The treasure hunter was curled up in front of the entrance to a once glorious temple. The door was tightly shut. His trembling body was slumped against the cold wall as he whimpered while chanting prayers. A glowing serpent tail band rested in his hands, emitting a magnificent glow. He clutched the band tightly to his chest as he heard a loud hiss. The hissing and growling sounds grew louder, sending shivers down his spine. He stayed there trembling in fear as long-forgotten charms and spells echoed off the walls. He sobbed as each memory of the past pressed upon his chest.
Somehow, he made it through the night. His mournful cries echoed in the hallway. He felt lucky to be alive, but the guilt of being the only person alive was stronger than that.
At dawn, a rescue crew discovered him. Delirious and trembling, he was clenching the ornament like it was his lifeline. The crew had entered after receiving no response from their comrades who'd gone in before. They thought he had gone mad until they saw the shimmering band that was clasped close to his chest. The ancient crest carved into the metal mesmerized them.
That night, back at his home, he could not sleep. When he finally drifted off, his dreams were plagued by visions of a serpent woman with a long white serpent tail, singing and dancing on the marble floor. Her sorrowful voice echoed off the walls as she circled around the obsidian statue of a serpent king. Her silver white hair flowed behind her as tears streamed down her cheeks. She moved in front of the statue and hugged it tightly, crying and sobbing loudly.
He woke up to a loud hissing sound, too familiar to him. He gasped as his eyes widened in horror. A tall figure with glowing red eyes stood leaning beside him. He tried to move but his body seemed paralyzed. The figure smirked as a tail slowly wrapped around his neck. The grip tightened every second, making it hard for him to breathe. He shut his eyes tightly waiting for the worst—nothing.
He opened his eyes again to find that the figure had disappeared. He got out of bed in a panic and searched the whole room but found no traces of the unknown figure. He breathed a sigh of relief thinking that it was just sleep paralysis. Suddenly, a breath fell on his neck making shivers run down his spine. He slowly turned back and found the same tall figure hovering above him. He screamed with all his might while backing away. The figure wrapped its tail around him.
Crack.
His shoulder twisted with a sickening sound. Then his torso. And then his whole body. He screamed as he felt his limbs bending in directions they were never supposed to. Then came the cuts—two slashes across his chest forming a wide X. Blood poured out from his t-shirt like a fountain as his lifeless body dropped on the floor.
The next morning, a servant found his lifeless body on the bed with all bones broken and a pool of blood underneath. The police were called but they found no signs of break-in or any fingerprints—just the band resting on his palm, emitting a glow.