Seven years back, she had surrendered everything in her battle against her one true lover and the evil within him. She wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again, this time against the said lover, definitely not if it was meant to protect the only treasure she had left: Auden.

An evil laughter resounded through the study walls. "Oh, princess, fret not. You won't be facing the same weak, pitiful version of me. Back then, I couldn't even harm you as much as plucking a hair from your head."

Auden ran his fingers over his own body, a wicked smirk spreading across his face. "He's a lot more powerful than I had anticipated. Quite impressive, really," he said, his expression oozing malevolence. "This brother of yours, with me on his mind, is an entirely different beast."

The next thing she knew was her body being lifted from the ground, propelled through the air with a powerful force. She crashed into one of the wooden walls, the impact leaving her sprawled on the floor, disoriented and vulnerable. Her gasps and strained breaths harmonised with the menacing hisses of the snake. The room seemed to tilt and spin, disoriented as her body screamed in pain.

A hissing sound pierced the air. Ada forced herself to focus, blinking through the pain to see Auden—no, Gan—slithering towards her. His body had taken on the full form of a serpent, long and sinewy, his movements terrifyingly precise despite the eerily grace. The candlelight flickered, casting monstrous shadows across the room as the snake's emerald eyes locked onto hers, gleaming with malevolence.

"Is that your best, Ada?" The snake's malicious chuckles reverberated in her ears. It slowly slithered across the room, its eyes fixed on Ada, narrowing with predatory focus. "You think you can stop me again?" the snake's voice mocked. Do you even have the strength left?"

"You're a fucking bastard." She pat and it snapped the serpent's resolve. 

Gan lunged.

Ada barely dodged, rolling to the side just as the fangs struck the floor where she had been. Splinters flew as the wooden planks gave way under the serpent's force. Gan's body coiled back with terrifying speed, his eyes never leaving her, watching her every movement.

He didn't bother with spells or magic anymore; his body was the weapon now. Each motion was deliberate, each strike faster than she could anticipate. Ada could barely keep up, stumbling backward as she tried to summon her magic again, hands trembling. She raised her hand, trying to summon a shield like she had before, but it flickered, unstable, like a spark struggling to ignite. The magic twisted within her, not obeying her commands, as though something else was trying to guide it. The shield materialized for a split second before fizzling out, leaving her exposed.

Her heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. She had grown weaker. She knew that. Years of neglect had left her powers rusty, unpredictable. But she had no choice—she had to fight. Her aim was set precisely on the lone window. She made a break for it, sprinting toward the window as fast as her legs could carry her. But the serpent was faster. He coiled in front of her, blocking her path with his massive body, his fangs bared, venom dripping.

"Running, princess?" Gan taunted, his serpentine body closing the distance between them with terrifying speed. "You're slower than I remember."

Ada gritted her teeth, her magic bubbling up again—this time, without her control. A bolt of light shot from her hand, wild and uncontrolled, slamming into the wall with explosive force. It missed him entirely. Her power was too erratic, too wild, slipping from her grasp like sand through her fingers.

The snake hissed with laughter, his forked tongue flickering in the air. "You can't even control your own power anymore," he sneered, slithering closer. "Pathetic."

He struck again, this time aiming for her legs. Ada barely managed to leap over him, her movements clumsy and desperate. She landed hard, breathless, her body trembling from the effort. The floor beneath her cracked under the force of Gan's next strike, his tail sweeping across the room like a whip, sending furniture crashing.

In stark contrast to Gan's serpentine fluidity, Ada felt the weight of her own feeble abilities. Years of neglect and lack of training had left her powers diminished, a mere shadow of their former strength. She questioned herself, wondering if she could ever match her brother's skills even if it was not for the snake now he was possessed with. 

The serpent had finally closed the gap between them and launched at her, fangs bared, venom dripping. The air resonated with the ominous hisses, and the vibrant scales on Auden's snake form seemed to ripple with malevolent energy.

She could do no better than cover herself, raising her hands in defence and squeezing her eyes shut. Surprisingly, the strike never came. Instead, a howl made her open her eyes. There it was. A white diamond-like shield she had tried to built before, had formed around her on its own will, her eyes shining the brightest they ever would, protecting herself from the serpent. The sudden release sent a shock wave through the room, disrupting the eerie stillness that had settled during their confrontation. Ada's breaths came in ragged gasps as she distanced herself from the serpent, her eyes fixated on its sinuous form.

Her voice emerged, a desperate plea to the remnants of her brother within Auden's cursed vessel. "Auden, please! Fight it! This is not you." Her words wove through the serpentine hisses, a beacon of hope in the face of encroaching darkness.

Gagagore, frustrated by Ada's resilience, launched at her yet again, determined to sink its venomous fangs into her smooth flesh. And yet again, her spells collided with the creature, filling the room with crackling energy and vibrant hues. Bolts of energy shot from Ada's fingertips, meeting the snake's formidable form manifestations with dazzling displays of light and sound. The air hummed with the intensity of their magical clash, each manoeuvre seeking to gain the upper hand.

Wooden walls splintered under the weight of their powers, cracks spider-webbing across the room as the destructive forces unleashed their fury. Ada's movements became more instinctual, but her will never wavered. She felt the weight of her own feeble abilities.

She had to get out of here. Warn others. Get help. They did not need her. But they needed Auden. She crawled towards the window, ducking and rolling as the snake struck over and over.

"You're not leaving," Gan hissed, his voice a low, threatening growl. "Not this time." Bared fangs dripped with venom, Auden's every motion as a snake was deliberate.

Her determination intensified as she fought back against Gan's relentless attacks. She refused to let the darkness completely consume Auden. Just the way it has consumed Gan. Deep down, she knew that somewhere within him, the brother she loved still existed, buried beneath the shadows.

In a fresh resolve, she got back to her feet, a low stool nearby being her strength. "I won't let you harm anyone else, Gan Gagagore," Ada declared, her voice echoing with newfound determination.

From the smirks of victory when his serpent-like spells struck true, to the flashes of rage when Ada evaded his serpent-like attacks, his expressions betrayed the frustration of not overpowering her as he had anticipated. Astonishment mixed with anger crossed his serpent face when Ada's abilities neutralised his serpent-infused magic. The unexpected turn of events only fuelled his determination to overcome her.

"You know so well, Ada-you know it yourself that villains aren't born." Ada hissed both in pain and annoyance as the venom seeped into her shoulder, burning. "The world makes them. You, me, we are no different apart from the fact that I fight for my ground, and you've already accepted your defeat."

"I don't care anymore. I don't care if the world wronged you. I used to worry—used to agonize over it—but you've proven you're not worth it," Ada's voice trembled with fury. "But Auden? He's different. It's my fault he's suffering, because of me. If I hadn't made the mistake of loving you, he wouldn't be caught in this nightmare. But I won't let your darkness consume him. Never. Not while I still draw breath."

As the pain from the venom surged through her, it ignited a spark deep within. Her powers flared to life, raw and unrestrained. She channeled the energy into a strike, amplifying it with all her strength, and hurled it directly at the serpent that had taken root inside Auden.

"Auden, if you're in there and if you can still hear me," she paused, finally the hot tears making their escape, leaving a wet trail along her cheeks in their wake. "I'm sorry. I really am. I know you felt lonely. I know you felt hopeless. I'm sorry, but know that I love you, and abandoning you was never my plan. I want you to fight alongside me. I want you to take control."

Her rival followed her trails as he conjured a ball of voltage, his palms practically catching fire. "I wasn't gonna do this just yet, but you're calling for it, Primrose," The voice in Auden scoffed.

The serpent's attack launched on her and set the old wooden shelf next to her exploding into pieces as she jumped out of the way in the last possible second. The impact sent shockwaves reverberating, fragments of wood splintered and flew through the air, and the room echoed with a deafening boom.

Ada shielded herself, steadier this time, tapping into the dormant wellspring of her last defence against Gan's impending attack. The strain of their powers weighed heavily on her, but she refused to surrender. Her eyes locked with Gan's, fuelled with despair. The force of the serpent collided with the shield, causing a blinding explosion of light. The air thickened, and a swirling white mist enveloped the space.

Ada's body trembled, her shield wavering under the strain. Smoke swirled around her, shrouding her vision. She couldn't tell if the shield had held, if she had managed to deflect the fatal serpent-like blow. A mixture of anticipation, fear, and exhaustion coursed through her veins.

Before she could ponder further, the room began to quake, the walls trembling as if possessed by an unseen force. The shards of wood floated mid-air, swirling in a chaotic dance, and the flickering lights cast eerie shadows across the room. The very atmosphere seemed to crackle.

Unable to comprehend what was going on, Ada's eyes widened in astonishment as she turned to the serpent-man. His emerald green eyes mirrored her surprise, their intensity capturing the shock that coursed through their veins. Both of them stood frozen, mouths agape, unable to comprehend the magnitude of what they were witnessing.

And then, the silence

Followed by an ear-piercing cry. Which sounded like a thousand howls and a thousand vicious talons scraping against every single glass panel of each window Luna Sanctum had. A blinding light suddenly enveloped the room, swallowing everything in its path. Ada shielded her eyes, her heart pounding.

And then, darkness.

With a resounding bang, the entire interior exploded, capturing Ada in a whirlwind of incomprehensible chaos. Her body was dragged, thrown, and thrashed, the howls of which the sources she couldn't comprehend reverberating through her ears. Unbearable pain and the assault on her senses overwhelmed her, and she voluntarily gave in to the darkness.

Random facts on Serpent Spirits:

In many cultures, serpent spirits are associated with transformation, rebirth, and regeneration. Like snakes shedding their skin, these spirits often represent the shedding of one's past self or evolving into a more powerful form.

In dark fantasy, the venom of serpent spirits often possesses magical properties. It can be a source of great strength, a deadly curse, or even a hallucinogenic substance that unlocks hidden knowledge or visions.

n several mythologies, serpent spirits embody the forces of temptation and corruption. Their whispers are said to influence mortals, leading them down dangerous paths or awakening forbidden desires.