56. A Moment

"Can you talk to me?" Nagini asked, her voice filled with doubt.

"What?" Nagini's doubtful gaze met his.

"Maledictus," he stated.

Nagini's emotional response caused her to whisper, "I... I don't want to discuss this."

It was evident that she cherished Aurelius as a friend and wanted to avoid bringing up the Maledictus.

"I mean... I hope to learn as much as possible about the Maledictus. Maybe I can save you, just as I saved myself," Aurelius said earnestly.

Nagini was taken aback; she had never considered this possibility.

She had resigned herself to her fate, only wishing to experience the world as a human in her remaining sober years.

"Remember? I am the only Obscurial who has survived beyond the age of ten," Aurelius remarked, aiming to bolster his credibility. "I can't guarantee anything for certain, but it's at least worth trying."

Nagini's eyes brightened as she scrutinized Aurelius, searching for sincerity.

All she saw was honesty.

Because that was Aurelius's true intention – there was no reason for him to hide or deceive.

"Maledictus, those are the only words I know. I know it will gradually transform me into a beast. I know nothing more," Nagini spoke slowly.

"Where is your mother? Do you remember what happened to her?" Aurelius inquired.

"Mom..." Nagini's voice trailed off, a painful sensation gripping her heart. She whispered, "I have very few memories of her. She would often disappear, but when I was around five or six years old, she vanished completely. Gone. The last time I saw her was when I glimpsed a large python. I thought that might be her, transformed into a snake, dwelling somewhere deep in the jungle."

Aurelius contemplated her words. "So, the Maledictus inherited by the person only turns them into the same type of animal."

"Not necessarily," Nagini countered. "Although my memories are hazy, I do recall seeing that large snake. It was different from me – a Burmese python. I encountered this type of snake as a child in the jungle. Knowing various animals was necessary when living there; I'm certain."

"And what about you? I lack knowledge about these snakes," Aurelius admitted.

"I don't know. It appears I am a reticulated python, a common type of python found in Southeast Asia. However... my father told me that reticulated pythons aren't venomous, yet I am," Nagini lamented. She didn't even know her true form as the Maledictus had clouded her understanding.

Aurelius narrowed his eyes. "Carlos mentioned that there is a family of Maledictus in Egypt..."

"Are you suggesting..." Nagini began.

"You are uninformed. I need more information about the Maledictus. A journey to Egypt could be a matter of life and death for you," Aurelius affirmed.

"I will accompany you!" Nagini blurted out, but her enthusiasm quickly dampened as she remembered her circumstances. 

She is a beast, and she can only be a beast performer in the circus.

But Aurelius is different. At least on the surface, Aurelius is a wizard.

Aurelius, who could guess Nagini's thoughts, looked at the girl with a tragic fate. It seemed that he felt a sense of pity that he hadn't felt in a long time.

He gently reached out his hand to brush Nagini's hair away from her forehead and whispered in a soft voice, "Don't be sad, don't feel inferior, Nagini. You were never meant to be a lesser person. We are all born to endure suffering. Other people may use our suffering to mock, ridicule, and despise us, but that's their problem. We can't let their judgments define us. We are all born free, so who can look down on us?"

"You have to be confident and have a fighting spirit. It's easy to accept defeat. Only by rebelling against your destiny can you truly live. If I had accepted my fate, I would have been burned to ashes long ago. If I had accepted my fate, I would have been destroyed by Obscurus before I turned ten. I don't accept my fate, and neither should you. If I had accepted my fate, I would be living a cowardly and hidden life, instead of dreaming of traveling the world."

"I deeply love this world that has brought me suffering. Anything that can't defeat me will only make me stronger. I want to travel the world. I want to see what this world, which has brought me endless suffering, is really like. For example, I long for the day when I can no longer hide my eyes, the day when my heart can no longer be buried, the day when all beings understand my intentions, and the day when all pain disappears. Nagini, look at me - tell me, do you accept your fate?"

As Nagini's soul burned with passion, the impact of his words was remarkable!

Nagini closed her eyes, her nose twitching as she took a deep breath. It didn't smell pleasant - the scent of dampness and decay seeped into her nostrils.

She had been locked up here for many years, and she thought she had become accustomed to the smell, but now she realized that the mixture of dampness, decay, and the scent of various magical creatures was anything but pleasant. She was not used to it.

"I don't accept my fate. I long for freedom. I love my life, the life that is meant for me. I have just begun to see the world with open eyes. I don't want to live in a haze, wandering like a confused snake." Nagini's weak voice couldn't hide her strong determination.

"Nagini, I walk a lonely path--"

"I will accompany you. From now on, you won't be alone--"

"Even if I can't save you in the end?""Even if you can't save me in the end," Nagini said very seriously. But then, with a mix of jest and seriousness, she continued, "If that day comes, Aurelius, kill me. End me as Nagini. Give me a funeral that belongs to people and belongs to Nagini."

"Maybe I'm not meant to be in your life for long. Perhaps I'm just passing through, an unlucky and inconspicuous girl. But please remember, my friend Aurelius, you are everything to me. You are my only best friend," Nagini's voice was filled with emotion, causing Aurelius's heart to tremble.

Some people can become immortal in an instant. The sun and moon need not bear witness to their eternal friendship. It simply takes a single moment, the moment when two hearts resonate. It's a shame that in such a captivating scene, there are always those who fail to understand the beauty.

"Aurelius! What are you doing?!"