained to speak, forcing the words through his lips. "S-Sera..."

He struggled to lift his right hand and placed it on the small serpent's head, saying, "There, let's go together now..." Then, Karyan closed his eyes, and darkness overtook him.

~

"It's a boy!" 

"Is he injured?" 

"Yes! He looks just a few years younger than me…" 

The old woman furrowed her eyebrows, more wrinkles formed on her forehead, "is he alive then?" 

"His chest is moving, but slowly…" 

"So he doesn't have much left, let's leave him here and just let the demons claim him," the old woman stated, but the boy had a different reaction. 

"No!" He yelled. 

"No?" 

"No! If we leave him here, other demons will take him to the darkness and he will never come back from there." 

"That's the point," the granny shot back.

"No! I will not let the demons eat another child! Help me to place him on my back, grandma." 

"You're weak, you will not manag-"

"Please, just this one time…allow me to save someone…" 

"You youngsters always must stress the old woman like me out…and what did I do to deserve this?" 

"Look, grandma! His left hand is missing, but there's a snake…" 

"A snake?" The old woman leaned closer, "oh my, it's actually a real snake…" 

"It looks like it's trying to protect the boy! I've never seen snakes act this way." 

"Yes…" the grandma shook her head, "I only saw such a view once…" 

"Now help me!" The boy, who was about nine years old, had slim legs and weak arms, squatted down and gently removed Karyan's hand from the snake's head. 

"Be careful, don't wake the snake, it might bite you!" 

"The snake too looks lifeless, I doubt, grandma." 

"Soren, you should be more careful with the things around you, because you never know when-" 

"And you should just help me lift him up, gram, we have no time! Mother will be waiting for us!" 

"See, this is what I'm talking about!" 

For a while, they struggled to lift his body but eventually, Karyan was on Soren's back.

"Isn't he too heavy?" 

"He looks like he's five or six years old, of course, he isn't." 

Despite his small frame, Soren's willingness fueled his strength, and he trudged forward with Karyan's limp body on his back. 

The old woman, though complaining, assisted as best as she could, her hands guiding and supporting the boy's legs.

The snake, still wrapped around Karyan's missing hand, somehow seemed less threatening now, more like an unusual guardian than a wild creature. 

As they walked, the old woman couldn't help but glance back at the snake, her eyes were curious and concerned.

"What's on your mind, grandma?" Soren asked, catching the old woman's gaze.

"I'm just thinking about the snake, Soren. It's rare to see such a bond between a human and a wild creature, especially a snake."

"Do you think it's a good sign?" Soren inquired with hope and weariness.

"It might be. Or it could simply be a strange quirk of fate. Either way, it's not our place to question it now. Let's focus on getting this boy some help."

As they reached their humble abode, Soren's mother, a woman of strong build and kind eyes, rushed out to meet them, her face etched with concern. "What happened? Who is this child?"

"We found him like this, near the edge of the dark forest," Soren said between breaths, his energy waning.

"Bring him inside, quickly!" she instructed, her voice firm yet laced with compassion.

They laid Karyan down on a makeshift bed by the hearth, where warmth and light could aid in his recovery. 

The mother examined Karyan's wounds with a practiced eye, her past years as a healer coming to the fore.

"His injuries are severe, but with proper care, he may yet survive," she said, already reaching for her herbs and bandages. "The snake, though... It's a peculiar thing. I'll need to remove it to treat his hand."

Soren watched with bated breath as his mother carefully detached the snake from the boy. 

To everyone's surprise, the serpent did not resist, but instead slithered away into a corner, its eyes never leaving Karyan's body.

Over the coming days, Karyan's life hung in the balance, teetering between the world of the living and the clutches of the darkness he had so narrowly escaped. 

But with the care of the family and the silent vigil of the mysterious snake, slowly, signs of healing began to manifest.

The boy's breathing steadied, the color returned to his cheeks, and eventually, he opened his eyes to a world he did not recognize,

"Hello, Karyan…"