When Elena regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was the weight of her body, as if she were lying on a hard but living surface. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were heavy, and her mind was foggy. When her vision cleared, she realized that she was in a place where there was no light. There was no sky, only blackness—deep, endless, as if the world had swallowed up the light. There was a strange dampness in the air, and as she breathed, she felt the coolness of the earth sink into her lungs.
She sat up, startled. Her heart was beating wildly, and her hands were trembling. She looked around and saw long black pillars rising from the ground like the bones of a giant snake. These pillars bore subtle but terrifying markings—snakes, coiled together, as if swallowing each other. The place was silent, but this silence was not dead; it was a silence that watched, that listened.
Elena put her hand to her throat. She was having trouble breathing. Her greatest fear, the fear that had been in her heart since childhood, was now a reality around her. She felt the slightest movement on the ground. She looked down and her scream caught in her throat. Black snakes, countless black snakes, were crawling on the ground. They were passing by her feet, touching the edge of her dress, but not biting. It was even more terrifying than biting, because this world wanted to keep her alive.
"Seraph…" she whispered, but there was no answer to that name here. Her heart began to sink. She remembered how the ground had slipped from under her, how she had screamed and called out to Seraph, and then everything had turned to darkness. Tears began to flow from her eyes. She was trying to steady herself, but her being was trembling.
Then the atmosphere changed. The snakes stopped moving. As if some unseen command had pulled them back. A long shadow emerged from the darkness. Elena tried to back away, but her back was pressed against a hard wall. The shadow slowly approached, and then it stood before her.
He looked human, but there was no softness in his being. His eyes shone with a green light, and his gaze held the calm that only animals of prey possess. His robes seemed to be made of black, and his presence made the air heavier. He was the prince of the black snakes, the male serpent, the heir to this world. His name was Zyran Navar.
"You are afraid," he said in a low but resonant voice, as if fear were something familiar to him. "It is natural. Humans feel fear here."
Elena's voice barely came out. "Let me go. I cannot stay here." Zyran took a step forward. The shadows of snakes on the ground moved with her footsteps. "You are here because you are alive, and your life is part of the plans of others. Zarin has entrusted you to me, and I do not return the gifts of my allies." A cold wave ran through Elena's body. She remembered Seraph's face—his eyes, his voice, the protection of his arms. She prayed in her heart that he would find her. "I am no one's enemy," she cried. "I just want to go home."
Something changed in Zarin's eyes for a moment, but it was not the softness. "That's the problem," she said. "Your home is now a question." She raised her hand, and dark magic wrapped itself around Elena. Her body stopped moving. Fear gripped her completely.
At that moment, in another world, Seraph was staggering through the forest. His feet were injured, his clothes were torn, and there was no sign of sleep in his eyes. He had been wandering for days, in the mountains, in the plains, and in the deserted paths. Everywhere he was looking for the same scent, calling out the same name. He screamed, cried, then fell silent, as if his mind was slowly breaking.
His parents stopped him, explained, folded their hands in front of him, but he was in no condition to listen to anyone. For him, the world had now been divided into two parts—one where Elena was, and the other where nothing meant anything. Every night, he looked up at the sky and thought that if he did not find her, he would lose himself, and perhaps the whole world too.
These two worlds were connected by the same destiny at that time, but both were unaware of each other, immersed in pain and fear. And this was only the beginning.
Elena was sitting huddled in a corner. Her knees were pressed to her chest and her arms were tightly clasped together, as if she were trying to stop her own existence from shattering. The silence of the dark world echoed in her ears, and every moment it seemed to her as if the earth was breathing beneath her. The walls felt alive, as if they were sensing her fear and drawing closer. Her eyes closed again and again, but every time she opened them, the same darkness, the same slithering shadows of black snakes, and the same fear awaited her.
A sudden rustling sound echoed in the air, and the images of snakes on the walls began to move. Elena's heart began to beat faster. With every step she felt that these shadows were alive, watching her movements. She stood up, trembling, but her steps staggered and she was close to stopping breathing. At that moment, a faint light erupted from the ground, transforming into a blue and green magical halo. A mysterious magical symbol began to emerge at the center of the light, the power hidden within it making her heart tremble.
Elena felt a mysterious energy swirling in the air, and every rustle seemed to be testing her. Despite her fear, she gathered courage in her heart and tried to take a step forward. As she took a step forward, a soft but mysterious voice came from under the ground, "Do not be afraid, but be careful." This voice was not that of a human, but that of an ancient spirit or magical being, who was testing her.
At that moment, small snakes appeared from the middle of the black smoke, shining like glass. They were crawling around her, forming a web, but there was a strange dance and rhythm in their movements. Elena folded her hands and prayed in her heart for strength, so that she could stand firm in this terrifying magical world.
On the other side, Seraph stood on the edge of a mountain pass. His hands held a strange magical heat that was getting out of control. The wind swirled around him, as if reflecting his emotions. In front of him, small drops of light were falling on the ground, showing him the way in search of Elena. Seraph emptied his soul of all fear and anxiety and placed his hand on the ground, awakening the power of magic. Blue light emitted from his hands and spread to all corners of the earth, as if he himself had become a magical image.
Elena suddenly felt that the atmosphere was changing. The magic marks intensified and a deep resonance began to emerge from under the earth, as if some ancient power was awakening. The movement of the snakes quickened, their shadows began to dance on the walls, and a new color of fear filled the dark world. Elena's heartbeat increased to such an extent that she felt as if this world would swallow her up at any moment. But she pushed forward, suppressing her fear, feeling her inner strength with every step.
A flash of light shot through the air, and a magical door opened from the center of the earth. From this door, strange creatures appeared with light, some human-like but filled with magic, some mysterious creatures that no one had ever seen before. They all stood in her way like a test, but there was no hostility in their eyes, only a passion to test whether Elena could understand the power of this magical world.
Elena took a breath, strengthened her heart, and stepped towards the door. As she approached the door, the power of light formed a protective barrier around her. With each breath, she was learning the secrets of magic, with each step, fear was receding from her heart, and a glint of courage appeared in her eyes.
At that moment, the seraph sent all his power through the earth to Elena. For a moment, two worlds connected—one where Elena was trapped between fear and magic, and the other where Seraph was searching for her with his love and determination. Their fates were united for a moment, and Elena realized for the first time that she was not alone.
Seraph stepped into the middle of the forest and felt that the power of Zayran Navar's imprisonment was immense. With every step, he could feel the effects of Zayran's magic. The pillars of the earth trembled, whispers swirled in the air, and darkness spread everywhere. Zayran Navar had chained Elena and created a magical circle, within which were nets of light, magic, and fear. This circle was impenetrable to any ordinary magician. But Seraph's strength and the love in his heart had prepared him for this challenge.
He gathered all his energy and planted his feet in the ground. The feeling of love and protection for Elena in his heart was so intense that he was ignoring his exhaustion and weakness. He raised his hands and blew a ray of blue light into the ground, which slowly began to spread around Zayran's magical circle. The circle began to shake, the chain marks trembled, and the shadows of the snakes that represented Zyran's power began to retreat.
Zyran Novar immediately attacked, his green eyes shining, and he was trying to block the effects of the blue magic. But Seraph used the ancient talismans given by Eldor and spread a special magical ray between the earth and the air, which was completely resistant to Zyran's magic. This light contained the power and determination that only a true lover could create.
Seraph connected the full power of his heart to Elena. There was a strong command in his voice, tearing through Zyran's magical prison: "Elena! Be strong! I am taking you out!" The light of his magic penetrated the circle, falling on the chains, and began to break each bond one by one. Xyren tried to push the light back, but Seraph's love and courage were stronger than her.
Elena felt the chains' grip weakening. She added her own energy to her heart, and for a moment, the light of the ring also emerged from her body and mingled with Seraph's magic. The combination of their energy was breaking Xyren's magic, and the shadows of the snakes became helpless.
Xyren released the fire of anger from her green eyes, but Seraph used one last spell under the guidance of Eldor. Pillars of light rose from the ground, which began to block Xyren's attacks. It completely surrounded Xyren for a moment, so that she could not reach Elena.
At that moment, Seraph lifted Elena tightly in his arms and began to run. Every tree, every leaf, and gust of wind in the forest joined his courage. Xyren left behind the remnants of the magic of the night and the snakes. At every step, spots of light were limiting Xyren's magic, and Seraph was using all his energy to free Elena from her captivity.
As soon as they reached the foot of the tallest tree in the forest, Seraph used a powerful spell, causing Xyren's snakes and magic to completely retreat. The ground began to shake, halos of light spread in the air, and the magic of the chains was broken. Elena was free, and for the first time she felt safe in Seraph's arms.
Seraph held Elena tightly to his chest. Xyren Novar had been defeated; his snakes and magic had become ineffective. Both the light and the wind of the forest were in Elena and Seraph's favor. At that moment, Seraph and Elena realised that no matter how many dangers came, no matter how powerful the magic, love and determination were the greatest power, and this power could protect them from every danger.
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