⚠️ Content Warning:
This chapter contains themes of suicide and mental health struggles. If you or someone you know is struggling, please remember that you are not alone 💖. It's super important to practice self-care. Be kind to yourself and don't hesitate to talk to someone you trust.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION ⚠️
Mei slowly lifted the box's lid.
Inside, on the inner surface, strange markings were engraved — a kind of ancient language neither of them recognized.
"Translate," Kai uttered, brushing his fingers across the symbols. A moment later, the unknown letters shifted into words they could understand:
"If you free me… you will be rewarded."
They looked at each other — the silence between them heavier than the tunnel walls. Then, identical faint smiles appeared on their faces.
"Look, there's something else here…" Kai said as he picked up and examined the old paper from the altar.
"Translate," he added, then began reading aloud:
"The Ancient Warning of the Snake Of Illusions
Hearken, ye wanderers of shadowed paths and seekers of forbidden truths,
Beware the serpent known as the Snake Of Illusions, the most dreadful Calamity of them all,
Whose presence doth weave webs of madness and despair upon the soul.
None who have gazed upon its ever-shifting eyes
Have lived to tell the tale, for they have been swallowed by the darkness within,
And plunged into eternal silence by their own trembling hands.
Yet, should thy heart be bold and thy will unyielding,
And if thou dost command the sacred art of Active Magic,
Know this truth, whispered through the ages:
To unbind the Snake of Illusions, to release it from its prison,
Invoke the ancient incantation known as the 'Release.'
But be warned: once freed, none may tame its chaotic dance nor escape its sinister embrace.
Take heed, brave soul, lest ye too fall victim to the serpent's cruel game."
Kai glanced at his sister.
"Well, let's set it free then…" Mei said decisively.
"But… she's Calamity," Kai added cautiously.
"And…?" Mei asked.
"Good point," Kai smiled. "Let's go."
"Wait, wait, wait…" Mei interrupted sharply, "Didn't you see how big the Whispering Owl was? Let's free it on the roof. There's no space here."
Kai nodded, and together they headed back toward the exit.
"You know… I wonder how people got lost here. We didn't even need a map at all…" Kai said, then quickly swallowed his words.
In front of them — where before there was only a fork left and right — now stood five different paths.
"This wasn't here before…" Mei said, stopping suddenly.
"Where…?" Kai stared at the map shifting before his eyes.
"These tunnels look alive…" he whispered, as if the map was whispering to him.
"Frfr…" Mei agreed.
They started following the map, but no matter how far they walked — it always felt like they ended up in the same place.
"We've been here before…" Mei said, her voice barely audible.
"I know…" Kai started, then something occurred to him.
"Wait, what happened to Yuki?"
"Good question…" Mei answered quietly, staring into the distance.
"Who cares… Let's go this way!" Kai said, gently pushing her forward.
And again, they ended up in the same place.
"What now?" Mei asked, half worried, half frustrated.
"Maybe I can use some magic… After all, she is called Snake Of Illusions," her brother said, quickly flipping through the pages of the manual.
"Here!" he shouted like he'd found treasure.
He read aloud: "Break Illusion!"
Suddenly, the tunnel with five branches transformed into one straight tunnel, where the brother and sister could walk freely.
"What happened to Yuki?" Mei wondered. "If you need Active Magic to pass through here, how did she manage…?"
They kept walking through the tunnel until they reached the end — and found themselves back at the academy.
"To the roof…!" Mei said dramatically, pointing upward.
They started climbing slowly, hearts pounding faster than usual as they made their way to the roof.
"Here we are…" Kai said, opening the door.
Mei stepped onto the roof and carefully placed the little box on the ground, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Kai smiled, then began to say, "Relea—"
But before he could finish, Mei quickly pressed her palm over his mouth, whispering:
"Put up a barrier, so she doesn't escape…"
Kai nodded and said, "Barrier."
Suddenly, a huge blue energy surrounded them, enveloping the entire roof in a protective bubble.
"Okay… release it," Mei said, watching her brother.
"That sounds lewd..."
"Just do it!"
"Release!" Kai shouted.
From the little box, mist slowly curled out — thick and dark, like the night itself was coming alive right before their eyes. The smoke twisted and waved, shifting shapes, but soon it became clear that from that dense fog, a GIANT snake was forming.
The Snake Of Illusions wasn't just any snake — its body was made up of endlessly twisting, almost living waves of smoke.
Its eyes? Terrifyingly powerful, glowing like two tiny volcanic cores, shining with red fire from the deepest darkness of something not belonging to this world.
The moment it appeared, the air around them grew thicker, heavy and warm, like reality itself was changing its flow — every breath felt harder to take, every sound quieter and muffled. Everything around them seemed wrapped in an invisible veil, mysterious and kinda scary.
The snake's mouth slowly opened, revealing a row of sharp, icy fangs. Its voice was quiet but sharp.
"Thank you!" it hissed.
Those two words echoed in the silence of the roof, sending chills through their spines.
Kai fell silent, totally frozen. His eyes widened as if he'd seen something he couldn't even imagine. His hand trembled as he clenched his fist, his heart pounding like it might burst out of his chest — every beat ringing in his ears.
Mei pressed her lips so tight they turned white, like she was trying to keep all her emotions locked down. She tensed up a bit but didn't move an inch — just stared at the snake without blinking.
They both stood stiff, like statues carved into the spot.
All their previous cold calmness vanished in a second — replaced by raw, wild fear, so pure and strong it tore through their chests.
The snake hissed quietly and ominously behind their backs.
"Are you not a little ssssscared?" its voice was twisted and sharp, like it was playing with them.
"AAAAA!" Mei suddenly screamed and threw herself on the ground, wanting to run as far away from the MONSTERRRR.
Kai slowly, almost stiffly, turned his head to look at the snake. His heart was pounding harder than ever.
"Sssssss," the snake hissed dangerously close, "Will you remove thisssss barrier?"
Kai swallowed hard, gathering all the strength he had to speak. His voice was soft, almost breaking, but the question slipped out:
"Reward?"
The snake let out its signature twisted laugh:
"Oh... You want a reward...? Whaaaaat would you like?"
"A clue… To the diary…" he barely whispered.
Mei watched her brother from the ground, her eyes full of fear and uncertainty.
The snake hissed almost like a challenge:
"And why sssshouldn't I just eat you and remove the barrier that way?"
Chills ran through Kai's body, but he managed to whisper:
"Please…"
"There exissssts an artifact, that can find anythiiing… Compassss Finder… Elvessss guard it…" its voice was sinister and cold.
Then it reminded him, almost threateningly:
"Barrier."
Kai raised his trembling hand and said firmly:
"Barrier."
At the same moment, the barrier vanished — like it evaporated into the air, sparkling into millions of tiny light particles.
"Tttthank you!" the snake said again, but now much quieter, almost retreating, then disappeared — evaporating like ordinary, harmless smoke.
Kai fell to his knees, his body trembling. His eyes were filled with the horror of everything he'd just survived, and a quiet tear rolled down his cheek.
At the other end of the roof, Mei lay motionless, with the same expression of confusion and fear on her face. She looked at her brother but couldn't say a word — like all her words had vanished at that moment.
For a few moments, they just stood there, motionless, staring into nothing.
As if their souls had slipped out of their bodies, leaving them hollow.
Mei dropped to her knees.
They hit the rooftop hard, but she didn't feel it.
She left a bloody trail on the concrete as she crawled toward her brother, skin tearing again and again as she dragged her knees forward.
When she reached him, she grabbed the collar of his uniform and screamed with all the air in her lungs:
"ERASE IT FROM MY MEMORY!!! ERASE IT!!!"
Tears streamed down her face, shaking her voice.
"ERASE IT! ERASE IT!"
"How do I protect Mei from this…?" Kai thought, feeling himself tearing apart inside.
"How??? How??? How???"
"ERASE IT! ERASE IT! ERASE IT!" she repeated through sobs.
"I NEVER WANT TO SEE IT AGAIN!!! ERASE IT FROM MY MEMORY, BROTHER!!!"
Her hands clenched his collar tighter and tighter, until her nails dug into his skin, forcing blood to slowly drip from his neck.
"How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How?" echoed in his head, while his empty eyes stayed locked on his sister in front of him.
"I WANT TO DIE!!! LET ME DIE!!!" she screamed through clenched teeth, her voice bleeding with despair.
"ERASE IT! ERASE IT! ERASE IT!!!"
"I have to protect Mei! I HAVE TO!!! I HAVE TO!!!" Kai's mind roared.
But then came the confession:
"…I'm not strong enough for that MONSTER…"
"WHAT HAVE WE DONE?!" Mei's voice broke into a cry.
"WE LET THAT THING ROAM THE WORLD!!!"
Her eyes were bloodshot, full of pain and fear. She stared straight at him.
In the next moment, she knocked him to the ground — but he didn't feel the impact.
"BROTHER!!!" she screamed, her knees pressing mercilessly into his stomach.
"I have to protect Mei. I HAVE TO!" Kai repeated in his mind.
Silently, Mei took a small notepad and a pencil from her uniform.
She didn't look at her brother — only at the empty sheet of paper.
She began to draw.
"Mei… I HAVE TO PROTECT HER!"
She drew a KNIFE.
She lifted her gaze.
And in the very next moment, the cold blade pierced her brother's stomach.
He didn't even look at her — he simply collapsed to the ground.
Blood began to soak his uniform.
He felt a faint rush of wind tangling with his hair.
"…I'm sorry…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, and in the next second, she turned the blade toward herself.
Blood spread in the silence.
Two bodies — once alive — brother and sister, now lay on the ground in a pool of blood.
Cold and lifeless.
.
.
.
"Come to think of it… we never really wanted to be heroes."