Night descended on Serpentia as if the sky had been covered with a black cloak.
The towering towers of the palace stood silent,
but ancient magic whispered within their walls.
Elena sat on the marble floor. Her hands still glow with a faint golden light. The snake mark pulsed in her skin as if alive. She kept looking at her hand,
then at her breathing, which was sometimes rapid, sometimes shallow.
"What have I become...?" The question stood like an arrow in her heart.
But there was no answer. The seraph stood by the door.
His eyes held the pain that only those who have crossed their limits in love can know.
"You are not asleep," he said softly. Elena did not raise her head. "I am afraid,"
she whispered. "When I close my eyes, it feels like my body is becoming someone else's."
The seraph's heart broke. He came to her, but did not touch her. "I saved you,"
he said. "But I do not know what I have made of you."
Elena looked at him for the first time. "So you do not know either?"
The seraph bowed his head. "The snake prince's poison either defeats death or changes fate."
Tears filled Elena's eyes. "And if I..." His voice trembled
"What if I can't return to being human?" The seraph clenched his fist.
"Then I will fight this world," he said "But I won't leave you alone."
At that moment, ancient bells rang in the palace's great hall.
"Imperial Council!" a guard's voice rang out. Seraph was startled. "They came too soon..."
Elena asked in fear: "Who are they?" "Those who are above the law," Seraph said
"And devoid of love."
Elena's breath caught as she entered the hall. Seven great serpents were sitting on the stone throne.
Their eyes were filled with the wisdom of thousands of years and the cruelty of the cruel.
"Is this the human girl?" One serpent said
"The one the prince poisoned?" Elena's heart trembled.
The seraph stepped forward. "She is no longer human,"
she said in a strong voice "And she is not a prisoner either."
Another serpent laughed. "But she is not a full serpent either," she said
"She is something in between...and things in between
are dangerous. "Elena controlled herself.
"I do not wish harm to anyone," she said
"I only want to live." Whispers began to rise in the council.
"If you truly want to be a part of this world," the eldest serpent said, "then you must pass through the Pool of Light." The seraph was startled. "That test could kill you!" "Or reveal the truth," the elder serpent said. "We don't know what it will be." Elena looked at the seraph. "What if I don't go?" "Then you will be imprisoned forever," came the reply. Silence fell. Elena took a deep breath. "I will go."
The pool was shining like moonlight.
The shadows of snakes were floating in the water. Elena stepped in.
Suddenly, her body began to burn, and a golden light spread.
"Elena!" the seraph shouted.
The scenery began to change before Elena's eyes.
She saw herself in human form,
then in the form of a golden serpent,
then in between the two. A voice came: "What do you want to be?"
Elena cried. "I... I want to be myself!"
A storm broke out in the water.
Suddenly everything stopped.
Elena fell out of the water. Her breathing was broken, but alive.
Her handprint was still there, but the glow was sometimes bright,
sometimes dim. The council was stunned.
"This… this decision is not complete…"
The elder serpent said: "Her fate is now in her own hands."
The seraph held Elena. In this moment,
he cared not for any law, for any throne.
"I am with you," he said, "Whether you remain human
or become a serpent..." Elena closed her eyes.
"I don't want an answer right now," she said,
"Perhaps time will tell what I am."
The seraph pressed his forehead to hers.
Far away, in the darkness, Zareen's laughter echoed.
"You have passed the test..." She said,
"But the war is still on." Blood-like clouds began to gather in the sky.
The elder serpent said softly:
"As long as the secret of whether the girl is a full serpent or not is alive, both worlds will be in danger."
Elena held Seraph's hand tightly. "Whoever I am..."she said,
"I am not alone."
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