Chapter 5: The Serpent of Shadows
The path twisted deeper into the Spirit Realm, where the glowing trees grew taller and their roots coiled like veins across the ground. The air grew heavy, thick with shadows. Elior felt them clinging to his skin, whispering with every step.
Then the whispers became one voice.
"You cannot leave…"
The ground split, and from the darkness uncoiled a serpent larger than any creature Elior had ever seen. Its scales shimmered like oil, shifting between shapes—sometimes flesh, sometimes smoke, sometimes the faces of the people he knew. Its eyes glowed red, endless and cruel.
It circled them slowly, the earth trembling with its movements.
"You think loyalty will save you?" it hissed. "No. To pass, one of you must stay. One must be devoured."
Elior's breath froze in his throat. He looked to Kael, to Liora. Their faces paled, but neither stepped back.
"That's not happening," Kael spat, raising his staff. "We're all leaving. Together."
The serpent's laughter shook the trees. "Then all will die."
It lunged, its fangs crashing into the ground where they had stood. The three scattered, dust and shadow exploding around them.
Elior's mind raced. The serpent was stronger, faster, endless. Its body coiled around them like a cage. Its words slithered into his ears, sharp as knives.
"They left you once, boy. Your parents abandoned you. So will these two. Choose quickly—or lose them both."
Elior stumbled, the voices digging deep. His parents. His uncle's silence. His own doubt. It all weighed on him like chains.
Then Kael shouted, his voice raw. "Elior! If one of us has to stay, it's me!"
"What?" Elior's eyes widened.
Kael grinned, though his voice cracked. "You're the one who matters. You're the key to this. Liora needs you more than me. If sacrifice is the way—let it be me."
Elior's chest broke. "No! Don't you dare—"
Liora's voice cut in, fierce and trembling. "Then it's me. Elior—Kael's right. You can't stop here. If it costs me, then I'll give it. I'd rather you live than see you lost."
"No!" Elior shouted, his voice cracking with anguish. He fell to his knees, clutching his head. "I can't lose either of you! You're all I have!"
The serpent reared back, its maw opening wide. "Choose, child. Choose, or watch them both be taken."
Tears blurred Elior's vision. His heart felt like it was tearing in two. The Realm demanded sacrifice. That was the rule.
But something inside him screamed—No. Not this way. Not again.
His parents had sacrificed themselves. His uncle had sacrificed joy for silence. Elior had lived his whole life on the edge of loss. He would not let the Realm steal the people he loved.
He staggered to his feet, blade shaking in his hand. "No one stays behind. Not this time!"
The serpent laughed. "Then you all perish."
But Elior wasn't listening. He closed his eyes, reaching into the same place that had carried him through the Beast of Stone—the bond with Kael, the love of Liora. The Realm fed on fear, but what if he gave it something else?
He pressed his blade into the ground. Light surged from it, not his strength alone, but the strength they gave him. Kael's loyalty. Liora's love. Their courage intertwined.
The serpent recoiled, hissing as the light tore through its shadowy form. "No… This is not the way!"
"Together," Elior said, voice breaking but unyielding. "We leave together."
The serpent writhed, shrieking, its massive body unraveling into smoke. The cage of darkness shattered. When the last of it dissolved, the three of them stood free, the path ahead clear.
Elior fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. Kael knelt beside him, gripping his shoulder. "Idiot. You scared me half to death."
Liora's hands cupped his face, her own cheeks wet with tears. "You saved us, Elior. Not with strength. With who you are."
Elior looked between them, voice trembling. "I won't lose you. Not ever."
Above them, the silver rivers blazed brighter than before. The Realm had demanded a sacrifice. But Elior had given it something stronger—hope.
And for the first time, the Realm seemed to bend to him.