The artifact was eventually purchased by Vernon Petrova at an underground auction. Vernon Petrova was a powerful business magnate with a love for rare antiques.
He had bought it for his son, Lex, as a birthday gift for his sixteenth birthday. "Looks like a piece of lost myth," Vernon murmured, turning the band over in his palm. The metal looked magical with the serpent-like carvings that made it shimmer in the light glow of the lamp. He smiled proudly at the thought of Lex's eyes lighting up at the sight of it.
That night, before the birthday, Vernon stood before the tall mirror of his private study. He held the artifact thoughtfully, smiling while brushing his thumb over its glowing metallic spine.
The room dimmed.
A hiss.
He turned.
Nothing.
Then the mirror shattered by an unknown force, and in it—a shadow. A tall towering figure with scarlet eyes.
The lights blinked off.
The next morning the staff found his body slumped over his desk with a pool of blood underneath. His spine was broken in multiple places. Arms twisted in unnatural angles and his legs were broken beneath him. Two deep slashes cut into his chest, forming a perfect X that started at his shoulders and ran diagonally toward his waist.
The ornament rested peacefully on his lap, glowing as if satisfied.