"The Serpent Opens Its Eyes"
The morning sky over Elysion Park was clear, washed in pale summer blue. For once, Lucas wasn't the first to arrive at the office. The courtyard outside the gates was already alive with movement: reporters setting up tripods, photographers balancing long lenses, and vloggers pacing with nervous excitement, clutching cameras like lifelines. For months they had speculated from behind fences and drone shots. Today, they would step inside the serpent's lair.
Emma stood at the entrance, headset on, directing staff with clipped efficiency. She spotted Lucas and flashed him a smile, though her voice still carried that edge of adrenaline. "They're all here. Local press, travel magazines, bloggers… and look." She tilted her head toward a familiar figure standing slightly apart, camera in hand, bouncing nervously on his heels.
ThrillSeeker Ben.
Lucas watched him for a moment. For all his energy online, Ben looked smaller in person, shoulders hunched as if he still didn't quite believe he belonged. When Emma approached him with his lanyard and press badge, his face lit up. "Thank you," he said softly, almost overwhelmed. "I… I can't believe I'm here. This means the world."
Inside the park, a temporary stage had been set up opposite the serpent façade. The temple loomed behind it, vines spilling from its stonework, golden serpent heads catching the sunlight. Cameras clicked in rapid bursts as Emma stepped to the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Elysion Park. Today, you are the first to witness the awakening of Serpent's Run. What began as steel and scaffolding has become a legend—and tomorrow, it will belong to the world."
Applause rippled through the crowd. Lucas followed with a shorter speech, his voice steadier than he felt. "This ride is more than an attraction. It's a story, one that belongs to our guests, our team, and everyone who ever dreamed of adventure. Thank you for being part of its beginning."
The ribbon stretched across the queue entrance shimmered in the sun. With a nod from Emma, Lucas cut it cleanly. The serpent's eyes above the station glowed green as if in response.
The first group was ushered in—reporters, photographers, and Ben among them. They wound through the themed queue, cameras snapping every torch, every carving, every vine. When they boarded the first train and the lap bars clicked shut, the air felt charged.
Lucas stood at the control booth as the train rolled into the darkness. The torches flickered, the hiss of hidden speakers echoed, and then—Launch One roared. The station vibrated with the force of it. Seconds later, distant screams pierced the jungle.
When the train returned, faces told the story before words could. Reporters staggered out, laughing, gasping, already dictating notes into recorders. A travel journalist grinned, shaking her head. "This isn't just a family coaster. It's an experience."
Ben climbed out slowly, camera trembling in his hand. His eyes were wide, his face flushed, but his voice was steady as he looked at Lucas. "You built something… incredible. Thank you for letting me be part of this." He turned the camera on himself, still shaking. "Guys… I can't even… I'll upload later. I just need to breathe. But trust me—this is worth every bit of hype."
The media preview had lasted less than an hour, but in that time, the serpent had done what it was meant to do: bite deep into memory. By evening, the first articles were online, the first vlogs uploaded, the first headlines printed. "Elysion Park Strikes with Serpent's Run".
And Lucas, watching it all unfold, finally allowed himself to exhale. The serpent had opened its eyes—and the world was already looking back.
The park had closed for the day, yet the gates at Explorer's Landing remained half-open. A small crowd gathered outside, clutching golden-edged invitations that marked them as chosen. Some had won a lottery, others were longtime pass holders, a handful were drawn from contests. All of them knew this was not an ordinary visit. Tonight, they would step inside Serpent's Run before the rest of the world.
As the sun dipped behind the treeline, staff in expedition-style uniforms guided the group along a roped path. The rest of the park lay silent and dark, but lanterns and torches flickered along the Jungle Zone walkway. The only sound was the murmur of anticipation, broken now and then by a child tugging on a parent's hand, whispering, "Is it scary? How fast does it go?"
The path opened onto the lagoon, where the serpent temple loomed. Floodlights washed over the façade, casting deep shadows across vines and carved reliefs. The golden serpent head caught the last traces of daylight, its eyes glowing faintly green. The group fell quiet, a hush of awe spreading through them. This was no construction site anymore. It was a place of legend, and tonight, it belonged to them alone.
Emma stood at the queue entrance, welcoming each guest with a smile and a lanyard badge marked First Rider. Lucas lingered just behind her, watching faces as they crossed the threshold. Some were wide-eyed with excitement, others nervous, but all carried the same sense of privilege.
Inside, the torches flickered along the darkened queue. Props lined the path—expedition crates, weathered ropes, broken statues—as if explorers had abandoned their camp only hours before. Every corner whispered with serpent hisses from hidden speakers. Parents comforted their children; teenagers filmed shaky footage on their phones despite the dim light.
When the first train dispatched, the temple swallowed it whole. A hiss, a pause, then the roar of Launch One shook the façade. Distant screams echoed across the lagoon, and those still waiting cheered instinctively, stamping their feet on the wooden planks of the queue.
When the train returned, the riders looked transformed. A boy leapt out of his seat, shouting, "Best ride EVER!" His mother laughed breathlessly, brushing hair from her face. A teenager raised both arms and shouted into his phone, "We just rode it—before anyone else!"
Lucas moved among them quietly, listening. Every laugh, every gasp, every whispered, "That was insane", carved itself into him more deeply than any report. He saw wonder in their eyes—the same wonder he had dreamed of when he first inherited the park.
The night ended with applause. Not a staged ceremony, not a speech, just spontaneous clapping from the final group as they exited through the glowing archway. They knew they had been part of something rare, a memory that others would envy.
As the last guests left, Emma turned to Lucas. "Tomorrow, it won't just be them. Tomorrow, it's the world."
Lucas glanced back at the temple, serpent eyes still glowing in the night. For the first time, the voices inside weren't engineers or builders or journalists. They were the voices that mattered most—real guests.
And the serpent had answered them with a roar.
The sun had barely cleared the horizon when the first guests began lining up outside Elysion Park. By eight o'clock, the plaza was a sea of color: families waving serpent-themed balloons, teenagers in custom fan shirts, journalists elbowing for prime camera spots. Today wasn't just another park day. Today, Serpent's Run would open its jaws to the world.
Inside the Jungle Zone, the serpent temple waited in silence, its golden head gleaming under morning light. Staff in fresh uniforms stood ready at the gates. Torches along the façade had been lit early, their flames dancing in the breeze, sending smoke curling above the lagoon.
A temporary stage stood before the entrance, draped in green and gold. Emma stepped up first, microphone in hand. Her voice carried over the crowd:
"Elysion Park has always been about adventure, discovery, and stories that stay with you. Today, we add a new chapter. Today, the serpent awakens."
Applause thundered. Cameras flashed. Then Lucas took his place beside her. He looked out at the crowd—hundreds of expectant faces, eyes wide with anticipation. For a moment, words threatened to catch in his throat. Two years of planning, struggle, and sleepless nights led to this instant.
"This ride," he began slowly, "is more than steel, stone, and track. It is a legend, built by the hands of many, but made alive by you. Every scream, every laugh, every memory you take with you today—those are the real heartbeat of Serpent's Run. Thank you for being here to make history with us."
Walter, standing just offstage, gave a discreet nod, his eyes bright. He had seen projects open before, but never with this much soul.
The ribbon stretched across the temple gates shimmered in the light. Emma handed Lucas a golden pair of scissors. With one clean cut, the serpent's eyes flared emerald green. The gates swung wide. The crowd roared.
The first public train of Serpent's Run filled within minutes. Children clutched their parents' hands nervously; diehard fans pressed themselves into the front row, grinning with wild excitement. As the lap bars clicked shut, a hush fell. The jeep-like cars rolled into the darkness.
Torches flickered, statues loomed, serpent eyes glowed red. The hiss grew louder—then Launch One detonated, shaking the façade. The train shot out into daylight, screams tearing across the Jungle Zone. Those waiting outside erupted in cheers as the riders flew over the lagoon, water sparkling below.
For the rest of the day, the serpent did not rest. Trains dispatched with clockwork rhythm, each return greeted by laughter, applause, and shaking heads of disbelief. News crews rushed to file their stories. Vloggers shouted into cameras, voices hoarse from screaming. ThrillSeeker Ben uploaded his POV that evening, his voice cracking with joy as he shouted: "This is the best day of my life—keep the thrills alive!"
As evening fell, Lucas stood at the edge of the lagoon. Fireworks bloomed overhead, their colors reflecting on the water. The serpent temple glowed in the twilight, torches flickering, eyes burning emerald. Guests packed the boardwalk, still buzzing, still taking photos, still laughing long after the final ride had returned.
Walter joined him, hands tucked into his jacket. "You did it," he said quietly.
Lucas shook his head. "We did it. And it's only the beginning."
Above them, the serpent gleamed under the fireworks, no longer a construction project or a dream. It was alive, breathing through every scream that echoed across the Jungle Zone.
The gates were open. And nothing would ever be the same again.