Time’s Embrace

The woozy wind blew through the forest, causing the leaves to rustle and whisper secrets to one another.

The pink and purple hues of the sky cast a magical glow over everything, turning the world into a shimmering paradise.

Amidst this enchanting scene, there she stood, Lanta, her silhouette a graceful figure against the radiant backdrop.

Her presence seemed to illuminate the surroundings even more, as if she were an integral part of the natural beauty that surrounded her.

As time passed, Lanta's once dark black hair was slowly turning to grey, the color losing its richness and vibrancy. Her once lively green eyes began to fade, the spark of life diminishing with each passing day.

The white dress she wore, which once shimmered like a snake's skin, was now beginning to take on a darker, more muted hue.

Her small, gentle nose and thick, full lips seemed to wrinkle, and dark bags formed under her eyes. Her long black lashes, once full and luscious, began to lose their thickness, and her once small cheeks started to lose their youthful shape.

Time had left its mark on her, gently etching the passage of years across her once youthful features.

Lanta was losing her time; she was tired.

As she gently sat down, Karyan, not wearing a single thing, kneeled down before her. His eyes turned bigger when he saw his body in a bigger shape, more robust, touched by years. His muscles had grown stronger, and his frame had filled out, reflecting the natural progression of his youth into maturity.

As they looked at each other, Lanta and Karyan recognized the changes that the years had brought, and yet, their respect remained as strong as ever.

Karyan looked at his grown body in bewilderment and asked, "Why is my body so grown? I thought I was dying."

Lanta simply replied, "Your mind was asleep, frozen, but your body kept growing."

As Karyan examined his hand and noticed the missing fingers, memories of the demon who had cut them flooded back to him.

Gently standing up, Lanta calmly said, "I trusted you. I gave you Anaksu and then Sera to get your revenge. You failed, almost died."

Karyan lowered his voice and replied, "I was close to my goal, Lanta. But my body was weak."

"Don't try to deceive me with your words, Karyan!" Lanta raised her voice, her eyes immediately turning to their natural green color, and the leaves of the trees moved from the pressure of her voice.

"I know everything you did in the human world!" She added, almost shouting again.

"So why didn't you help me?" Karyan lifted his head.

Karyan rose, his naked skin shining in the sunlight. Without hesitation, he clenched his fist, ready for what was to come.

Lanta sneered, as she sat back down, "Are you talking back to me? You? A human?"

"Yes, Lanta…if you pretend to care about me so much, why didn't you help me?"

"You're a human! Don't you dare talk back to me! The queen of snakes!"

"Or what?"

"I saved your life twice! Anaksu sacrificed himself for you! And this is how you repay me?" Her upper lip lifted, it frowned, as she moved her head slightly to the left.

"How dare you?" She moved her fingers and squeezed Karyan's body.

He felt how every blood cell was going to explode, allowing it to stop circling inside.

She moved her fingers down, and with a weird force, Karyan kneeled down against his own will.

"Tttsscch!" He tried to fight back, but was helpless.

"Don't fight it! It's pointless…" she stated with a calm voice.

"Rel-release m-me, yo-you bitch!" He spoke through gritted teeth as his head boiled from the pressure growing inside his body.

But then, almost jokingly, Lanta's slim hand relaxed, and Karyan fell on his hands.

"Ah, ah…" he breathed in and out, trying to get his heart rhythm back into his place.

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you, Karyan."

"I'm sorry," he replied.

He was not sorry; matter of fact, he was simply questioning on which side she was on right now.

"Lanta, I'm sorry…"

"You are?" She furrowed her brow.

"Yes…I'm sorry for failing you, twice."

"Good, that's all I wanted to hear, Karyan," she glared at him, "an apology…" Lanta added.

Her voice was mystical; sometimes, she spoke like she was really ancient, with a deep and mysterious tone.

"Your body has grown, but you showed no potential whatsoever."

"How could I? According to you, I was in a coma."

"I used a lot of magic to keep you alive, Karyan."

"Yes, yes you did…" Karyan's eyes met hers, "but for what exact purpose then?"

Lanta stumbled a little.

"If you didn't believe in me and thought I was useless to you, then why did you save me? Why did you use your magic to help me wake up from sleep?"

"So did you really not see anything in me, to trust me?"

"That's not it," she finally replied with a quiet tone.

"Then what is it, Lanta? If you don't need me, if you will not give me my powers, kill me just here and now, end it. I know you have the power to do so."

"You got smarter…"

"Or you just have too much pride to admit that you need me. You need, Lanta…you're dying, slowly. I can see it."

Lanta's eyes widened, and her mouth opened a little.

She knew that already; she had lived for five thousand years, and her time was soon ending. She needed another ruler to replace her.

For so many years, she was desperate to find an heir to rule, and when Karyan almost died, she was losing her hope.

But Anaksu gave him half of his heart to save him, so snakes loved him, and looking at how he treated them, Karyan loved snakes too.

"You're right, I'm dying."